Alan Judge believes the pressure of the final seven games is something which will bring the best out of him as the Sky Bet Championship season reaches its conclusion.
The Bees go into the final month of the season just one point and one place outside the Play-Off places in their first season back in the second-tier.
Those final seven matches of the season begin with two matches in 72 hours this weekend as The Bees travel to Fulham on Friday and then host Nottingham Forest at Griffin Park on Monday.
Speaking to Bees Player Alan said the season has really reached the business end now and that is something that he feels brings the best out of him.
With so many of the squad earning promotion with Brentford last season and players like Tommy Smith and Jota also experienced in earning promotion elsewhere Alan feels the squad knows what it takes to get over the line.
“They are big games coming up and we are definitely at the business end of the season,” said Alan.
“We need to pick up as many points as we can.
“It helps us that we have got a lot of players who know what it takes to get promoted.
“Tommy Smith has been promoted to the Premier League a number of times and Jota was promoted over in Spain.
“Hopefully that will get us over the line.
“Everybody seems to be winning and then nobody wins one weekend.
“Everybody seems to be either winning or losing on the same weekend.
“We are just outside the Play-Offs now but we just have to do what we can do.
“We are not worried about other results because they will take care of themselves.
“You work all pre-season and all season for this excitement.
“There is pressure and nerves but I like playing under pressure so it’s a great feeling.”
The players returned to training on Sunday after having a few days off to recharge the batteries over the international break.
Alan said it was good to get away and feels there is a renewed intensity in training now that everybody has had a chance to rest up.
The Bees have picked up seven points from a possible nine on returning from the international break and Alan is hopeful Brentford can continue that run against Fulham on Friday.
“Training has been good,” said Alan.
“The lads are well rested now and there has been a good intensity towards training.
“Everyone is looking forward to the Easter period.
“We needed the rest and so did most teams.
“It had been a heavy schedule with the lads playing Saturday, Tuesday for two weeks and then only had a week’s recovery before doing it again.
“By the looks of it everyone enjoyed the break.
“The international breaks have worked well for us this season and hopefully it works well for us again on Friday.”
Alan feels the international break came at the right time for him as he returned from an injury picked up in January.
The Irish-midfielder feels that after the break he is now back to full fitness and looking forward to the final few games of the season.
With Alan’s return Brentford manager Mark Warburton has a near fully fit squad to pick from and Alan feels that level of competition for places can only be a good thing.
“We were trying to get to the international break and now I am fully fit,” said Alan.
“I am looking forward to these games but it is down to the manager now.
“I am 100% fit and I am looking forward to it.
“I did think a bit about what was coming up as I had missed about eight or nine games.
“I was enjoying my season up until then and now I am just looking to being back in it.
“I am fully fit and I am looking forward to all these games now.
“I don’t think the manager has ever had a selection problem like this as he has almost everybody fit.
“Scott Hogan and Lewis Macleod aren’t 100% fit but he had got more or less a full squad.”
Next up for Brentford is a trip to Fulham on Good Friday and The Bees will be backed by around 6,000 travelling fans at Craven Cottage.
The Bees will be looking to do the double over their near neighbours after a 2-1 victory at a packed Griffin Park in November.
Alan said he was taken aback by the atmosphere that night and expects something very similar when the two sides clash on Friday.
“I didn’t realise how much of a good game Brentford Fulham is until I played in the first match,” said Alan.
“I am looking forward to it and we are taking over 6,000 fans so it will be a good atmosphere.
“That shows how much the fans love the club and how much they care.
“We are hoping for a good crowd on the Monday against Nottingham Forest as well but the crowd going to Fulham is brilliant.
“I would expect the Brentford fans to be very noisy.
“It will be a good atmosphere if the home game was anything to go by.”