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With his goalscoring and shithousery antics last season, Neal ‘Neeeeeeaaaallll’ Maupay earned himself a place up front in my all-time Brentford XI.

Phillips, Joseph, Blissett, Holdsworth, Gray and Hogan among the other strikers I’ve witnessed over forty plus seasons, left to fight for places on my bench. Even Rowan Alexander, who I idolised for his, admittedly rather rare, roly-poly goal celebrations in the mid 1980s was nudged out of my starting line-up.

Rowan Alexander – ’Skippy’, ‘The Kangaroo’, now fighting for a place on the bench in my All Time Brentford team, despite his marvellous roly-poly celebration.

So naturally, I would love to see Neal wear our red and white stripes again. Especially in a team so tweaked and tightened since he mouthed “see you next year” during the end of last season’s lap of appreciation. This leisurely walk and limited talk following yet another goalscoring appearance in our win over Preston North End.

That promise is now looking increasingly like it will be broken with Brighton & Hove and West Bromwich Albions being added to the list of clubs media outlets, reliable and otherwise, say are considering bidding for his services. Despite the Baggies joining his list of suitors, surely if he does bid us au revoir, he’ll only be saying bonjour to a Premier League or La Liga club.

Odds on him becoming a rare non-British signing by Chris Wilder at Sheffield United seem to have lengthened over the last week or so but the latest offerings from SkyBet suggest Dean Smith could be about to send more cash back to the Bees balance sheet.

Au revoir Monsieur Maupay? Skybet’s odds of where he’ll end up next.

Poor old @BrentfordFC Twitter ‘Admin’ must be getting quite bored of the amount of responses they’re getting, asking where the Frenchman is, every time they post any image without him. In fact, make that every time they post anything. I suppose it makes a change from ‘Announce Away Kit’ though, eh lads?

Available from all good, imaginary, book stores – featuring that common question… Where’s Neal?

Meanwhile, there are a few different views from Bees fans on social media regarding the probability that Neal’s goal against North End was his last for us. I’ve seen no shortage of supporters viewing his (potential/likely – choose your own adjective) departure as more significant than all our incredible incomings. Some even @ing owner Matthew Benham asking him to offer Neal More Pay (sorry) to stay. Although he may welcome such advice, I’m going to safely assume he and his team have considered this option themselves.

While I’d love to be surprised by a tweet of the increasingly famous Brentford Biro being followed by Neal grinning behind a signed extended contract, I’m with those who are still looking at a cup and seeing it more than half full.

Dress me in a frock and call me Rose Tinted but I even remain optimistic about our chances of saying Hello Premier League when we either bid Farewell Griffin Park or, perhaps more likely, sign off our first season at Lionel Road.

The following are what I’m seeing in my mug of post-Maupay positivity:

The Brentford Shithousery Stays

This Squad > Any Other Squad I’ve Known

Individuals Don’t Win Titles, Squads Do

The Team That Thomas Built

Who’s Next In? It won’t be Callum Willock

There’s Other Talent Already Here

The Competition Ain’t All That

“The Best Long-term Interests of the Club”

Here are a few more words on each:

The Brentford Shithousery Stays

I actually think it was Neal’s outstretched arms after scoring home and away against Leeds United that endeared him to me, and maybe you, even more than the goals themselves. For far too long we’d been nice little Brentford. Punching above our weight but never daring to land any low blows while we took more than the occasional jab to our own privates.

Strike a Pose – Elland Road & Griffin Park, Maupay and Leeds fans keep things consistent after Neal nets.

Maupay’s maverick moves to celebrate silencing opposition fans (note also the cupped ear at Villa Park and Craven Cottage) symbolised a new attitude. Don’t f**k with F***ing Brentford.

Villains, Cottagers and Birmingham City Blue Noses joining forces in a growing army of opposition fans hating on our hero while clearly harbouring envy at his exploits.

