Your starting eleven for Brentford

[NickBFC]

I wouldn't change too much, despite results/performances because what we have in reserve clearly isn't good enough.

Pope

Lowton
Tarkowski
Collins (deserves another start)
Taylor

Cornet
Brownhill
Westwood
McNeil

Vydra
Wood

[alwaysaclaret]

I wouldn't change too much, despite results/performances because what we have in reserve clearly isn't good enough.

Pope

Lowton
Tarkowski
Collins (deserves another start)
Taylor

Cornet
Brownhill
Westwood
McNeil

Vydra
Wood

This is good, I like it but can't be done, dyche won't play vydra if he's playing cornet wood and mcneil. Don't know if anyone else noticed at Southampton but it's not the 1st time, vydra was warming up all second half, he couldn't have been further away from dyche, as if dyche had said to him get down there I don't want to be watching you, it was like he'd been sent to Coventry so to speak, there's clearly something gone on between them and then he gets 3 minutes, lots might say he's not scoring, but he's not been given the chance with a fresh mcneil and cornet on the pitch, forwards need service, and a partner in the grand scheme of things.

[Slurpy]

Pope
Lowton Tarkowski Collins Taylor
Westwood
Brownhill McNeil
Vydra
Wood Cornet

[burnleymik]

We know the team, barring injuries:

Pope
Lowton - Tarks - Mee - Taylor
Brownhill/JBG - Westwood - Cork - Mcneil
Cornet - Wood

Would like to see

Roberts - Tarks - Mee - Taylor
Cork - Westy - Brownhill
Cornet Mcneil
Vydra

Trying to keep the ball down and play into feet up front.

[KRBFC]

For the past 2 seasons, many of this board have noticed we play our best football with Vydra and Wood, we have had the best results with those two, Wood plays better with Vydra.

This season and the start of last season Dyche has done all he can to make sure those two aren't on the pitch at the same time. Why? why are we back to hoping Rodriguez turned into a good player over night? why are we still persisting with Barnes? like seriously

[RVclaret]

For the past 2 seasons, many of this board have noticed we play our best football with Vydra and Wood, we have had the best results with those two, Wood plays better with Vydra.

This season and the start of last season Dyche has done all he can to make sure those two aren't on the pitch at the same time. Why? why are we back to hoping Rodriguez turned into a good player over night? why are we still persisting with Barnes? like seriously

Absolutely agree with this. I think Wood and Vydra have started 2 games together out of 9 (Prem) so far? Norwich at home, to which we might have snuck a win with Vydra playing the 90 as he was the only player causing their defence problems and Leicester away where Vydra was most peoples man of the match. I know Vydra has had a knock here and there but it's just baffling. 3 minutes sub appearance vs Southampton last week

[boatshed bill]

Pugh,
Pugh, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert,
Dibble, Grubb, Tinky Winky, Dipsy,(capt)
LaLa, Po.

That should do it!

[ksrclaret]

He was in good company, but I thought Vydra was incredibly poor last night. He offered nothing and seemed happy to let the opposing centre halves bully him out of the game. The service to him was woeful of course, but I just didn't see any fight in him last night. He may still be carrying a knock.

I think against Brentford though I would go for a pairing of Vydra and Wood. As has been pointed out, Vydra has played well at times this season and gives defenders trouble. The 3 Brentford centre halves are really big and strong so I think it's a game for Wood, although he'll have to be a hell of a lot better than his recent outings.

My team would be;
Pope
Roberts Tarkowski Mee Taylor
McNeil Westwood Brownhill Cornet
Vydra Wood

I'd ask Roberts to advance very high up the pitch when we have the ball to allow McNeil licence to drift into the middle.

[KRBFC]

Absolutely agree with this. I think Wood and Vydra have started 2 games together out of 9 (Prem) so far? Norwich at home, to which we might have snuck a win with Vydra playing the 90 as he was the only player causing their defence problems and Leicester away where Vydra was most peoples man of the match. I know Vydra has had a knock here and there but it's just baffling. 3 minutes sub appearance vs Southampton last week

He had Vestergaard on absolute toast against Leicester. Dyche just can't wait to get him out of the team for whatever reason but he's forced into playing him because we look useless without Vydra most of the time.

[KRBFC]

Pope
Roberts Collins Mee Taylor
Mcneil Westwood Brownhill Cornet
Vydra Wood

[ecc]

Hi KRBFC

Pope
Roberts Collins Mee Taylor
Mcneil Westwood Brownhill Cornet
Vydra Wood

I'd go with that and I sincerely hope SD does.

