Alex Pritchard - Brentford

[eddiebailey]

to send him out to a non footballing team like Brentford who have just come up to the Championship and will struggle to assert any sort of control of the majority of games they play could just become a massive waste of time.

This is why Sherwood loaned him to Swindon last season when a Championship loan might have been possible; the lack of footballing ambition in the football league as a whole is real problem when it comes to developing English players.

Just out of interest, what did Button look like in goal? I had high hopes for him once...

 

[DEFchenkOE]

This is why Sherwood loaned him to Swindon last season when a Championship loan might have been possible; the lack of footballing ambition in the football league as a whole is real problem when it comes to developing English players.

Just out of interest, what did Button look like in goal? I had high hopes for him once...

I saw yesterday that Mchechran or however u spell it has gone on loan to Vitesse. I'm not sure why we don't try and loan a few players to the ere divisie as it's a good league for developing talent. Most teams at least try to play football there so it would be more suitable than most championship teams imo

 

[Spurs_Bear]

This is why Sherwood loaned him to Swindon last season when a Championship loan might have been possible; the lack of footballing ambition in the football league as a whole is real problem when it comes to developing English players.

Just out of interest, what did Button look like in goal? I had high hopes for him once...

Button is a big lad, certainly has a presence in goal, but as Lee Camp was in the Bournemouth goal, he was relatively untroubled due to the lack of genuine threat on his goal. He was neat and tidy though.

 

[jimmy_the_yid]

Just scored a cracker from outside the box by all accounts.

 

[mill]

He's scored tonight

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Just saw his goal, decent finish. Control and shot from edge of the box made it 1-1. They won 1-2 and he played the whole game.

 

[nightgoat]

Was a very poor game of football at the weekend, Pritchard was technically in the top 2 players on the pitch, was a toss up between him and the young lad Ryan Fraser who crossed for the Bournemouth goal. Pritchard was really starved of the ball in the first half as Brentford were playing one up top, and when they got the ball they knocked it long for their lone striker to chase, the only time AP got a chance to put his foot on the ball were set pieces, but unfortunately these were quite poor.

Second half, after the goal went in the game was open as anything and he had a chance to run at players and was a lot more involved, was a bit too much of a 'head down/stepover' merchant though to really cause too many problems.

He does get stuck in though and puts himself about for someone so small in frame.

It's a strange one, I cant think what use he would be if he was here for the season, you wouldn't bring him on instead of Lennon or Townsend in a game as he's not even at their level yet, but to send him out to a non footballing team like Brentford who have just come up to the Championship and will struggle to assert any sort of control of the majority of games they play could just become a massive waste of time.

I can only assume that was the first time you've seen Brentford over the last three seasons. Ever since Rösler took over they've been playing the opposite to the style of football you describe. Maybe they will take a little while to get used to the Championship (although in recent seasons there has been a number of teams going up from League One and doing very well), but it's worth bearing in mind they are currently missing last season's League One Player of the Year who is central to their style of play. I'd be very surprised if they went about a pre-planned change in style, especially having just sold a striker whose physical attributes were far better suited the a 'lump it to the frontman' style than Andre Gray.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I can only assume that was the first time you've seen Brentford over the last three seasons. Ever since Rösler took over they've been playing the opposite to the style of football you describe. Maybe they will take a little while to get used to the Championship (although in recent seasons there has been a number of teams going up from League One and doing very well), but it's worth bearing in mind they are currently missing last season's League One Player of the Year who is central to their style of play. I'd be very surprised if they went about a pre-planned change in style, especially having just sold a striker whose physical attributes were far better suited the a 'lump it to the frontman' style than Andre Gray.

Indeed, I don't make a habit of watching Brentford, although this style of football you described certainly wasn't on show on Saturday, only saying what I saw. Maybe the style of play under Rosler has changed somewhat since he left? Wouldn't be the first team to try something a bit more solid and direct when moving up to a tougher league.

 

[beats1]

Indeed, I don't make a habit of watching Brentford, although this style of football you described certainly wasn't on show on Saturday, only saying what I saw. Maybe the style of play under Rosler has changed somewhat since he left? Wouldn't be the first team to try something a bit more solid and direct when moving up to a tougher league.

TBH they still are saying they want to play the same way as under Rosler but in the Championship its common that teams play several different ways

 

[Spurs_Bear]

TBH they still are saying they want to play the same way as under Rosler but in the Championship its common that teams play several different ways

Saying and doing though are two different things. As I said, I don't watch Brentford a lot apart from highlights on a Sunday morning along with every other of the 92 football teams in the league. I'm only reporting on what I saw.

 

[nightgoat]

Indeed, I don't make a habit of watching Brentford, although this style of football you described certainly wasn't on show on Saturday, only saying what I saw. Maybe the style of play under Rosler has changed somewhat since he left? Wouldn't be the first team to try something a bit more solid and direct when moving up to a tougher league.

On the contrary. The change from Rösler to Warburton was pretty seamless and won his first six league games as part of an eleven game unbeaten run. I think Warburton is an ideal coach for Pritchard to play under at the moment. He did the same sort of thing Rodgers did, going around clubs like Sporting Lisbon and Ajax before going into coaching. He's very youth orientated (the average age of Brentford's squad is pretty young, and he was one of the co-founders of the NextGen series), and the Spanish midfielder they've just signed from La Liga said his reason for going to Brentford was because of their passing style.

