Brentford Manager Mark Warburton said he expected a “very good game of football” when his side faced Sky Bet Championship leaders Derby County tomorrow.
The Bees are 13th in the table but only seven points behind their opponents, who top the table on goal difference.
Derby narrowly missed out on promotion last season, losing the Championship Play-Off Final to Queens Park Rangers despite dominating the game and Mark, speaking to Bees Player yesterday, said they were a side packed with quality.
They come to Griffin Park on the back of a 5-2 win at Fulham on Tuesday, which took them in to the Capital One Cup Quarter Finals, and Mark said Brentford knew the threat they posed.
But he said Derby would also be aware of The Bees, who have been beaten once in the league at Griffin Park in the past eight months.
“I watched their game at Wembley,” said Mark, discussing Derby.
“They dominated from start to finish and I am amazed they did not win.
“They are packed with quality and they have shown their quality as there has been no hangover.
“They have started the season sharp; they have had a good run in the cup, with a good result against Fulham on Tuesday.
“We are aware of the quality they possess and the threat they pose.
“But they will know about Brentford, our home record, the way we want to play the game.
“I think it will be a very good game of football.
“The league is so tight.
“If you look at the points we have dropped, we should be two or three points behind them.
“We are seven points from the top but only eight or nine from being in the bottom three.
“Every game is important.
“You have to relish these types of games.
“It is a big club, a packed stadium and we have a responsibility to deliver a performance.”
The Bees have not played since losing to Bolton Wanderers last Saturday but a number of First Team members played for Brentford’s Development Squad in an Under-21 Professional League Two South defeat to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Sam Saunders, returning from a knee injury, played a half and there was game time for, among others, strikers Betinho and Nick Proschwitz.
“Training has gone very well this week,” said Mark.
“We had a few players involved in the Under-21 game on Tuesday at Crystal Palace.
“It was great to see Sam Saunders get 45 minutes.
“He did very well.
“Nick Proschwitz played 90 minutes, Nico Yennaris got an hour.
“Raphaël Calvet, Daniel O’Shaughnessy and Betinho all played as well, as did Jack Bonham.
“That was a worthwhile exercise and good for them.
“The rest have trained hard.
“It is great that Sam is back.
“There have been some dark days for him.
“He has put in hour after hour in the gym and is an example for young players.
“He was our best player on Tuesday in those 45 minutes.”
Defender Yennaris has also been out for more than two months but is working his way back to fitness.
“Nico has only played one 90 minutes this season, against Nice in pre-season,” said Mark.
“Since then he has had niggly injuries.
“He was pushing Alan McCormack hard then but has been frustrated by injuries.
“He played an hour; he is fitter and now probably needs a 90 minutes.
“He is not far away.”
With Betinho and Proschwitz playing for the Development Squad on Tuesday, Mark outlined his thoughts on his striking options.
Andre Gray has started 13 of Brentford’s 14 games this term after joining from Luton Town and Mark explained why he was getting the starting place.
“You need to look at the centre halves we are coming up against,” said Mark.
“If there is a weakness in some it is working the channels against centre forwards with pace and power.
“Andre has done really well in that respect.
“I am not worried about the goals, they will come, he is getting in to the right positions.
“I am delighted with Andre, he has played more than he might have expected and is doing a great job for the team.
“Betinho is a young guy that has come in.
“We know how good he is technically but there is a job to do defensively as well and he has to get used to that.
“When we spoke to him about pressing the opposition he said it was not something he had ever done before.
“Our defending starts from the front.
“Andre does a great job in showing the ball on to the right centre half, pressing at the right time and from the appropriate distance.
“That is part of the game Betinho is learning.
“Nick is frustrated and I understand that.
“He is a senior pro and he came here to play games.
“We have spoken and he is excellent every day in training, he has to transfer that in to games.
“He recognises what we need from our forwards and will be pushing Andre very hard.”
Mark also discussed additions to the squad.
“We are always looking at players,” he said.
“We assess where we are light and where we might be exposed to an injury or suspensions.
“Alan McCormack is injured, are we covered?
“If we move someone to cover, do we have cover in that area?
“We have to make sure we can juggle the pieces.”
McCormack was removed on a stretcher at Bolton last week.
“Alan’s injury looks quite nasty,” said Mark.
“He is still being assessed by the medical team.
“The swelling was immediate after the game and that has to subside.
“He will be scanned again and we see where we are after that.
“There are a few things to think about in replacing Alan.
“Saturday’s game is a test but we want to impose ourselves.
“I think Saturday will see two teams trying to play and trying to stop the other playing.
“It will be an interesting clash.”
After the Derby match Brentford will travel to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and then play away to Millwall on Saturday.
Mark said playing Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday rather than Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday would be a different challenge.
“Playing on Wednesday will be different for us,” he said.
“We will now have Sunday off and then come back in on Monday.
“We travel Tuesday and play Wednesday and get back in the early hours of Thursday morning.
“It will be a later start for the players; we have to get that timing right.
“We have to use the time we have.
“We have to get the preparation right.”
Bees Player subscribers can see a full interview with Mark Warburton here.