[alwaysaclaret]

Pope
Roberts Collins Mee Taylor
Mcneil Westwood Brownhill Cornet
Vydra Wood

Think this would also be my team, although Taylor was absolute garbage for some reason at Southampton, needs to get back to his best or will be another position that needs looking at cos he's not been great so far this season, am I right in thinking he had covid, maybe he's not fully recovered.

[KRBFC]

Really hope Collins keeps the shirt, he's the future and absolutely deserves it, especially after the howler from Tarkowski at Soton.

[RVclaret]

Really hope Collins keeps the shirt, he's the future and absolutely deserves it, especially after the howler from Tarkowski at Soton.

Tarkowski has probably been our best player over the past 3 seasons so despite him making a mistake against Southampton he’s still in the 11 for me.

[alwaysaclaret]

Absolutely agree with this. I think Wood and Vydra have started 2 games together out of 9 (Prem) so far? Norwich at home, to which we might have snuck a win with Vydra playing the 90 as he was the only player causing their defence problems and Leicester away where Vydra was most peoples man of the match. I know Vydra has had a knock here and there but it's just baffling. 3 minutes sub appearance vs Southampton last week

And that after being made to look an absolute fool warming up all second half, dyche knew in he's mind all along he was getting no more than 5 minutes, until cornet he's probably the only one at the club in the 1st team set up with any pace, so as KRBFC has said WHY ? He's instrumental in us staying up imo, but we must try to have our 4 best chances of a goal on the pitch at the same time, OK it's putting all our eggs in one basket some might say, but I'm afraid we're running out of options.

[Colburn_Claret]

He was in good company, but I thought Vydra was incredibly poor last night. He offered nothing and seemed happy to let the opposing centre halves bully him out of the game. The service to him was woeful of course, but I just didn't see any fight in him last night. He may still be carrying a knock.

I think against Brentford though I would go for a pairing of Vydra and Wood. As has been pointed out, Vydra has played well at times this season and gives defenders trouble. The 3 Brentford centre halves are really big and strong so I think it's a game for Wood, although he'll have to be a hell of a lot better than his recent outings.

My team would be;
Pope
Roberts Tarkowski Mee Taylor
McNeil Westwood Brownhill Cornet
Vydra Wood

I'd ask Roberts to advance very high up the pitch when we have the ball to allow McNeil licence to drift into the middle.

It's difficult to fight for fresh air, to be fair to him. It has to be disheartening not to get a start, and then when he does he gets a partner up top, and a midfield that offered him nothing.
Vydra likes Wood, and I suspect Wood likes playing with Vydra, but they still need the service. By putting McNeil, Cornet and Brownhill behind them it would improve the service massively, whilst weakening an already wrak midfield, which is why I'd prefer to play Collins infront of the back 4. Filling the whole between midfield and the back 4 that so many teams like to exploit.
We have to free the men behind the strikers to be creative, they can't be on the defensive all the time. The negativity affects the crowd, then the players suffer, then the games lost.

[HuncoatClaret]

After watching Some very poor performances off Westwood, Cork & especially Brownhill this season, I'm amazed we got rid of Benson. Before you all tell me he wasn't good enough, I'm certain that if he'd played for 2 years, he would have more than 1 assist and 0 goals to his name.

[burnleymik]

I see a few people have McNeil on the right, he looks lost out there compared to on the left and he works so well with Taylor.

[ClaretMov]

Screenshot_20211028-182430_Chrome.jpg (67.09 KiB) Viewed 3377 times

[burnleymik]

Screenshot_20211028-182430_Chrome.jpg

Would love to see us try something like that and get the ball down. We have some very capable and tricky players in those front 3.

[Roosterbooster]

Pope
Roberts Tarks Mee Taylor
Westwood
McNeil Brownhill JBG
Cornet
Vydra

And yes, I know its slightly weird and most will disagree

[HuncoatClaret]

Pope.
Collins. Mee Tarky

Lowton. McNeil Pieters Taylor


Cornet


Vydra

Wood

[KRBFC]

I see a few people have McNeil on the right, he looks lost out there compared to on the left and he works so well with Taylor.

I actually prefer Mcneil on the right, he's way more involved in the game and his link up from the overlap with Lowton was very very good.

[KRBFC]

Screenshot_20211028-182430_Chrome.jpg

I'd like to see us evolve into a 3 at the back eventually, I'm not sure Brentford at home is the game to experiment though.

[Roosterbooster]

I actually prefer Mcneil on the right, he's way more involved in the game and his link up from the overlap with Lowton was very very good.