It was particularly that game, that battle, at Elland Road which illustrated a new feisty sting amongst The Bees. While Neal may take those outstretched arms with him, I’m confident he’d be leaving behind a squad, and management, which will continue to take no sh*t.

Also triggering many Leeds fans that day, we had Thomas Frank, then Assistant, rather than Head, Coach holding onto the matchball rather than hand it over to United’s Ezgjan Alioski when the Leeds player entered our technical area. Well, when he jumped into our bench actually.

Sergi Canos, sitting there having been substituted, then popped over to see what was happening. While Thomas reluctantly released the ball, Sergi’s head made rather significant, yet definitely accidental Guv, contact with the back of Alioski’s neck.

Thomas and Sergi standing up for themselves and proving Brentford Shithousery FC extends beyond just Neal.

Cue the Leeds crowd becoming rather agitated again and losing it when they took to social media. One fan even started a petition calling for referee Jeremy Simpson “to be investigated by the FA”.

They clearly thought he should’ve been more of a Homer… Homer Simpson? … Get it? … Oh, forget it.

Our unexpected, yet thoroughly welcome, acquisition of the home side’s scorer that day, Pontus Jansson, has added further determined aggression to our ranks. Wherever we play next season, we will certainly be able to stand up for ourselves and long may our new found shithousery continue to manifest itself whenever appropriate.

This Squad > Any Other Squad I’ve Known

In all my time supporting the Mighty Bees, I don’t recall a better signing than Jansson. Some have suggested the capture of Hermann Hreiðarsson eclipsed it but as he was brought in by Ron Noade$, I won’t be counting him.

With this window’s £19million expenditure already accounting for more than half of transfer fees we’ve paid in our entire history (source: Billy ‘The Bee’ Grant via Beesotted), Matthew Benham and his Directors of Football have already shown they are going for it this season.

Behind Jansson, you have to feel we’ve upgraded in goal with David Raya coming in after excelling at Blackburn when neither of our first choice keepers covered themselves in glory. With Patrik Gunnarsson signing a new four year deal and Ellery Balcombe continuing to represent England now at Under 21 level, you sense we have enough back up there even if Luke Daniels follows David Bentley through the exit door.

Raya & Gunnarsson each getting a half, and a clean sheet, against Dynamo Kiev in the only game of the #BeesInAustria week, suggests Luke will indeed also soon be leaving.

Opting to pose in Gucci white and black rather than Umbro cherry tomato, David Raya is announced at Jersey Rd.

This clip from the club’s Twitter feed already suggests Raya will be a lot more comfortable with goalkeeper coach, and fellow Spaniard, Iñaki Caña’s training methods than either Bentley or Daniels were, after he replaced Simon Royce a year ago.

To compliment Jansson, we’ve signed Ethan Pinnock from Barnsley for a quarter of the alleged £12million Aston Villa paid us for Ezri Konsa. Comfortable on the ball, the 6ft 4 Londoner should also provide an additional threat from set pieces.

If we play a trio of central defenders expect Julian Jeanvier to join them both for the majority of games. Thomas has already suggested he’ll be looking to mix things up and may sometimes revert to playing just two. Mads Bech Sorensen and Luka Racic have already proved themselves as capable B Team graduates and I also like the look of Canice Carroll.

While I was disappointed to see Moses Odubajo released in the summer, I think there are signs Henrik Dalsgaard is set for a more consistent season at right back. Having had an actual summer break this time round, after enjoying that good run at the 2018 World Cup Finals, he has been rooming with fellow Russia 18 Quarter Finalist Jansson during the pre-season tour. Peter Gilham noted their enthusiasm in Day 5 of his must read Tyrolean Blog and I expect these two Scandinavians to push each other, and their teammates, on throughout 2019/20.

Panini Pals – we’ve got, got and need these two to drive each other onto greatness

Last season, Sheffield United highlighted the importance of a good defence in The Championship when they pipped the more attacking minded likes of Leeds and Derby County to promotion. With our squad all set up to concede fewer goals than last season, this bodes well for us.

