Former QPR midfielder Josh Laurent felt his new team were superb as they brushed aside Queens Park Rangers 4-1 in their Under-21 Professional Development League Two South encounter at Harlington on Tuesday.
A brace from Jermaine Udumaga and strikes from Betinho and Bradley Clayton meant that Lee Carsley’s side did the double over Rangers this season, following the 2-1 victory back in December.
The Bees were well worth their win and had the chances to put a bigger margin of victory between themselves and their West London opponents.
Speaking to Bees Player after the match Josh said everything went right for Brentford on the day and that they could, and perhaps should, have got more than the four goals that they did.
“I am buzzing with the lads,” said Josh.
“We played really well and we are on a good run now.
“We have got two away wins on the trot and we are playing really well at the moment.
“I am really happy with the football that we are playing.
“Everything went right today.
“We have had a lot of good spells in the last couple of games.
“We dominated against Cardiff City for large parts of the game and today it all came together.
“Our decisions on the ball about when to slow it down and when to speed things up all went right for us.
“We were superb.
“When we came in at half-time Lee said it could have been three or four nil and nobody could have any complaints.
“Josh Clarke had a couple of chances, Charlie Adams whipped one that just missed the post and we could easily have been three or four ahead.
“1-0 up at half-time and doing so well it was important that we didn’t rest on our laurels, think the game was done and allow them to come out at us.
“We kept our concentration well, stayed on the ball and were patient.
“After we got the second goal it opened up for us and we took it to them.
“They tried to come out at us but then we scored and that put them on the back foot.”
Josh was employed as part of a central-midfield two alongside the more defensively minded Marcos Tebar for Tuesday’s game.
Ahead of that midfield pair were Charlie Adams, Jermaine Udumaga and Josh Clarke behind the lone striker Betinho.
With QPR chasing the game for large parts of the match Josh said he enjoyed the extra space he was afforded in the midfield.
The former QPR midfielder felt the decision making of he, and his teammates, was spot on and that helped make The Bees a much more clinical outfit.
“We got a lot of space, especially in their half, running at their defence and midfield,” said Josh.
“Jermaine Udumaga, Charlie Adams and Josh Clarke were the same and we got lots of space in their final third as they pushed forward.
“We were patient and when it was the right time to drive in we did.
“Myself and Jermaine like to drive forward, shoot and create things.
“We both did that today and we played a part in every goal.
“I got two assists today and one assist last week.
“Jermaine got two goals and we are getting much more clinical.
“We got four goals today and three goals against Crystal Palace last week.”
Josh joined Brentford on an 18-month deal just before Christmas and can already see the positive effects of his move and work with Lee Carsley.
He said it is a good learning experience playing Under-21 football alongside players like Alan McCormack, Marcos Tebar and Richard Lee and against players of the calibre of Sandro, who was in the QPR side on Tuesday.
Josh is hopeful that, with the right help from coaching and management staff, he can continue to progress further towards his first team dream.
“I have settled in really well here,” said Josh.
“The league table means nothing.
“We were bottom of the league when I came but I saw in the first game that we were superb and there was no way we should have been at the bottom.
“That is showing in our football and now we are really putting things together.
“Lee Carsley is top draw individual.
“He is helping me to get better and better as a midfielder and is pushing me nearer to the first team.
“You play a lot with the first-team players and they tell you where you are going wrong.
“They tell you what to do and next time you remember that and you remember it for games to come.
“Playing against Sandro is good because you want to play against big players.
“You want to get tight to them, win the ball off them and test yourself against them.
“It is like that for everyone.
“All the time you are going out there to test yourself.
“You are not really playing against anyone it is all about you.
“Of course it is about the team but you also want to know how good you can be and push yourself to the first team.
“If I can be the best that I can be every week then I sure with the support of Lee Carsley, Frank McParland, Mark Warburton and David Weir that I will get there.”
Bees Player subscribers can listen to the full interview here