I agree. He's a one trick pony on the left. When central or right his natural balance means he can take on the defender either way and this is a nightmare to defend against. Plus, he's much more of a goal threat from these areas

I think the linkup with Taylor is massively overstated

[boatshed bill]

I think the linkup with Taylor is massively overstated

Probably because at best it ends up with a cross to the invisible man at the far post

[Dodobdobodobo]

Pope
Lowton
Taylor
Collins
Mee
Westwood
Brownhill
Cornet
Vydra
Wood
McNeil

Our best CH but leaving Tarks out in preparation for January.

[burnleymik]

I actually prefer Mcneil on the right, he's way more involved in the game and his link up from the overlap with Lowton was very very good.

We saw what it was like with Pieters yesterday and it didn't gel. All our creativity was down the left towards the end of the last season and the difference this season is that our forwards are not getting on the end of the crosses.

Seems like we might disagree, but for me we get the best out of McNeil when he is on that left-hand side and with Taylor.

[KRBFC]

We saw what it was like with Pieters yesterday and it didn't gel. All our creativity was down the left towards the end of the last season and the difference this season is that our forwards are not getting on the end of the crosses.

Seems like we might disagree, but for me we get the best out of McNeil when he is on that left-hand side and with Taylor.

That surely comes with game time together though, I thought our best chance last night came from the Pieters cross to Roberts.

[PadihamThickNeck]

Pope
Lowton Mee Tarky Taylor
Cornet Westwood Brownhill McNeil
Wood Vydra

That’s our strongest 11 by a country mile

[Nonayforever]

Pope
Collins Tarks Mee
Brownhill
Lowton Westwood Cork McNeil

Cornet Vydra

We have to change, and try something different, both for the results & the sanity of the fans.
Brownhill as a sweeper, Lowton & McNeil wide as they are both defensive as well as being able to get forward.
Cornet & Vydra goes without saying - drop the two carthorses.

[warksclaret]

This is good, I like it but can't be done, dyche won't play vydra if he's playing cornet wood and mcneil. Don't know if anyone else noticed at Southampton but it's not the 1st time, vydra was warming up all second half, he couldn't have been further away from dyche, as if dyche had said to him get down there I don't want to be watching you, it was like he'd been sent to Coventry so to speak, there's clearly something gone on between them and then he gets 3 minutes, lots might say he's not scoring, but he's not been given the chance with a fresh mcneil and cornet on the pitch, forwards need service, and a partner in the grand scheme of things.

I did not use to rate Vydra but about 12 months ago I realised he was the hardest of our 4 strikers to play against.I thought it was an insult to give him 3 minutes last week, and for SD to bring on Rodriguez before him. Against Norwich he was forever stretching them. When he came off we offered zero threat.The whole game changed.Would love to see him start v Brentford

[RVclaret]

Pope
Lowton Mee Tarky Taylor
Cornet Westwood Brownhill McNeil
Wood Vydra

That’s our strongest 11 by a country mile

Agree with this.

[Newcastleclaret93]

Given Dyches comments today it looks unlikely three at the back will be used any time soon.

Wonder who he starts in the next game Collins or Mee

[Roosterbooster]

Given Dyches comments today it looks unlikely three at the back will be used any time soon.

Wonder who he starts in the next game Collins or Mee

As good as Collins has been, and I agree, other than some worrying passages away at Newcastle, he has been magnificent, you just can't drop Ben Mee if fit.

The 3 at the back idea is interesting though. In general I don't think it's such a good setup unless you have the players ahead of those 3. And I don't think we do. I suspect Dyche ended up playing it previously to accommodate Gibson. It didn't work, but on another day I think it might have bee OK, and the world could have looked quite different. But based on that single occurrence I think Dyche has seen enough to dismiss it out of hand unless we suddenly acquire 2 Kantes, 2 Cafus and 2 more Cornets

[Local cricketer]

Quite excited by tomorrow’s team

[AndyClaret]

Quite excited by tomorrow’s team

532 ?

[Newcastleclaret93]

Quite excited by tomorrow’s team

Can/when are you going to post team

[Local cricketer]

Can/when are you going to post team

12 tomorrow my friend

[buzzclarets79]

Who starts to me isn't as important as to how we start. Get up into them, start on the front foot and really have a go at them, get the crowd onside and
give them something to shout about.

Sit back against them I suspect they'll favour that and will pass the ball around us and we'll be in for a long afternoon

[Newcastleclaret93]

12 tomorrow my friend

Out of interest is McNeil playing at CM today? Seen a few people mention that now

[BleedingClaret]

......................Hennessey.....................