In midfield, swapping the arguably ineffective yet expensive Lewis MacLeod and Josh McEachran for Christian Nörgaard and Mathias Jensen again suggests improvements to the options Thomas Frank will have at his disposal.

More on our attacking choices later but despite losing my favourite ever number nine, I don’t envisage us having problems scoring goals.

All in all, as we currently stand, I still see this as the best squad I can remember.

Individuals Don’t Win Titles, Squads Do

If QPR owner Tony Fernandes convinces Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to swap Barcelona or Turin for Shepherd Bush then I might have to rethink this argument. Thankfully this is as likely as a second consecutive season wearing brown and orange as our away colours.

If we are to move into our new stadium in August 2020 as a Premier League club, then we need a group of great footballers, not just one outstanding one.

We should by now be quite used to players we’ve developed exiting at their peak. You can list many an attacking option that has recently moved on: Gray, Hogan, Jota (as part of Harry Redknapp’s infamous Fun Panic-Buy Three), giving us fans an opportunity to fear the good times are going to end.

Indeed less than a year ago it was Ryan Woods who was causing us to panic when he understandably decided he wanted to move closer to his family. How could we replace such an influential player? Well we have, while his career has stalled in Stoke. For sanctioning such a terrible transfer, his agent owes him massively so good luck getting that move away from the potteries.

From pulling strings for the Bees to spending hours sitting next to Saido Berahino. Poor, poor Ryan Woods.

So, for all his qualities, Maupay won’t ever get us to The Premier League on his own. While I include myself in his congregation of worshippers, if he decides he’s better off elsewhere then I’ll let go of 2018/19’s antics. I might just reacquaint myself with THAT chance at Cardiff which even a broadcasting moose thinks they could have scored.

2019/20 needs to be the season of the squad. Strength in depth from 1 to 11 on the field of play (or all the way to 94 on the back of shirts if we use similar squad numbers to Dynamo Kiev) whoever gets picked home and away.

The Team That Thomas Built

After a shocking start that would have seen many a club choose to sack him, Thomas Frank grew into his role of Head Coach last season. While our set-up means it’s not purely the person in that position who dictates the players at their disposal, it feels like our Dane is moulding his men more this season.

The Scandinavian influence, also driven by Joint Director of Football Rasmus Ankersen, is increasing in TW8. Under Ankersen’s Chairmanship, Bees Owner Matthew Benham has seen his other team, FC Midtjylland, win both the Danish League and Cup in recent seasons. They are another example of a team punching so much above their weight it’s like me rocking up on Love Island and landing any kind of date.

Brentfjörd is now adorned on t-shirts available from Beesotted and, if you include the B Team squad, we could quite easily field an all-Nordic team with subs:

Eg. Gunnarsson; Dalsgaard, Bech Sorensen, Jonsson, Racic; Norgaard, Finnsson, Jensen; Forss, Shaibu, Marcondes.

Despite mocking his explanation for Maupay missing the AFC Wimbledon friendly last week, I’m a big fan of Thomas both as a manager, sorry I mean Head Coach, and a man. His interviews are always insightful and usually free of the clichés his contemporaries tend to spout.

https://twitter.com/luisadrianouk/status/1147483467430748165?s=21 Only joking Thomas. Judging by the Likes, most of those views were from the Bladed area of Sheffield.

This one, on the club’s Official Youtube channel after the Kiev friendly brought the (non Iron) curtain down on the Austria tour, is a fine example of him clearly explaining what he’s trying to achieve and showing genuine respect to his team and fans.

Again, maybe I’m being over-optimistic but our Head Coach is filling my mind with bright visions for the future. I sense that we are about to see more of his ownership of the playing side of this great club and if Midtjylland can top the Danish League, I see no reason why we can’t end one of the next two seasons looking down on all other Championship clubs.

Who’s Next In? It won’t be Callum Willock

There is still plenty of time (25 days and some hours to spare) before this tantalising transfer window slams shut.

