WEDNESDAY - V- BRENTFORD omdt

[Lord Snooty]

 

Good evening , you join me over the wire, here alone at the house. Stubbs remains in the village in the not inconsiderable arms of Mrs Wankskill. I here alone. I did of course attempt to go back down to do this weeks match thread over a relaxing pint of Glen McThistle fine malt. But I have been barred.  Not for any drunken misdemeanors you understand, of course. 

But I had signed the track and trace guest book as Mario Kempes, as a bit of a lark and also left them the land line number of Mrs Wankskills mortal enemy Mrs O'Toole at the Navvies Arms instead of my own number. 

 

Such japes, it seems, are not acceptable in times of national emergency. 

And so tonight I will plough a lone furrow of a match day thread, though I have to say without my man to bounce ideas off there's no telling what ramble may escape. Anyway, onward!

 

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A cracking win against Birmingham a pleasing performance as much as a pleasing result. Bright, sharp , quick and yes, direct. But we dominated the game for three quarters of it.  It will hopefully give the chaps confidence going into this tough encounter against a free-scoring Brentford. 

 

I heard one sage on the wireless this week opine that Flint didn't look much like a footballer to him, that he could only head it and kick it away from the Wednesday goal.  

Well, to that I say - Good!

 

 

Centre halves dawdling and fannying about on the ball , I've seen more than enough of that the last few years. Not all their fault of course, there's probably been instruction. And yes, some of the more cultured among our contingent would liked a nicer footballer back there I'm sure. And certainly there's a growing trend that centre halves who whack the ball into the stand should be consigned to the history books. But not for me. Not at this moment in time. I think there's every place for them. Defenders who can do what it says on the tin - DEFEND!

 

Lest we forget we're in a dogfight for our lives. When it gets to the business end of the season if we're still scrabbling for points I don't mind if our defence are attempting to put the ball in the Don at every opportunity if needed. You do what you must to ensure Championship status. 

Nice football is down the pecking order of priorities. 

People who don't see that have had too many Skittles or their heads up their arris.

 

I cannot be the only one who tired of Wednesdays touch maps looking like this over the previous 4 years.

 

Not that I find quick direct football ugly anyway. Perhaps it's not for the purists, but for me, and maybe it's an early diet of Jack and Howard but it's a recipe I still quite like the taste of. They both had their critics of course for the regularity and speed, aye and sometimes height of our attacking , but I always say this, you use what you've got in the most useful way for the group. It that means it goes up top quick smart. Fine.  Besides, when I watch a football match I'm at my most interested when the ball is in and around the opposition goal. Odd that isn't it?

 

I like the look of the Paterson lad. Puts himself about but is pretty mobile with it. A good combination. I also liked the way he got hammered in the first half but rather than roll around like a snipered wildebeest he leapt up, still with the ball and played a defence splitting pass while all around were gaping. He's not going to be the prettiest on the eye, but I like the way he shouldered himself into pole position for the penalty he won too. Nice. 

 

 

Oddly I thought the way Monk set up the other day reminded me of the way we sometimes played under Carlos at his bravest before the fear struck him.  The midfielder dropping in to make a three and the man off the flank coming inside to make an extra attacker was exactly something we did in his best games. Most memorable the Arsenal result and a game against Newcastle who were hot favourites.

 

The irony being, that Luongo, to all intents and purposes an attack minded allrounder selflessly dropped in to have a bash at that role and accomplished it with aplomb and looked like he'd been playing there his whole life. 

 

 

 

One game of course, and one swallow doesn't make a summer. But already the decision to allow Hutchinson (on a better pw than Luongo) to leave looks like it was the right idea. The Australian competed with fiery gusto, throwing himself into tackles with power and venom, but most importantly of all - with control. 

 

 

It was a case of the best of the boos boys , especially in the first half.

Odubajo, who hasn't had the easiest time of it since he arrived was super getting forward and stuck to the task defensively , remained focussed after treatment for a heavy knock and was getting stuck as we face the late onslaught. 

He looked the player, dare i say it that we thought we were getting when Bruce signed him 

 

Reach who, even I have started to have real concerns about looked lively, came inside got involved and on another day would have been celebrating a peach of a goal had it not been for a terrific save from Etheridge.

 

And of course Van Aken, I think it must be the boys best performance since he's been at the club. The block was super and will of course roundly get the plaudits, but he was good all afternoon, and it has to be said he really got us going in the first half with some really snappy quick balls out from the back. I really hope he continues with this level of form, not just because of our injury concerns, which seem to be piling up at the usual, SWFC alarming rate! But just because he also comes across as a good egg.

 

I like what I've seen of the new boys. There's a hunger to them. A willingness. A commitment to the cause.

I do think they have re invigorated some of the older lads who been around a while too. 

 

How good for example was Bannan, without being the one to do everything. It meant he could concentrate on the basics and keep things simple, but ultimately brilliantly effective. 

 

Football is odd isn't it. Its rarely about the glory. For so many teams year after year it's just bobbing about. But this -12 thing. It makes it, for all the wrong reasons of course, memorable. And if we pull it off it will be remembered. These players will be remembered for the great escape.

