Brentford B coach Kevin O’Connor believes that their tough match schedule so far this season is only helping to bring the best out of the future generation of Brentford players. Flemming Pedersen’s side have taken on Manchester City, Chelsea, Villarreal, and Valencia already this season, with Liverpool Under-23s next on that list this Thursday evening at Griffin Park, kick-off 7pm. Entry to the match against The Reds is free and Kevin, who made 501 appearances for The Bees after progressing through the youth system, thinks these high profile opponents are showing some of the boys that their ambition of professional football is not a distant one.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s match, Kevin said: “The boys are excited because it is a big team coming down. Liverpool have a great history and play the right way so they are looking forward to the challenge first and foremost. The fact that we have been playing these teams, and playing them regularly, shows to the boys that we mean business and we are trying to educate them in the right way. They are enjoying the challenge and you can see them growing in confidence having played these teams because they realise that they are not too far away from them. The aim is to get them closer to the first team and playing against these quality players will make them better.”
Thursday’s match against The Reds is the first of a number of matches at Griffin Park for the B Team this season. Kevin still remembers how he felt the first time that he stepped out at Griffin Park in a Brentford shirt and feels that those fans who attend will be playing their own part in the players’ development.
“I love Griffin Park under the lights,” said Kevin. “It will be zippy and playing there will have that little bit more of an edge. If we can get a good crowd then it will only help them. I noticed with the Under-21s last season and the B Team this season that playing at a stadium helps the game. It gives them the nervous energy which you want them to have to see how they react. My first game was an FA Youth Cup tie against Brighton and Hove Albion when I was 16. I was so nervous but I enjoyed it and it gave me that experience to move on and play more games under the lights. If you are going to a new stadium that you have never played at then everything is new and your energy is going on that as well. However, if you know that you’ve played there and you know what the stadium is like then it does help and gives them the best opportunity to perform on the day.”
Last summer’s saw an Academy restructuring at Jersey Road which involved creating a B Team of players aged between 16 and 21 to benefit from close links with the First Team and provide a clear pathway into senior football. Based on what he has seen so far, Kevin feels the early signs are promising and that the link between First Team and B Team is strong and helping players to develop.
“The boys are improving and they are getting a lot of opportunities with the first-team,” said Kevin. “We have two train in every session with the first-team which is great from Dean Smith and Richard O’Kelly. It is giving them that exposure to the first-team and that is all we can do. After that they have to take that opportunity. It is brilliant that the boys can get this on a regular basis to see if they are good enough to make it.”