If Neal is off, it would be a Cilla Blackesque surprise if we don’t bring in a decent replacement. Southampton’s Sam Gallagher didn’t really feel like a Brentford signing (TM) but was heavily linked before seemingly settling for a permanent transfer to Blackburn. Just along the south coast, Portsmouth’s Jamal Lowe is now the latest name suggested as a forthcoming forward.

Whoever comes in may or may not be ready to hit the floor running but Ankersen and fellow DoF Phil Giles have shown they have enough acumen in their recruitment to suggest a new hero will be incoming. The Ghost of Transfer Windows Past might want to show us a Callum Willock replacing DJ Campbell or even worse, Murray Jones being the chosen one to fill Dean Holdsworth’s boots but days of such panic purchases are long gone.

DJ Campbell makes Gary Breen look like a right pillock, just before he was sold and replaced by Callum Willock.

There’s Other Talent Already Here

Maupay missing from the team playing against Champions League qualifiers Dynamo yesterday, must have put a dampener on many who watched the game. A healthy number of flag carrying fans made the trip over while the rest of us logged into Youtube.

Emiliano Marcondes won’t need anyone to tell him that he could have struck his first half penalty with more conviction. The keeper saving his rather tame effort though was a catalyst for some supporters to criticise him. If he can keep himself fit and get a good run of games, this could be the season where Marcondes replaces Maupay as our cult hero.

If you want to get a taste of what he’s capable of, then enjoy this 2017 compilation from his last season at FC Nordsjaelland. If fellow Dane Thomas Frank can install those levels of confidence back into his shooting boots then we are in for some treats.

Equally, if you want to get a sense of how his shithousery compares to Neal’s then have a read below of how he responded when asked on Instagram what he thought of Fulham:

Emiliano endearing himself to Bees fans on Instagram nearly two years ago. There were more examples of the same opinion.

So Marcondes is similar to Maupay. Not only do they both like to lighten their hair, more importantly they know how to stick the ball in the onion bag.

There’s another player on our books who also reminds me of our French Number Nine. At least, he is similar in build and in the goal-scoring sense even if he appears to favour keeping his hair its naturally dark colour.

Joe Hardy, ex of Manchester City, seems to score whenever I take a look at B Team matches. He won their Players’ Player of the Year Award last season and the 19 year old must surely be knocking on the first team door as he enters the last of his three years’ contract.

Joe Hardy – B Team Player of the Year. Could 2019/20 see him graduate and continue his goalscoring exploits?

A third internal option is a player who has already moved up from the B Team and is arguably the most likely to get game time leading the line. Finnish Under 21 international, Marcus Forss also scored against Preston in that 2018/19 season finale.

A different type of player to Maupay, Marcondes and Hardy, Forss is a taller option and can therefore also provide us with a better Plan B than to ‘do Plan A better’.

That finish on the final day showed what an eye for goal the Finn has. The promise he suggested in that cameo substitute performance has already been replicated this pre-season with a similar strike in the Wimbledon friendly.

While it wouldn’t surprise me to see any of this trio take their chance if they get an extended run in the team, there are further options up top for Thomas.

Ollie Watkins wore the No9 shirt against Dynamo and could be used more centrally. There was talk when he signed that he was seen as eventually playing down the middle, a role he performed well at previous club Exeter City.

Another option is another Dane, Justin Shaibu, although a further loan to follow his stint at Boreham Wood last season would currently seem more likely.

The Competition Ain’t All That

There has been talk that our increased expenditure on transfer fees, and individual wages, this summer has major reasoning behind it. Our leadership have spotted a particular opportunity. FFP and parachute payments.

As a number of clubs, mostly some of the so called Big Boys, have previously overspent in their unsuccessful desire to reach the Premier League, it is felt this season will see them rein things in. There are also some clubs who have now been in the Championship for too long to continue receiving parachute payments from their time in the top division.

