Brentford Development Squad Manager Lee Carsley said the most pleasing aspect of his side’s 7-2 win over Barnsley earlier this week was the desire his players showed throughout the 90 minutes.
The Bees recorded a comprehensive win in an Under-21 Professional Development League Two game on Monday, March 16.
Josh Laurent and Courtney Senior scored two each with Jermaine Udumaga and Kyjuon Marsh-Brown grabbing one apiece.
The seventh goal was an own goal.
“We spoke about it being a north v south game and there is sometimes an expectation that the southern team would be a bit soft,” said Lee.
“We wanted to win the personal battles and even towards the end we were doing that.
“We were doing the things that win the game even at 6-2.
“We scored goals and that looks great but the most pleasing thing was the desire and work rate the players showed.”
Lee said his side were as dominant as the score line suggests.
They went 2-0 up and then 3-1 ahead but the game was in the balance at half time with The Bees leading 3-2.
But they moved clear after the break to seal a comprehensive win.
Lee said he wanted his team to attack and he praised the way they did so.
He said he wanted his full backs to push forward and leave central defenders Daniel O’Shaughnessy and Gradi Milenge at the back.
“We conceded from a corner, and I don’t mind that as it’s not something we spend too much time on,” said Lee.
“And we’ve conceded from a free kick we thought was going our way so had already set up to attack before the referee changed his mind.
“We made two mistakes there but I think we were as dominant as the score line suggests.
“I said at half time I wanted us to keep attacking.
“At times we left two v two at the back.
“I wanted to see if Daniel O’Shaughnessy and Gradi could defend one-on-one, as they will have to do that.
“Sometimes we give our defenders too much protection so we can’t see how well they can defend.
“They did well today.
“We were good going forward.
“We looked at some of the Premier League goals from the weekend and the amount of players they had in the box.
“We spoke about forward passing, forward running and getting on the end of crosses.
“We were good at that.”
Lee said he wanted to produce attacking players for the First Team and encouraged his side to continue to push forward whenever they could.
“The first half was a great game,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say it was end-to-end as we were on top.
“Sometimes there is a tendency to defend what you have got.
“That is never in my thinking.
“I would have been happy if we had won 10-8, I want to attack.
“We have a lot of really good attacking players.
“Sometimes it is easy to produce full-backs and defenders, we need to produce players that make a difference, that create a score goals.”
Lee said he asked Udumaga, Senior and Aaron Greene to do the pre-match team talk as he wanted them to take responsibility.
The Bees had drawn their last two games against Millwall despite having the upper hand and Lee said the group had to work out how to put that right.
“I picked three players to do the team talk – Jermaine, Aaron and Courtney,” said Lee.
“It was interesting for me.
“As a coach you spend a lot of time talking and you don’t know if they have picked up what you’ve said.
“It was good to hear them talking and the way the players responded.
“We spoke about drawing the last two games despite dominating and that we had let in silly goals.
“They have to take responsibility.”
Brentford started the game with three Youth Team players – Senior, Milenge and Zain Westbrooke – while fellow scholars Marsh-Brown, James Ferry and Bradley Clayton came on as substitutes.
Lee said Brentford Manager Mark Warburton had given him the licence to play young players in Under-21 games.
“I am trying to get the Under-21 players out on loan,” he said.
“I want them to be playing football at 3pm on a Saturday.
“The team in the last few games could be really young.
“I want the younger ones involved and they did really well today.
“Gradi started off a bit shaky, Kyjuon scored a great goal, Courtney has all the tricks but needs end product – he got two today and could have had four or five.
“A regular team benefits the players.
“The First Team squad is quite small and there are only one or two that could play.
“If you have First Team players you don’t see the Under-18 and Under-21 players.
“The gaffer has been really good, giving me the licence to play the younger players.”
Lee said winning was not the most important thing but he was pleased his players were keen to get victories.
They have only lost one of their last eight, winning five of them.
The Bees play Cardiff City on Friday, March 20, and Leeds United on Monday, March 23, in their next two league games and he may give even more young players a chance.
“When I first come in we spoke about confidence and belief and that was all we concentrated on.
“It’s still the same really.
“I love winning and I like the fact that they like winning.
“But it is not the be-all-and-end-all.
“Winning is getting players in to the First Team.
“That’s the plan.
“It is good the games come thick and fast, we have a game on Friday and then one on Monday, we won’t do much training in between.
“We may have to use squad rotation.
“The Under-18s are doing well as well and they might get a chance as well.
“Some of the guys at the end were running on fresh air.”
A full post-match interview with Lee Carsley is available here for Bees Player subscribers.