This season’s Atlantic Cup campaign in Portugal will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the 2022/23 season. The games in the winter sunshine in the Algarve provided our young Bees with a brilliant opportunity to measure themselves against senior opposition.

There have been some good results and performances over the past few months or so, whether that be in the Premier League Cup or friendly matches, but this was a time when players had to really step up and test themselves against first team players in a competitive environment.

It was an opportunity to hold the mirror up in front of you and see if, as young players, you have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with players who have more experience. To come up against players who may be accustomed to a different style of play or know more tricks of the trade than you. It’s fair to say that our B team rose to those challenges and did themselves proud.

A narrow 1-0 defeat to the champions of South Korea in Ulsan Hyundai left the side frustrated in the aftermath at the Estádio Municipal Bela Vista. The group knew they’d matched their opponents up until 87 minutes but they were dealt their first setback of the tournament when, following a set piece, a scrappy goal found its way past Ben Winterbottom as the South Koreans took the points.

Next up were Swedish side AIK Fotboll who went ahead in the first half meaning Neil MacFarlane’s side had to rally- and that they did. Constant pressure throughout the second period saw the side equalise on 95 minutes through an impressive Alex Gilbert header to make it 1-1 as the side had their first point of the tournament. They were cruelly denied their second as the game went to a penalty shootout and AIK came out on top with a 5-4 win.

The final instalment was a game where chances for the Bees weren’t as forthcoming as the previous two encounters. They had to be resilient, patient, and ruthless as they navigated their way past another Swedish outfit in Halmstads BK as 17-year-old Isaac Holland headed home to ensure the side finished the tournament on four points- one better off than the previous season’s tally.

The B team played in the Atlantic Cup for the second successive year

One player who was a part of the 2021/22 trip as well as this season’s Atlantic Cup campaign is Nico Jones, the B team central defender who has become a key figure in Neil MacFarlane’s defence this season. The 21-year-old has flourished alongside Tristan Crama at the back and feels that the second trip to Portugal only highlighted the development that he has made over the past year.

“I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress since the start of the season and throughout my time at Brentford,” said Nico as the side prepare to go again after the trip to Portugal as they face Wealdstone from the National League in the coming days. “The fixtures have been amazing this season; we’ve had some games against some good first teams in different environments, on different surfaces.

“Our defensive work as a team has improved this year. Our pressing, communicating and box defending has improved a great deal. It’s a proud feeling when you go up against hard teams that are experienced like we did at the Atlantic Cup, and we’ve showed that we can compete with these teams as a young team. It’s difficult, and you learn a lot, and we’ve come up against different types of strikers. They’ve been a lot more aggressive and it’s those little things where they may make unnecessary contact with you and try to put you off your game. I’m impressed with the number (conceding twice) but it’s still two goals too many! There’s a feeling that it should have been less when you look at those goals that we did concede.”

Nico arrived in West London ahead of the 2021/22 season from Oxford United to continue his development and build on a solid foundation built at the Kassam stadium. He got first team appearances to his name under Karl Robinson- including the opportunity to captain the side in the EFL Trophy. The young defender felt that his time at Oxford set him up perfectly to join the Bees last season.

He explained: “Oxford was a really good club for me, and they gave me the opportunity to showcase myself in a first team environment. I had some experience and exposure to first team football at an early age which was really good for me. It helped me step into the environment at Brentford, but when I came in it made me realise that I still have a lot of work to do if I want to get to the level that I think I can reach. I want to continue to improve here.”

Having been a part of Neil MacFarlane’s side over the past couple of years, Nico has become accustomed to a front foot, energetic, style of play in a team which aims to take calculated risks. As a defender there’s an emphasis on doing the basics right as well as have the ability to start attacks by passing forwards. As a defender with a physique that makes him difficult to beat, Nico admits playing more on the front foot and taking risks is something that he has had to learn to develop.

