Dean Smith thinks it has been a real squad effort in recent weeks as Brentford head to Buckinghamshire tomorrow looking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches. The Bees have picked up 13 points from their five matches since the international break despite being without a host of key players through injury. Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stadium:MK, which will be Brentford’s sixth match in 21 days, Dean said that the whole squad can take pride in the recent run of results.
Speaking to Bees Player ahead of the match Dean said: “We did things differently this week. We got them in on Wednesday for a recovery session, gave them Thursday to recover at home, and got them in today. They looked refreshed and it was a good session today. You need to maintain players at this stage but you also have to keep in mind the players who haven’t been playing to make sure that they are ready to step in should they be needed. It is always hard because those players want to be playing but they know they need to get the minutes in to get their fitness levels to the level that they need to be. We have had a big injury list: Josh McEachran got injured in the international break, Alan Judge is out, Lewis Macleod is out, Philipp Hofmann has been out. It has been great to have the lads who haven’t been in the starting XI working hard and being ready to come on.”
One player who is in line to return on Saturday from injury is John Swift. The Chelsea loanee picked up a deep gash on his ankle playing for England Under-21s last month but returned to training at Jersey Road at the start of the week.
“John Swift has trained all week now,” said Dean. “He had his stitches out at Chelsea last weekend and he did a little bit with the medical department on Monday to see where he was at. He has looked really good and it is like having a new signing joining you. I know that it has only been three or four weeks but he does look really good in training and he is available for tomorrow.”
For Saturday’s opponents MK Dons, they are very much drinking in the last chance saloon, sitting nine points from safety with only three matches to play. Despite their lowly league position Dean is refusing to take them lightly and believes that Brentford will have to be at their best to continue their fine recent record at Stadium:MK.
“MK Dons are a very dangerous opponent but everyone in this league is dangerous,” said Dean. “On their day they can batter anybody and we have to make sure that it is not us. We all know their position in the league and the fact they have to win football games but we need to win football games for our own reasons. We will go out to try to win the game. We want to be solid and organised defensively but also have the quality we have shown over recent weeks to win games. I have come across Karl Robinson for a number of years. I know how his teams play and I know that he will have them fighting to the end for sure.”
Tuesday night’s match against Cardiff City saw Alan McCormack trigger an automatic one-year contract extension after starting in the 2-1 win against The Bluebirds. The 32-year-old midfielder is now approaching 100 appearances for The Bees since joining in 2013 and Dean feels the tough-tackling Irish midfielder brings a lot to his young squad both on and off the pitch.
“Alan has deserved it,” said Dean. “It was in his contract and he has done what he needed to get his extension. It is no coincidence that results have picked up his experience and his know how. The older players help to blend the rest of the squad. Harlee Dean is 23 going on 32 in terms of where he is in his head. He helps and guides the players around him as does Alan, David Button, Lasse Vibe and Alan Judge. They will all help the young lads come through the squad and the run of games that we have had and we have probably got one of the youngest squads in the league. It has also been great to blood some of the Under-18s and Under-21s on the bench to give them that experience with us as well. I encourage getting some of the Development Squad players with the first team. I can judge a lot better where they are at in terms of their level. We want to create that pathway for young players to get into the first-team. Myself and Richard O’Kelly had no qualms starting Josh Clarke so it shows that there is no pathway.”
Bees Player subscribers can watch the full interview with Dean below