Development Squad Manager Jon De Souza said Brentford’s Under-21 Professional Development League draw against Swansea City was a fair result.
The Bees drew 0-0 with Swansea at their Jersey Road Training Ground yesterday afternoon.
Jon, speaking to Bees Player after the match, said his team did not play well in the first half but were better in the second.
He said The Bees did not retain possession well enough before half time but was happy they took his advice on board and improved after the break.
The Bees had chances to win it, Aaron Pierre went close with a shot and a header and Charlie Adams shot in to the side netting.
But Alex Bray shot wide for the visitors after rounding Brentford goalkeeper Melvin Minter and Swansea striker Rory Donnell missed a one-on-one.
“I was disappointed with the first half but pleased with the second,” said Jon.
“We knew the style Swansea would play and we speak about the importance of keeping the football.
“We didn’t keep the ball anywhere near well enough in the first half.
“When you don’t do that, you end up chasing the ball.
“We weren’t able to press with real intensity because we were running after the ball for so long as we didn’t keep it.
“In the second half I told them to pass it.
“We had more of the ball and that enabled us to play with more intensity out of possession.
“We were better.
“It was open towards the end.
“We were better but we can do more.
“I am happy with the reaction at half time and the players worked hard through the game, that is one thing you always demand.
“The quality just wasn’t there in the first half.
“If we had played in the first half as we did in the second, we would have worn them down; they wouldn't have been able to live with our tempo and intensity in possession.
“We probably would have created more chances.
“The fact we only started playing properly at half time killed us a bit.
“We had a couple of chances, Aaron Pierre had a real chance, Charlie Adams and Richard Bryan had a chance where they didn’t quite move their feet quickly enough.
“Swansea had some good chances in the first half too.
“I think a draw was probably fair.”
Jon said he was happy with the clean sheet, albeit he didn’t think Brentford defended that well.
The Bees also had to cope without trialist Anderson Banvo, their only recognised striker in the squad, who limped off in the first half.
Charlie Adams had to play up front, with Luke Norris out on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge, and Jon said he did well.
“My teams don’t have many 0-0s,” said Jon.
“You are always happy with a clean sheet.
“We want to play attacking football but you want to be defensive and organised and keep a clan sheet.
“I don’t think we defended particularly well.
“We had no centre forwards today.
“Luke is out on loan, the First Team players are needed in their squad.
“We spoke with Charlie that we may need to play with him up front if we lost anyone.
“He did well but it stopped our attacking options, we could only play in to his feet not in to his chest or in behind for him to run on to.
“It limited us a bit but I thought he did OK.”
It was Brentford’s second Under-21 Professional Development League Two South game in four days, after they beat Brighton and Hove Albion.
Jon said his players’ fitness was good, but it needed to be due to their poor ball retention.
He said only Aaron Pierre, who had been away in Iceland with Brentford’s partner club UMF Selfoss, struggled as he had played so many games recently.
Brentford treated the week as a First Team would with recovery and light training between the games.
“The fitness was good,” said Jon.
“Unfortunately, it had to be exceptional as we gave the ball away so much we had to run after it.
“If we had kept the ball better we would have looked even fitter.
“Aaron pulled up a bit but he has been in Iceland for a week.
“This is probably his fourth game in ten days.
“The rest of the players were comfortable.
“The players have enjoyed the week and not enjoyed it at the same time.
“We train to develop, not to win.
“This week training had to be low intensity.
“They knew they were preparing for the next day but the players like to train hard.”
Emmanuel Oyeleke played for The Bees after returning from a loan spell at Aldershot Town, where he had played regularly in the Skrill Premier.
Jon said Brentford would look at the midfield player, better known as Manny, over the next few days and decide if he should go out on loan again.
Striker Luke Norris, also part of the Development Squad group, has scored two goals in two games for Sky Bet League Two Dagenham and Redbridge after scoring regularly in a spell at fellow fourth tier side Northampton Town.
Jon said it was good for Luke to see what level he was at and there could be another of the young players heading out on loan soon.
“Manny has played First Team football and this was a different test for him,” said Jon.
“He said to me afterwards that this was different to playing at Aldershot.
“He has done well there.
“We will review this weekend and see where he is at.
“The idea of a loan is firstly to get experience and second see what level they are at.
“Luke had something like seven in 14 at League Two level and at Northampton he was at a club fighting relegation.
“Dagenham and Redbridge are just outside the Play-Offs so he will get more chances.
“I do believe he will score goals.
“That will give the manager here a decision.
“We are likely to have one more player go out on loan tomorrow, Friday.
“Our aim is to get players out to experience First Team football.
“We can’t replicate the First Team environment here.
“I think loans are the best way to prepare them for First Team football.”
Brentford’s next Under-21 Professional Development League Two South game is on February 17 when they travel to Swansea for the reverse fixture.
Jon said the players would be training intensely in the upcoming weeks.
“We will work very hard for the next two weeks,” he said.
“Games develop them but we will work in training on what they need to do to progress.
“They will have a few days off and then we can train for six days in a row.
“We can’t do that with games coming up.”
Bees Player subscribers can see a full video interview with Jon De Souza here.