Brentford v Swans | Vital Football

Brentford v Swans

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
It’s the second leg of our semi-final play off against Brentford coming up next. Two matches and two wins away from the biggest prize in world football, worth a cool £170 million and a place in the Premier League.
We hold a slim one goal lead going into the match and let’s hope we don’t regret the penalty miss by Ayew in the first leg, that would have given us a bigger cushion.
In the other semi-final between Cardiff and Fulham last night, Cardiff will be kicking themselves for missing two chances in the first half. Fulham, who were without their injured leading scorer Mitrovic, went on to dominate second half possession and once they’d scored the first goal Cardiff players couldn’t get near a tails-up Fulham side, with their slick passing style reminiscent of our Swanselona era. A free kick near the end for Fulham’s second sealed the win and they now look odds on to reach the final, with Cardiff going down with barely a whimper.
As an aside,
Brentford have spent £31.19 on players this season, off-loading £36.63 million of players. Fulham have spent £33.3 million on players this season, off-loading £25.65 million of players. Cardiff have spent £16.2 million on players, off-loading £17.82 million of players.

With the Swans having nowhere near the budgets of the other three clubs in the play-offs, spending a mere £495,000 on one player and off-loading £35.01 million in players, then relying on loanees and Academy players to make up the squad this season, it would be a fantastic achievement were we to win on Thursday evening and go through to the play-off final.
Brentford, with three straight defeats, having previously won eight matches on the bounce, will be playing their last match at Griffin Park.
Barnsley were the last visiting team to play there. Brentford needed to win to get automatic promotion, Barnsley needed to win to stay up. Barnsley won 1-2 with a 91’ goal.
The Bees will be moving to a brand new 17,250 capacity stadium next season. It’s located close by at Lionel Road South, near Kew Bridge. Griffin Park, the unique ground with a pub on each corner, will be sold for housing development, what else.

Brentford’s owner is die-hard fan, multi-millionaire Matthew Benham, who also owns Danish football club Midtjylland. Benham is the owner and founder of gambling industry companies Matchbook and Smartodds.
 
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Rico Henry’s three-match suspension has been removed following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal. The defender was sent off against the Swans in the first leg of the EFL Championship Play-off Semi Final on Sunday for serious foul play.
He is now free to play against us tomorrow night and doesn’t even have a yellow card for the foul.
London club justice at its best, or worst, depending what club you support.
I’m convinced that it would have been upheld if a Swansea player had done that. Steve Cooper didn’t even appeal Naughton’s three match ban recently, fully aware of the FA’s bias from previous appeals.
An added factor was the Sky commentators, who made a huge issue of the incident, which must have swayed the FA.
Steve Cooper after the match:
“I thought it was a clear penalty. I haven't seen the second (appeal) on Rhian when he got booked for diving, but my analysts thought there was a good shout for a penalty there.

"The red card, you can't do that nowadays. You can't be as excessive as that, as dangerous as that, whether there is a touch on the ball or not, and expect to stay on the pitch. Times have changed. The only positive was that Connor got up because I really feared for him."
 
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think you're right keith, London bias there as I thought it was reckless and uncontrolled enough to warrant a red.
 
The team tonight - Naughton in, Cabango drops to the bench:

Swansea City: Erwin Mulder; Kyle Naughton, Mike van der Hoorn, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Conor Gallagher, Andre Ayew; Rhian Brewster.
Substitutes: Josh Gould, Tivonge Rushesha, Ben Cabango, Yan Dhanda, Bersant Celina, Aldo Kalulu, Nathan Dyer, Jordon Garrick, Liam Cullen.
 
HT 2-0
Swans 2 shots, 1 on target from Gallagher saved. Other than that there’s only one team that looks like scoring. Static defence, static goalkeeper frozen on his line for any crosses. Their goalkeeper dominant and taking everything in the air.
 
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FT 3-1, aggregate 3-2
One goal short of the draw and extra time in the end but we couldn’t find a way through.
We were a little bit better second half but Brentford much the better team, miles ahead of us and deserved winners.
Our good run of form was nowhere to be seen tonight as we struggled to contain Brentford. Cabango should have played not Naughton, we were so vulnerable in defence, he shouldn’t have changed a winning team.
 
Ours: "We just gave ourselves too much to do, with the goals we gave away. You can't do that in any game, but especially not against these guys.The lads didn't give up and we gave ourselves a lifeline, but we can defend so much better. It's painful at the moment. We're not going to lose sight of the fact we're building for the future, but when you get so close you're just disappointed."

Theirs: “We were just so on it. I honestly think we should've won 3-0 or 4-0, then of course we make the mistake, which is football - and why we love it. I said after training yesterday that we wouldn't leave this pitch until we're in the final. I felt we were the better team and thought we had that irritated feeling in our bodies."
 
Match Stats:
Brentford 3 - Swans 1 (aggregate 3-2)
Watkins 11’ - Brewster 78’
Marcondes 15’
Mbeumo 46’
Possession: 43% - 57%
Shots: 16 - 7
On target: 5 - 5
Corners: 3 - 3
Fouls: 11 - 10
Cards: 2Y - 4Y

Ref: Chris Kavanagh 3/10, missed lots of fouls