Jeremy Steele was pleased with Brentford’s Youth Team’s win over Barnsley on Saturday morning but thinks his side still have more in reserve.
Brentford continued their perfect start to the season so far with a 4-1 success at Oakwell, given to them by Bradley Clayton’s brace and strikes from Seika Jatta and Courtney Austin.
The win avenged last season’s 3-1 Under-18 Professional Development League Two South defeat in South Yorkshire but Jeremy thought his side actually played better in last season’s defeat than in Saturday’s win.
Speaking to Bees Player after the match Jeremy said he was pleased with his side’s retention of possession and their overall play and felt they were well worth their three points.
“It was definitely the biggest win of my time here,” said Jeremy.
“The performance was good but I wouldn’t say it was the best performance of my time here, I actually thought we played better the last time we came up here to Barnsley.
“We played some really good passing football in that game and I think this game was slightly more controlled in terms of our passing.
“I thought there were passages of play where we kept the ball quite well in the opposition half.
“We want to keep the ball but we don’t want to be passing it around the back for no reason.
“We want to get the ball forward and pass the ball with purpose and today I thought we did that.
“There were a few times where we tried to force the play a little bit but that will happen until the boys get used to keeping the ball and passing it under pressure in the opposition half.
“We played good passing football today but in the last 20 minutes when we needed to dig in and battle we did do.
“The game states always change and we passed the ball well for 70 minutes but we knew they would come at us in the last 20 minutes.
“We got to 2-1 but that is a dangerous score line.
“If they make it 2-2 then you can be under pressure to even stay in the game.
“It was very pleasing to be 2-1 up and then win our battles and our tackles and get the counter-attack goals.
“There was a little bit of a balance between playing good passing football and winning the battle but that is football and you have to do both.
“It was a good performance and we deserved the win.
“The boys know it is performance based in the Under-18s and Unde-21s because we are preparing them to be First-Team footballers but you can’t beat a long trip home having won a game of football.”
The Bees’ manager reserved special praise for his full-backs who he thought were key in helping Brentford secure the three points.
Tom Field on one side and Kyjuon Marsh-Brown on the other gave the team width and momentum going forward, something Jeremy feels hasn’t been exploited enough in recent games.
Jeremy was very pleased with the work that his two full-backs did going forward but was also happy that they didn’t neglect their primary defensive duties.
“Getting players wide is part of our philosophy but it is something that we probably haven’t done as well as we should do over the last year or so,” said Jeremy.
“Now we have got full-backs who are really athletic and can get forward.
“Kyjuon Marsh-Brown had his first game today, we have been trying to get him fit over the pre-season, and I thought he did well today.
“Tom Field on the other side has been very good for us over the last year or so but I thought he was sensational today.
“He got high and wide and crossed the ball a few times and looked dangerous going forward but he also defended brilliantly.
“In the second-half when he moved to centre-back I thought he was our man of the match.”
Brentford’s tactics had to be altered early on in the piece as Reece Cole went off injured after just 20 minutes.
Reece joins an extensive list of Youth Team players currently on the treatment table but Jeremy said that is giving other players the chance to stake a claim for a starting place.
Second-year scholars James Ferry, Audrius Laucys, Gradi Milenge, Dan Webster, Makhosini Khanye and Herson Rodrigues Alves all missed the trip to Barnsley due to injury and Under-21 call ups.
With seven first-year scholars featuring against Barnsley Jeremy said there are no guarantees that the second-year scholars will get their spot back once they become available again.
“We started with a diamond in midfield, it was just slightly lopsided,” said Jeremy.
“With Reece Cole being a central midfielder he tends to come in and Courtney Senior being an out and out wide player he stays out.
“We were trying to play a 4-4-2 diamond but that had to change when Reece came off.
“We knew he might have to come off as he took a knock in training yesterday.
“We already had a plan in place for if that happened.
“As it was Seika moved to the right and Courtney Austin went up front.
“I thought Seika was very good today and he got us the goal to go 2-1 up.
“I would like to say that we have been able to rotate and give people game time but in reality we have had a lot of injuries.
“We had a threadbare squad for this game with Reece dropping out injured.
“We are managing a big squad of 24 or 25 players but at the moment there are only 13 or 14 fit for the weekend.
“When the second-years come back from their injuries if the first-years are playing like they did today then they will have to earn their place back.
“If the boys keep on playing as they are then we will have seven first years next week and the week after that.”
Brentford’s next game is the small matter of a West-London derby next Saturday morning away at QPR.
Rangers have won all four Under-18 Professional Development League Two South meetings between the sides but Jeremy is confident his side can end that run next Saturday.
For Jeremy a local derby will always be a special game and he is hopeful that his side can get a positive result to keep their fine start to the season up.
“QPR will be a local derby and they are always tasty,” said Jeremy.
“Again I think we are in a better place this year than we were last year.
“When we came up against QPR last season we were thinking that they were traditionally the stronger Academy side.
“I don’t think that is the case now at all especially with this group of players.
“I think we will be more than capable of showing them a thing or two.”
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