City are decent and have made a pleasing enough start to life back in the second tier , winning their last three all by a single goal, but each was hard work and against what we have to consider weak opposition. So we do not know for sure yet if they are genuine promotion contenders, but I will be able to update you on that after today. Brentford were the second best team in the Championship last season, but finished third and blew three chances for promotion, they have made an up and down start to this season, which can happen after losing a play off final and I do not doubt they will be a better team in 6-8 weeks time. However right now they have some real issues and I have more concerns about them than at any time in the last two years, which pains me to say, but it is my job to do so. They have conceded 4 to Preston and 3 to Stoke in their last four starts and did not allow 3 once last season. CB and captain Pontus Jansson has been in terrible form, at international level too (if any of you saw the Croatia-Sweden game you will understand) and it has been a bit of a blessing that he has picked up a minor knock, but the two alternatives Sorensen and Goode are young and raw and inexperienced at this level and playing with a small injury respectively. Right back Henrik Dalsgaard is not up to playing 3 games per 8 days week after week which the schedule is right now and made two awful errors at the weekend . He has a talented understudy who is injured probably until Christmas, to rest Dalsgaard  means playing someone out of position, most probably Fosu or Canos who are wingers, the latter is more experienced, but is also way out of form. Key defensive midfielder Christian Norgaard is out for 8 weeks, also injured are Baptiste and Marcondes which limits midfield options. LW Bryan Mbeumo looked a little better Saturday, but has been a shadow of the player he was last season ,Saman Ghoddos is still coming to terms with English football and Vitaly Janelt was bought in to understudy Norgaard and been thrown in the deep end as a result of the injury, but he has done OK.

 

On the plus side, Ivan Toney who was brought in as a direct replacement for Ollie Watkins is already joint top Championship goal scorer and more than that, his all round play, work rate, movement and defensive abilities from set pieces are beyond what anyone hoped for. Also, young Finnish striker Marcus Forrs has three goals in just 88 minutes play and is as pure a natural goalscorer as I have seen for some time, Bees only play with a 3 up top, so not sure how Brentford can get the two in tandem other than when chasing games late on, but they are looking at ways to do so. I cannot bring myself to oppose the Bees but maybe you can and at least you know what issues they have currently.

 

Good luck !