“As a defender your main focus is to make sure that you don’t concede which means that sometimes I may not work on my on the ball work as much,” said the youngster. “I’ve got a lot better at playing out but when I go into games it’s all about defending. I know I need to add more to my game on the ball. I think Tristan (Crama) and I complement each other well. He has fantastic ability on the ball and can move forwards whereas I am more the person who will just defend whilst he’s a bit more expansive and breaking forward. I think you need that balance; I’ve fallen in love with defending. Once you get one clean sheet you want to build on that, and it is like scoring a goal for us defenders. I celebrate every tackle and every block!”

For much of the season Nico has played as part of a back three alongside his French counterpart as well as Edon Pruti before he departed for Hartlepool in January. The defender believes that playing with that formation has suited him and tested him as well as he looks to develop his man for man defending.

He continued: “I enjoy it. As a back three the two players on either side sometimes have to come out a bit wider and that gives you the opportunity to defend one-v-one. We’re a high pressing team that likes to defend high and be aggressive. We trust ourselves to defend one-v-one and I think we’ve developed at that. The staff encourage us to play all the time, but at the same time we’re reminded that we’re not playing academy football matches every week which means that sometimes you have to go long. It’s about having the ability to recognise the situation and read through every experience that you have. There have been times where I’ve needed to go long but decided to try and play out, but I think I’ve been able to cut that out of my game in recent months which is a sign of development. When we play against a men’s side they’re often very together and have played with each other a lot so they know their roles perfectly. This means that mistakes will be punished if you’re not on your game.”

So, how does Nico view his performances at the moment? Naturally, there’s the appetite to push for more and look towards breaking into the first team group, but the youngster is keen to focus on making himself better day by day and there’s one player in Thomas Frank’s squad in particular that he’s looking to mould his game on.

“I feel like I’m in a good place. The time spent at Brentford has been used very well and it’s all about trying to break into men’s football. To do that at Brentford is the ultimate goal and I’ve been able to learn from them in training since I’ve been here,” said Nico. “You find those first team sessions different, not too different because the B team staff always ensure that we’re training at a high intensity so that we’re ready when needed.

“With the first team everyone is so tidy on the ball, and everyone is fighting for their place in the team in the Premier League every week. I remember my first training session with the first team last season, and we did eight-v-eight to finish off the session. As a defender I was up against Josh Dasilva and he picked up the ball and the goals were flying in. It made me realise that I needed to work harder, it’s a cruel lesson and a reality check. I’m pleased to say that come the next session I improved, and I’ve done so ever since. When you step in you have to have a confidence about you and show you want it just as much as anyone else. The staff help us younger players too, they’re always there with advice to develop our games. They’re also not here to baby anyone because it’s a senior environment and you have to perform.

“I admire the whole back line in the first team, but especially Ethan Pinnock because he plays in my position. When I watch there are things that I want to take into my game like his heading ability which is fantastic. He always makes fantastic blocks and has that ability to make those last-ditch tackles.”

Nico looks to learn from the likes of Ethan Pinnock

Having been with the B team last season Nico was part of talented group of players during the 2021/22 campaign. With the group much changed now following the introduction of some younger faces this season, the central defender says he’s been impressed with how the side have performed this season.

He explained: “Last year everyone worked for each other and we were all really good friends off the pitch. We’d also tell each other when they need to fix up on the pitch and everyone hated losing. The team now sees us in a position where the players who have already been here for a year have stepped up another level and the biggest thing for me is that this team know how to win games. We know how to manage the game and how to stay in a game when it’s tough with our ability to defend as a unit. Our attacking ability this season is also very impressive. The younger players know that they have to work harder than everyone else if they want to take someone’s shirt in the team. They obviously want to, so you have to rise to that challenge. I lead by my desire on the pitch to defend and make sure we get our clean sheet.”

Now one of the more senior members of Neil MacFarlane’s squad, the onus is on the likes of Nico, Tristan and Alex Gilbert to lead the young Bees for the remainder of the campaign. There have already been many pleasing moments on a team level as well as an individual basis right through the squad, and Nico and his teammates will be aiming to create many more as they look to go even further in their remaining cup competitions this season.