Jon De Souza believes that the changes to The Bees’ Development Squad fixture list this season will help to get his players ready for the challenges of being First-Team footballers at Griffin Park.
This season the Under 21 Professional Development League Two South fixture list has been expanded from 18 to 27 games.
Those extra nine games come in the form of matches against sides from the Northern division of the Under 21 Professional Development League.
The Bees face trips to Crewe Alexandra, Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Leeds United which will mean overnight stays and new opponents.
Speaking to Bees Player ahead of Wednesday’s season opener at Crewe Alexandra, Jon said those extra fixtures would be good learning experiences for his side and help them towards their ultimate aim of First-Team football at Griffin Park.
“I think it is good to play these Northern sides,” said Jon.
“It provides us with different styles and different tests.
“Some of our players have been playing against QPR since they were nine so they have been playing against the same players over and over again for ten years.
“Crewe Alexandra, Leeds United and Birmingham City are different styles and different tests.
“Potentially they will be overnight trips which is good to prepare the players for First-Team football.
“It is about getting used to going to hotels and staying away from your friends and your family.
“Sometimes you will have a lot of time on your hands and that is all part and parcel of playing.
“For me it is a good opportunity for the boys to get used to playing First-Team football.
“Development Squad football is about development but as I have also said in the three years that I have been here it is also about winning.
“It is good to go and play for three points.
“We go there to develop the players we have and try to improve the players that we have but just as importantly to get the three points.”
As well as providing game time for Brentford’s up-and-coming players, Development Squad fixtures also help First-Team manager Mark Warburton to give game time to members of his First-Team squad.
U21 Professional Development League rules say that each side is allowed to field three overage players in their squad for any game.
Last season a number of First-Team regulars featured for the Development Squad to keep up match sharpness or as a re-introduction to competitive matches following injury.
Jon said he is happy to have First-Team players in his Development Squad as they are always a good influence on the younger players and that helps with their development.
“It will always be down to the manager but I am sure the manager will give us players depending on his selection and who he needs to play to keep up match fitness,” said Jon.
“The Under-21s is there to provide support to the First-Team.
“Firstly hopefully by producing players for them and secondly by being able to assist with their First-Team players.
“The First-Team group that we have got here is such a good group that whoever comes down is a good influence around the place and the players.
“Our players can look at the First-Team player and relate to them and learn from them which is crucial.”
In the first year of the U21 Professional Development League Two South The Bees finished fourth, narrowly missing out on making the end of season play-offs.
Last season The Bees finished second from bottom as many Development Squad regulars went out on loan to Football League and Football Conference clubs.
During the 2012/13 season Brentford Development Squad players played a combined nine Football League games, compared to more than 100 Football League and Football Conference appearances last season.
Jon admits the philosophy of sending players out on loan can leave Brentford’s Development Squad fielding young sides on occasion but he feels that Football League experience will be of much more benefit in his quest to create future First-Team players.
“As the supporters know we do believe in loaning players out to help their development because we think there is nothing that can replicate First-Team football,” said Jon.
“We carefully select which clubs we send those players to and we carefully monitor those players.
“I am sure that the supporters will have seen the AFC Bournemouth result last week but that happens when you send players out on loan.
“If you don’t have a big Under-21s group then you will end up stretched as a squad and I think that is of only downside of playing the Northern sides.
“To fulfil 26 fixtures we are going to be stretched.
“If the First-Team have got a lot of games and the Youth Team have got a lot of games it is going to be a real strain.
“It is great but it will be tough at times because our belief is that once they do well with our Under-21s then they have got to go out on loan and do well and then go and push into our First-Team.”
Alfie Mawson is the latest of Jon’s crop to temporarily leave Griffin Park to gain Football League experience.
The tall defender is currently earning rave reviews on loan at Wycombe Wanderers helping the League Two side start the season with two wins from their opening three league games.
Jon said he has been delighted with the reports on Alfie so far and he is hopeful that may long continue.
“I am delighted,” said Jon.
“I haven’t been out to see Alfie yet but I will go to watch him at Stevenage on Saturday.
“Stuart English, our Head of Coaching, went to watch him last Tuesday against Millwall and the feedback was good.
“We had feedback from his debut that was excellent and the feedback from the game on Saturday was excellent too.
“When these players got out on loan we monitor them carefully.
“I make sure that I go and watch them and key staff go and watch them and at the moment the reports are very good so long may that continue.”
Over the summer two members of Jon De Souza’s squad last season turned down new contracts at Brentford to join other Football League clubs.
Aaron Pierre returned to Wycombe Wanderers, where he was on loan last season, while Luke Norris has joined Sky Bet League One side Gillingham.
While the Academy’s aim is always to try and create players for Brentford’s First-Team Jon said it is still beneficial to have players playing elsewhere in the Football League.
“We are here to serve Brentford Football Club and ideally that is by getting people into the First-Team,” said Jon.
“If not we want to create players who can go elsewhere to play Football League.
“We keep an interest in them as we have a financial interest in how Aaron Pierre does and Luke Norris will go to a tribunal for Gillingham.
“The club still gets the benefits of the Academy as those players will hopefully go on to do well and earn us some money.”