Getting nothing from the game against Arsenal felt a bit harsh, but the Eagles roll on to face Brentford at the Gtech on Saturday.
I caught up with Trevor from the excellent Griffin Park Grapevine to get the lowdown on how Brentford fans are feeling.
TEB – Overall a hugely positive couple of seasons in the Premier League. How are you feeling about the season ahead? What’s the aim?
GPG – Very positive of course. Who wouldn’t be? The aim must be to finish in a European spot and/or to have a very deep run in the cups. Having never won a major trophy, the thought that we are just six wins away from the greatest cup competition is never far away.
TEB – Has the Ivan Toney ban left a bit of a sense of being embattled or do you think it’s just an accepted reality and (potentially) the bonus of a huge new arrival in January?
GPG – We all knew it was coming from the time it leaked last year. So, yeah, an accepted reality. The key was to get it all over and done with last season so that any time ban included the close-season. Looks like Toney and his advisors realised that too and accepted all the bets to get it done there and then.
TEB – Speaking of Toney, it looks from outside that Mbuemo and Wissa have really stepped up without him?
GPG – There’s a school of thought at the club that we would be better off without Toney. Wissa is the best finisher at the club and with pace on both wings he’s going to get lots of chances. What we will miss is Toney’s incredible defensive prowess at corners and his Shearer-like ability to hold-up an out ball.
TEB – I can imagine there will be no shortage of suitors in January if there is a sense that Toney is available.
TEB – Brentford haven’t been making big splashes in the transfer window, aside from the Raya negotiations, do you foresee anything more in the final week?
GPG – We are definitely in for players but haven’t managed to land any recently. It’s well documented that we are after Brennan Johnson from Forest, but whether it will happen or not depends on their mad-cap owner and if they think they are selling to a direct rival or not (me neither!)
We signed Nathan Collins earlier in the window who looks an absolute star, and a young South Korean centre-back who didn’t put a foot out of place when he played on the pre-season tour, but one for the future. We also signed Raya’s replacement at the start of the window. Flekken’s distribution looks even better than Raya’s, but early days.
TEB – Who’s going to be your star this season, given over the last two Raya and Toney have grabbed the plaudits?
GPG – Hard to choose. We have an egalitarian team! You’ve mentioned the obvious ones, but in terms of a breakthrough player, I’d look out for Keane Lewis-Potter (fast), Kevin Shade (faster!), Rico Henry finally doing well going forward and being immense in defence (fastest!), or even the aforementioned Nathan Collins. Then there’s our midfield creator Jenson who keeps on improving. So my answer is… no idea, but lots of contenders!
TEB – What’s your view on Palace for the season?
GPG – Same as last season and the season before. Well organised. Don’t concede many, don’t score many. Palace are one of two Premier League clubs we’ve yet to beat in the Premier League (newly promoted clubs apart), but we’ve not lost either. Just hoping it goes our way on Saturday.
TEB – Which Palace player would you want in the Bees line-up?
GPG – Eze. Next question!
TEB – Lastly, who are your arch enemies / pantomime villains at the moment? Any individual players?
GPG – Fulham. A 3-0 win in their own back yard is one of three targets of the season – beat Fulham away, beat Fulham at home, and finish above Fulham. Sad news about Mitrovic too.
TEB – Anything else?
GPG – Look out for a continuation of the sequence of Kane leaving in the week we played Spurs; Mitrovic left in the week we played Fulham…..
TEB – Let’s hope the sequence doesn’t continue! Cheers Trevor, all the best for the season – not including this weekend of course!
