The signing of Netherlands international Mark Flekken was a deal Brentford simply had to make. Flekken's journey from the Bundesliga to the Premier league caused speculation as bees fans feared no one would be able to resemble the attitude and performances of former number one David Raya. Now that Raya's loan to Arsenal grows ever more likely to become a permanent move this summer, Flekken is now Brentford's long-term solution for the goalkeeper position. This leaves the obvious question of how reliable will Flekken be and is his recent turn in form a promising sign that he will continue to prove his worth for the future?
The transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League some may say is cursed. The rate of talent who arrive in England with the aspirations of hitting the ground running and fail to do so is commonly quite high. In Flekken's case the slow start to the season indicated that perhaps the story was set for him to go down a similar route.
David Raya last season had a phenomenal campaign. Raya illustrated consistent performances every week and to no surprise Arsenal came knocking in the summer. The standard set by Raya would be hard for any goalkeeper to fulfil and this maybe had a part to play in Flekken's shaky first few months with the West London club.
Flekken appeared nervy and was prone to a mistake or two. It was Brentford's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace that made fans weary of Flekken's ability. Flekken had a little howler when unlikely goal scorer Joachim Anderson slotted in through his legs, from a near impossible angle into the bottom right corner. It was a costly blunder as Brentford then failed to retake the lead and secure three points.
The difficulty for goalkeepers these days is the expectation for them to be not only a shot-stopper but also a part of team play. A term to describe this is being a modern-day goalkeeper. If you look at all the top six teams in the Premier League this season, they have goalkeepers who can use their feet essentially to play as an extra centre back when there is no forward pass or clear option available.
Raya was top draw in this department, his distribution was so pure you would think he could do a job in the midfield. Similarly to Raya, Flekken matched the profile of a modern-day goalkeeper and as Brentford like to build from the back, Flekken was then responsible for making sure he was always a spare player for his team to recycle play to. This additional quality may also have hindered him settling down quicker as not only did Flekken have to pull off saves, but he also had to get use to the intensity of the Premier League when Brentford were in possession. Flekken had to make more decisions and process his teammates positions to notice where the best pass to play was. He had and still does have to do this under the pressure of forwards on the opposition team therefore in this day and age there is clearly very little time for goalkeepers to find that out ball.
Goalkeepers don't get near enough the credit they deserve and the debate of whether a modern-day goalkeeper is necessary is a discussion for another day. However, baring these details in mind it's fair to say critics and fans were probably too harsh on Flekken considering the challenging adaptation he had to make to try and fit in.
Now more than halfway through the season and with only 13 games left to play, Flekken seems to have grown in confidence. His resurgence has come at a desperate time of need for the Bees who place 4th on the list of most goal conceded in the Premier League with a total of 42 goals. Most recently Flekken impressed in both his displays verses treble winning Manchester City.
It may not seem believable, but Flekken did indeed make 21 saves and collected an assist across the two games against city. If this doesn't summarise how a little bit of time can help matters, then it's hard to suggest what does. What more can you ask for from your goalkeeper, Flekken gave it his all and if it wasn't for Kristoffer's Ajer unfortunate slip in the fixture at the Ethiad he would have likely also claimed a clean sheet.
For reference free agent and ex Manchester United keeper David De Gea set the save record in one game at 14 saves when the Red Devils faced the Gunners back in the 2017/18 season. In Brentford and City's first game Flekken was an outstanding two saves off equalling this record as he made a whopping 12 to keep out the likes of Erling Haaland.
Flekken's heroics went viral over Twitter; the phrase being thrown around the most from Bees fans was from zero to hero. It appears Flekken is starting to win over Brentford fans hearts as he looks to reinvigorate a campaign of injury and misery for his side. Brentford have taken some big hits this season and it still doesn't quite feel like they're on that final step to stability.
Promisingly the way Flekken is maturing should hopefully improve Brentford's defensive record as conceding the amount they have is simply not good enough. The goals they have let in aligns with their current position in the league, Brentford won't eat up some ground on those above them if they continue to leak goals at the rate they are.
So, in relation to next steps Flekken and the defensive assets of the team must keep building good relations and look to achieve more clean sheets as so far this season Brentford have only managed a disappointing four.
What does the future hold then for Flekken? Flekken is 30 years old and some would say these are the prime years of a goalkeeper. Whilst Raya returning to Brentford isn't off the cards the way Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta has benched Aaron Ramsdale and started Raya in most games implies the move will be completed in full this summer. This provides Flekken the path and most importantly the time to develop more and understand the differences between the Premier League and Bundesliga in more clarity.
Journalists and fans forget this is Flekken's first season in red and white and whilst 25 games have now been played it's a cop out to criticise a player who hasn't even played a full season with his new team. The back end of this season is however huge for Flekken and will be fascinating to see his developments in upcoming games. Brentford need to rediscover their defensive solidarity and this starts with Flekken at the back, he will be fully aware of his responsibility and must remain focused to tidy up what his defence can't.
As for Flekken's distribution, it's evident he is capable with the ball at his feet. He suits the system Thomas Frank tries to implement and has already made an influence on the Bees composure to play their way up the pitch from the back.
In the words of Sir Alex Ferguson "Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles." It may seem optimistic to throw Brentford into the mix of winning a title but it's a great quote to demonstrate how important Flekken is to Brentford earning potential success as those who score goals will always get more recognition than those that don't let them in.
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