Brentford must ensure Championship play-off final isn't the last dance for their exciting squad
During the coronavirus shutdown, Thomas Frank urged some of his Brentford players to watch hit Michael Jordan documentary 'The Last Dance'. Now they must make sure this isn’t theirs.
On Tuesday night, the Bees take on west London rivals Fulham at Wembley in the Championship play-off final, their last chance to reach the Premier League this season and, perhaps, their last hope of keeping together the most exciting team the club has assembled in the modern era.
“We all know how Brentford works so it’s likely that, potentially, one player could go,” manager Thomas Frank said earlier this month, when asked specifically about the futures of his star ‘BMW’ forward line of Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma and Bryan Mbuemo - the Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman of the piece – if the club are playing Championship football again next season.
Benrahma, who has been linked with Chelsea, has always had too much talent for the second tier, but this season has proven himself as a match-winner, game-changer and driving force, too.
Watkins – who says Jordan’s desire to get the best out of his team-mates has encouraged him to take on more of a leadership role – has developed into a complete centre-forward since being drafted in from the wing to replace Neal Maupay.
Growing into the role each week, he matched the Frenchman’s tally of 25 league goals from last season. The last five players to hit that mark in the second tier have all gone on to play Premier League football the following season one way or another.
At just 20, and having spent only a year in English football, one would hope that Mbuemo might see the development of his two accomplices and recognise the value in staying put regardless of Tuesday's result, but nothing is guaranteed.
Beyond the front three, former Arsenal academy midfielder Josh Dasilva is sure to attract interest, while David Raya has eradicated the mistakes that punctuated his time at Blackburn to win the Championship’s Golden Glove award.
At 24, he has all sorts of upside for a goalkeeper and a style of play that suits the way the position is trending at the highest level.
Rico Henry, who has put a spate of injury problems behind him to start every league and play-off game, was described as the club’s unsung hero by his manager this week, while captain Pontus Jansson reserved similar praise for midfielder Christian Norgaard.
Unsung among casual observers maybe, but neither player's performances will have gone unnoticed among top-flight scouts.
However, on Monday Frank reiterated his belief that this group of players will still be around to christen the club’s new stadium at Lionel Road, if they have to do so with no Premier League football.
“I think if we go up, I can’t see a reason why we should sell any players,” he said.
“There’s something we can provide to players by being in the Premier League so we don’t have to sell them, though I think there are only eight or ten clubs in the world that aren’t selling clubs. But we’d potentially have a big opportunity to keep our best players.”
Many players feel a debt of gratitude towards the club and Frank, who plucked them from the lower leagues or overseas and handed out their first opportunities to make a mark at this level of the English game.
There is a genuine sense of brotherhood in the dressing room, strengthened by the experiences of the last few weeks, the emotion of Griffin Park’s farewell and a collective appreciation of this seismic moment in the club’s history which they are sharing.
That feeling was encapsulated last week, when Mbuemo, one of the more reserved members of the squad, gave a heartfelt speech prior to the semi-final second leg against Swansea.
“It shows how much of a family we are,” said defender Henrik Dalsgaard. “Even though Bryan is young and his English is not the best, he’s not afraid to stand up in front of the group and speak from the heart.
"That’s what we’re about, we’re a family, we’re ready to fight for each other and if Bryan has something to say we’re all ready to listen to him."
Whether this proves the last dance or not, it’s been a long one, more than a year by the time the curtain comes down on Tuesday night, and, at first, a slow one too, beginning with a home defeat by Birmingham and a run of just three wins in 11 games.
Back then, and indeed throughout most of the season up until its final dramatic few weeks, when automatic promotion was unexpectedly on the cards, Brentford fans hoped it would lead here, to a 90-minute shot at Wembley glory.
Where it ends, remains to be seen.
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