 

It's not where we want to be, could it could make a great story in years to come.

 

The manager and players. They are so clearly up for it. 

 

Lets really get behind them in whatever way we can.

 

 

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WEDNESDAY

- V - 

BRENTFORD

 

Wednesday 21st October 2020

Kick Off: 7:45pm 

Hillsborough

Ref: Darren Bond

*Wednesday have failed to win any of their last seven Championship fixtures that Bond has refereed.

 

 

 

 

 

THE TEAM NEWS

 

WEDNESDAY

Garry Monk is still having to navigate numerous injury concerns including Dominic Iorfa (hamstring), Liam Palmer (back) and Tom Lees (groin), who are all expected to remain unavailable. Monk will also need to decide whether to stick with the 4-4-2/3-5-2 that impressed on the weekend, or recall Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to the starting lineup.

 

Predicted line-up: 

Dawson

Odubajo     Flint     van Aken     Harris

Reach     Luongo      Bannan    Kachunga

Windass

Paterson

 

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BRENTFORD

Thomas Frank will be sweating on the fitness of striker Ivan Toney, though he is expected to return in time.

Assuming Toney is fit, Brentford will hope to put out the same XI in search of their third win of the season.

 

Predicted line-up: 

Raya

Dalsgaard   Jansson   Pinnock   Henry

Marcondes    Jenson     Dasilva

Mbeumo               Toney                Canos

 

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AS IT STANDS

 

 

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COME

ON

WEDNESDAY

[goldensmoke]

Thank you Snoots. Hope we compete and stay in the game. What is it about struggling at home? Maybe we can decide we’re playing as the away team. Tide must turn soon. 

[Joe Sunburn]

Indeed Lord Snooty, the boys do look lively and up for the great escape. To a man they.’ve ‘upped’ their game and seem better than previously. Home form be damned, WED 2 - 1 BRE. UTO. 

 

[TommyCraig]

4 - 1 win UTO. 

[Utah Owl]

Bravo Snoots, great job as usual.

 

Must be honest, I'd take a point now if offered (although naturally I hope we sneak all 3)..

[Plonk]

Nice one snoots. I’m actually looking forward to the game for once.

[Morepork]

Thanks Snoots. 
 

Im not greedy. A draw would be a good result.

 

 

[WindygrOWLer]

3 hours ago, Lord Snooty said:

Ref: Darren Bond

*Wednesday have failed to win any of their last seven Championship fixtures that Bond has refereed.

 

Clearly a draw would be a decent result then....

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

THE WEDNESDAY

[bladeshater]

Come on the Wednesday

[latemodelchild]

Wish I'd skipped over that stat about the ref. I'm a bit Han Solo about tonight after the last time we played em and seeing that hasn't helped me. I may have to have a drink on a school night which is normally unheard of chez LMC. 

 

Would snap many hands off for a point, such is my pessimism about this fixture. 

[heppers]

Come on you wizards

[Drewswfc]

Best run club in the championship in town.... Surely gunna get hammered 0-4

Neyyyooww 2-0 to the blue n white wizards

UTO FTB

[sage owl]

Tough game against a decent side .

1 -1 .

[SwellOwl]

Great post, I think we will get something tonight, confidence should be high.

 

2-1 Wednesday WAWAW

[Mr. Tom]

Brentford are a quick and creative side whose brightest attacking players will make mugs of many a defender this season. Let’s hope for some perspective if there are any forced errors at the back after such strong performances last week.

 

Not that I’m necessarily expecting there to be, you understand - I’m not getting my excuses in early. I just feel that we seem to be in an ok place confidence-wise, for the first time in a long time (ironic given our -12, but such is the importance of a unified dressing room), and I think it’s gonna be vital to our longer-term prospects this campaign. It must continue to galvanise.

 

If this game is to be won, it’ll be through full-team mettle and work rate. We have talent in areas to rival the best of Brentford, but their quality is arguably more evenly spread. I’d take a draw in light of our (inexplicable, but apparently yet-to-be-exorcised) home turf hoodoo, but it’s not a game we can’t win. We may have to muscle, bully and badger our way to victory here though - I fear any degree of sitting back and inviting pressure will not end well, particularly if we’re trying to cling on in that cursed last 15min.

 

Best foot forward, let’s get at them from the off. I’m also hoping for substitutions that make sense both tactically and physically, and allow us to keep up intense pressure on the ball - if not necessarily the Brentford goal - for the full 90. UTO.

[Bakewell Owl]

this is dangerous I am beginning to feel confident before a match, I'm a Wednesdayite, I don't do confident

 

2-o come on Wednesday

[new zealand owl]

Great work Lord S, great rallying call.

 

Have a feeling our CBs will struggle tonight, hope im wrong but there's still some bedding in to do and against a decent forward in Toney we might come unstuck.

 

That being said I'm going to stick my neck out and call a battling 2-2 draw

[Holmowl]

When the ref arrives at Reception if they don’t say “We’ve been expecting you Mr Bond” they don’t have an ounce of humour in their soul.

[Rogers]

Next 4-5 games are mouth watering; come on Wednesday! Let’s start with Brentford and move on up