Roberts..... Tarks..........Mee...........Pieters

JBG..................Collins.................McNeil.

.......... Vydra .................Cornet............

...................... Wood .........................

[SkiptonClaret]

4-4-2. Ash and Wood up front. Westy and Corky in centre mid - solid pair. Mee in for Collins - no time for youth. Collins will get another chance when we give Ben a few days off his fortieth.

[TheFamilyCat]

Out of interest is McNeil playing at CM today? Seen a few people mention that now

He's really got you hooked hasn't he? Expect another knock picked up during the warm up.

[RicardoMontalban]

......................Hennessey.....................

Roberts..... Tarks..........Mee...........Pieters

JBG..................Collins.................McNeil.

.......... Vydra .................Cornet............

...................... Wood .........................

Bold move. Would result in a massacre, but it’s different.

[BleedingClaret]

4-4-2. Ash and Wood up front. Westy and Corky in centre mid - solid pair. Mee in for Collins - no time for youth. Collins will get another chance when we give Ben a few days off his fortieth.

Just my opinion and your welcome to yours but Ash & Wood is the worst possible front two pairing we could put out and Westy & Cork likewise the worst pair of centre mids together and in combination all four have no pace or mobility and if we don’t play pace that’s either a natural blessing or a gift of youth and the energy that comes with youth then Brentford will run all over us.

[taio]

4-4-2. Ash and Wood up front. Westy and Corky in centre mid - solid pair. Mee in for Collins - no time for youth. Collins will get another chance when we give Ben a few days off his fortieth.

We haven't played conventional 442 recently and I hope we don't today given Brentford's likely line-up and structure.

------------------------Pope-----------------------
Lowton----Tarkowski----Mee----Taylor
-----Brownhill---Westwood---Cork------
--McNeil‐‐----‐-----------------------Cornet--
------------------------Wood------------------------

Or if being more radical to match Brentford's shape:

-----------------------Pope----------------------
-------Collins---Tarkowski---Mee------
Lowton-‐------------------------------Taylor
------------Brownhill-----Westwood-----
----------------------McNeil---‐----------------
----‐-------Wood----------Cornet------------

[BleedingClaret]

Bold move. Would result in a massacre, but it’s different.

Pope’s kicking is a liability and he’s not bossing the back four in Tom Heaton mode, he’s too timid, due to a loss of confidence. Plain to see.

The back four need to be picked to defend
Lowton and Taylor can’t defend well enough at this level and we need to just have a proper 4 man defence to defend.
Roberts is barrel chested strong fast and determined
Pieters is a better defender than Taylor
We need Ben as Captain and he’s a settled pairing with Tarks
Westwood Cork and Brownhill completely failed at Southampton
Wood up top
Cornet and Vydra buzzing around and running beyond him will push a defence back thus keeping Wood onside and giving him space to get shots off
Collins can win flick ons from Hennesseys proper long kicks to feed the front 3
McNeil and JBG should receive and deliver straight to Wood aerially with Vydra and Cornet beyond on either side
We have completely lost midfield in every game, and we haven’t the players to win it.
So in my opinion we offer the simple threats of pace energy size in all the midfield and forward positions,
Whilst the back 4 try to get to the half way.
So far
Pope has been a bag of nerves with laughable kicking, made some good saves but let in weak goals including from crosses where little men have scored headers, Mee will lessen this threat but so would a dominant goalie
We’ve completely lost midfield in every single game, how can we do worse, the 3 of them were less than one combative midfielder against Southampton
Our defence retreats to the edge of our box because of the midfield being so weak and because we’ve offered nothing, Cornet aside, up front and the ball doesn’t stick
Collins is bigger faster stronger and better in the air and better on the ball and as a tackler than any of Brownhill, Westwood or Cork
A simple tactic of a long kick up the middle a head on from Collins to the front 3, however simplistic is more of a tactic than we’ve had.
Jay Rod, Brownhill Westwood, Lowton and Taylor have role to play in this
Pope needs to fight back
Lennon isn’t good enough
Sadly Cork and Barnes are done at this level
We will sleep walk to relegation with a 442
An out of form unconfident keeper
Full backs that attack but can’t defend
A 4 man midfield with 3 central midfielders
A big man up front without enough around him
Wasting a shirt with subs like Lennon and Barnes

[jojomk1]

Hagerty F
Hagerty R
Tomkins
Noble
Carrick
Dobson
Crapper
Dewhurst
Macintyre
Treadmore
Davitt

[Father Jack]

Have got to play Roberts. Lowton has done nothing wrong but in our position struggling for goals and wins those long throws could make the difference.