Youth Team midfielder Zain Westbrooke believes Brentford go into this lunchtime’s fixture with Crystal Palace full of confidence as they head the Under-18 Professional Development League Two South.
Jon De Souza’s side are unbeaten at home this season and take on a Crystal Palace side languishing at the wrong end of the table.
After Saturday’s game with the South London side The Bees two nearest rivals Charlton Athletic and Ipswich Town travel to Jersey Road in consecutive weeks and Zain believes that a win over Palace will set The Bees up well for a big few weeks.
“We know we have done well this season but we haven’t played the sides who have been consistently not losing,” said Zain.
“We know we have got a hard few weeks coming.
“We know it is going to be a test but we are confident.
“We feel that we can keep this run going.
“We honestly don’t feel like we are going to lose and we can come out of every game with a result.
“It is nice during the week because there are good vibes in the training sessions.
“Going into the game on Saturday you just feel like you are going to play well and that you are going to win.
“The vibes are good in the dressing room at the moment.
“Training is going well and we had the weekend off which gave us more time to prepare.
“We had a bit of time to relax but now we are back into it and looking sharp.”
Crystal Palace come to Jersey Road on the back of just two wins in ten games so far this season and have lost four of their five away games.
By contrast Brentford are unbeaten in their last four games and have lost just one of the last eight.
Zain expects a physical, high-tempo game against a Crystal Palace side who held The Bees to draws home and away last season.
The 18-year-old midfielder is confident however that, if he and his teammates can do what has served them so well this season, they should have enough to record a fourth win in their last five games.
“We need to just keep doing what we are doing against Crystal Palace,” said Zain.
“We wanted a better performance for the Bristol City game and we got it even though we didn’t get the result.
“Moving on we need to look at getting both the performances and the result.
“The lads have realised that we are unbeaten at home and we are a strong team at home.
“We know how to play here and we feel good and we feel comfortable.
“We know that Crystal Palace are going to be a good athletic team.
“They are going to want to press and to counter really quickly.
“We need to retain the ball.
“We can’t give them the chance to win the ball high and attack.
“We always seem to concede goals off our mistakes.
“We never seem to get a team that cuts us open.
“If we can get good possession and finish our chances off that will be the main thing.”
The results this season have been a far cry from the last two campaigns where The Bees propped up the Under-18 league table on both occasions.
For Zain the improvements this year have come down to the increase in The Bees attacking potency as well as the way the first-year scholars and Under-16s have stepped up to Youth Team football.
Zain believes there is a very good spirit within the Youth Team camp with the first-years and Under-16s eager to learn off the more experienced players within the group.
“Last year we didn’t play that badly but we just didn’t get the goals,” said Zain.
“This year we have the belief that even when we aren’t doing too well that we can get goals and get the win.
“As second-years we have taken the lead this year and we have brought the first-years up.
“I think they respect us and they respect our opinions as they know how we want to play and how we want to win the game.
“We know what it is like to be young and playing in this league.
“It can be a bit daunting for some and they can be a bit nervous.
“They have seen that we are not too dissimilar in levels so we have to go out and be confident.”
As a second-year scholar Zain knows that a decision will be made on his future at Brentford in the coming months as to whether he gets a Development Squad contract or not.
Even though it is a huge decision Zain said he is trying hard not to think about it or let it affect his performances.
Zain believes he just has to keep putting in the highest level of performances that he can and let the contract situation take care of itself.
“I think it has been a positive season for me so far,” said Zain.
“I felt like I have lead the team in some games and I have some really good performances to take out of it.
“Obviously there are things that I need to do better but, with the team, I think you are able to improve with every game.
“I feel like I really need to add goals.
“I need to get forward and I need to push on from there.
“It bodes well for me to get on the ball and keep possession.
“I feel that as long as we keep doing that I will play well and get the good performances that I need.
“The thoughts of Development Squad contracts are always in your mind from when you start.
“However now there is a bit more pressure on performances but you just have to stay relaxed and do what you have got to do.
“If you start to worry about the contracts too much it can harm your performances and eventually you don’t end up with what you want.
“You just have to go with it really.”
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