 

[nightgoat]

 

[Spurs_Bear]

On the contrary. The change from Rösler to Warburton was pretty seamless and won his first six league games as part of an eleven game unbeaten run. I think Warburton is an ideal coach for Pritchard to play under at the moment. He did the same sort of thing Rodgers did, going around clubs like Sporting Lisbon and Ajax before going into coaching. He's very youth orientated (the average age of Brentford's squad is pretty young, and he was one of the co-founders of the NextGen series), and the Spanish midfielder they've just signed from La Liga said his reason for going to Brentford was because of their passing style.

Good, then I hope they spend the rest of the season playing the opposite way than what they did against Bournemouth.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

On the contrary. The change from Rösler to Warburton was pretty seamless and won his first six league games as part of an eleven game unbeaten run. I think Warburton is an ideal coach for Pritchard to play under at the moment. He did the same sort of thing Rodgers did, going around clubs like Sporting Lisbon and Ajax before going into coaching. He's very youth orientated (the average age of Brentford's squad is pretty young, and he was one of the co-founders of the NextGen series), and the Spanish midfielder they've just signed from La Liga said his reason for going to Brentford was because of their passing style.

Absolutely this. I read an article about Warburton in the Times/Independent/ or maybe Eve Standard months ago, long before Brentford won promotion or he took over the managers job I think. I'm sure he basically gave up a job in the City because he wanted to coach kids.

I'm pretty sure he was also instrumental in the setting of of the Next Gen competition.

But either way he's very youth and coaching orientated.

Edit:

Here it is:

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/article4000672.ece

City nous helps Mark Warburton make Brentford slicker
As a former currency trader, Mark Warburton is used to playing with other people’s assets, but is also prepared to put his money where his mouth is. With Brentford top of League One, their fledgeling manager is reaping rewards from the biggest gamble of his life, if not financially.

Warburton walked away from an annual package worth several hundred thousand pounds in the City of London to start at the bottom in football on a salary equivalent to that of a trainee teacher, but that gigantic leap 12 years ago is not the only risk he has taken in a remarkable career. After working his way through Watford’s junior ranks to head their academy, he was in a secure role as Brentford’s sporting director until two months ago, when Uwe Rösler’s move to Wigan Athletic presented another opportunity.
An 11-match unbeaten run later and Brentford are buzzing, with no one at the club lamenting the departure of their well-liked former manager…..

(you may need a subscription to read it all but we're not allowed to post whole articles any more are we ?)


@Spurs_Bear

Pritchard is a dribbler, and as such his head goes down at times, but unlike Lennon and Townsend he nearly always tries to lift it up again and deliver something decent, be it a pass, cross or shot and succeeds IMO with a higher percentage than either of those two.

I'd have him in our squad ahead of either of those two without hesitation. He may not end up being good enough, but those two sure as shit aren't and I'd rather watch us take the gamble on him and what he can do right now than watch another season of Lennon's invisibility or Townsends invisible brain.

And, as you noticed (and I've mentioned several times, including in this thread I think) unlike those two, he's got a bit of tenacity about him, he works off the ball and takes it personally if someone strips him of it and tries to get it back. Combined with a bit of talent a very likeable combo.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

@Bus-Conductor

That's all well and good but it's just one opinion against another, you hate Lennon and Townsend, so underrate them accordingly. And I'm not really sure the 'end product' is measurable due to the different levels played at.

I'm prepared to accept that I saw Brentford on a bad day, from reports I've read of their game that followed it was more what a couple of you appeared accustomed to which is good news for Pritchard, and for us.

 

[nightgoat]

I went to Brentford v Brighton today. Was a really good game, actually. Pritchard had a tidy but fairly quiet game, but he was being played in central midfield and it seemed like Brentford were seeing if he could take the role Adam Forshaw played for them last season. I'd be interested to see his individual stats as I don't think he lost possession more than once the whole game, but he didn't have the same influence he could have had from one of the wide positions.

Brentford lined up with a 4-1-4-1 without the ball, switching to a 4-3-3 when in possession with Odebajo and Jota pushing forward to support Andre Grey. Pritchard was pretty well disciplined in staying in a central position, but a few occasions he drifted out wide. Brighton were obviously aware of his abilities as they paid him close attention and a couple of times he got clattered.

He still played with his head up most of the time, although he seemed a little indecisive occasionally, but I'd put that down to a combination of being played out of position, being closed down quickly and not always having many options. He had a couple of shots from distance, one of which brought a fairly comfortable save, the other went a few yards wide from the corner of the area. He put in a couple of good corners, and should have been allowed to take a free kick in a good position just outside the Brighton area (the Brighton defender should have been sent off for the foul, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity), but Jota who, apart from when he beat his full back once or twice was pretty poor, tamely put it wide.

The other Brentford players seemed to acknowledge and appreciate his contribution, though. On the basis of that one game I don't think they'll have any problems staying in the Championship this season.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Anybody know how he's done lately?

 

[mpickard2087]

Anybody know how he's done lately?

Brentford have been spanked in the last couple of games, 3-0 then 4-0. Cant offer anything more than that but I'd imagine he hasn't had the platform in these games to show what he can do.

 

[nightgoat]

Brentford have been spanked in the last couple of games, 3-0 then 4-0. Cant offer anything more than that but I'd imagine he hasn't had the platform in these games to show what he can do.

Apparently the Norwich result wasn't a fair reflection of the game. Pritchard was fouled for what should have been a blatant penalty at 1-0, it wasn't given and Norwich went up the other end and scored.

 

[nightgoat]

Just scored Brentford's second against Reading.