It has therefore been suggested that this season will see an altogether weaker Championship making it the year to go for it. I have to be honest and say there aren’t really any teams that I think our lot should be scared of. I haven’t felt like this since our last season in League One.

Fulham having spent £100million in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to retain their Premier League status might be looking to tighten their purse strings although their supporters may feel convincing Mitrovic to hang around gives them the necessary fire power to challenge.

Fulham Relegation Party 2019 – I’m all for our friends from the Cottage having a similar party next May but there probably are at least three worse teams in The Championship this time round.

You’d be surprised if Harlee Dean, Maxine Colin and whoever else is left at Birmingham City enters this season brimming with confidence.

Norwich City and Sheffield United both finished below Brentford in the 2017/18 table before taking the top two spots twelve months later. This should also give us hope that if we perform better on our travels this time round, there really is no reason why we can’t improve enough year on year to follow them into the Promised Land.

Neil Warnock hanging around at Cardiff City might help them be among the early favourites, what with him having more promotions than DFS.

West Brom (do not go there Neal) may feel they’re in with a chance too, especially if they choose to give Slaven Bilic significant funds.

There’s talk that Bristol City have spotted those same opportunities mentioned earlier and, having convinced Dan Bentley to go west, will continue to add to their squad.

Dan Bentley – Bristol City having spent so much on his transfer they can’t afford sleeves on their training tops.

Given the chance, I don’t think I’d swap our squad, management and set up for any other club in our league. This really could be the season we go for it.

“The best long-term interests of the Club”

I don’t think all Bees fans will be in complete meltdown if we are informed Neal Maupay has indeed played his last game for us. It’s understandable there will be genuine disappointment at the departure of someone who brought many enjoyable moments.

There will probably be a few more pessimistic than myself who think, to challenge for promotion, you have to make your ‘25 goals a season’ stay even if he doesn’t want to. It’s too much of a risk to cash in for say £20million and try to find a replacement as opposed to him shooting you to the Premier League, earning you ten times that amount (conservative estimate).

There may be a few who take to Twitter to send advice, or even abuse, to an owner who has ploughed in well over £100 million in already taking our club to a level we could never have hoped for just a decade ago.

The time when I think it’s fair to say there was a meltdown among many Bees, was in the second half the 2014/15 when news of a fallout between Benham and then manager Mark Warburton leaked. With the team flying high and on course for the Play Offs in their first season back in the second tier since the solitary 92/93 campaign, Warbs chose not to accommodate changes Benham wanted to incorporate into the structure of the club.

While the then Head Coach managed to get the sports pages to spin his side of the story, it was left to his employer to tweet a simple yet significant message to defend his decision and the subsequent fall out.

It’s a message which struck a chord.

The single most important tweet on Twitter. Bees owner Benham telling it how it is.

With so many dubious owners at other clubs, don’t ever underestimate how fortunate we are to have a fellow fan signing the cheques to cover incoming players, their rising wage, as well as a unique new stadium to replace dear old Griffin Park.

Therefore, if I read that we no longer own Neal Maupay, I’ll know that his leaving was in the best long-term interests of the club.

Disclaimer: if Neal Maupay stays with Brentford…

I realise that publishing this many words on the topic of Neal Maupay leaving Brentford is akin to showing the obituaries to the Queen that are ready and waiting for the right moment at the BBC. He is still a Brentford player, she is still alive.

When Neal returns to training on Tuesday, his head might be sorted. He may even have been offered an extended contract to continue winding up Brentford’s opposing teams and their fans.

If this is so then I’ll be as happy as the next Brentford fan. It will render all the words above even more worthless than if he does move on but I’ll take that L.

If he stays, or if he goes, then let’s just take a look where we are when the transfer window closes and we know just where we, and our opposition, are.

Come on You Bees and thanks greatly for reading. Feel free to leave comments or message me if you have any questions or thoughts on what I’ve written.

Regards, Luis.

@LuisAdrianoUK