The Brentford Project

ZOLA NAMED BEES BOSS
Published: Tues 05 Jul 2011 - By Ciaran Brett



Gianfranco Zola has been named as the new manager of Brentford on a one-year deal.

The former West Ham boss agreed a contract with owner Matthew Benham this morning to succeed Nicky Forster at the helm at Griffin Park. Zola is best known for his illustrious playing career, mostly spent with the Bees' West London neighbours Chelsea. The forty five year old will act as Brentford's new head coach during our third consecutive campaign in League One, following an eleventh-placed finish under Forster last season.

The former Italian international's last job in management was at Upton Park, where he spent just under two years in charge of West Ham and received praise for the side's entertaining style of play. Zola guided the Hammers to an impressive ninth place in his first season as a manager before narrowly securing Premier League survival in his second year. Since his departure, the former Azzurri star has continued to live in London, working as an occasional pundit.

"Gianfranco is the perfect fit for Brentford," Bees owner Benham said. "He's a clever, hard-working young coach and believes in attacking football. We've got big ambitions for this season and I think bringing him to the club shows exactly where we want to be next season. He's got no airs and graces, he's worked in England before and knows the game well. I'm looking forward to working closely with him during his time at the club."

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BEES SWOOP FOR DUO
Published: 11 July 2011 - By Tom Moore




Brentford have completed the signings of defender Darryl Westlake and winger Ludovic Gamboa.

Walsall right-back Westlake has signed a four-year deal with the club after a fee of £75,000 was agreed with the Saddlers. The twenty year old made twenty eight appearances for Walsall last season after breaking into the first team but couldn't turn down a move to Gianfranco Zola's ambitious Bees side. Westlake won the Saddlers' Young Player of the Season award in 2010.

French winger Gamboa has joined on a two-year deal from Ligue 2 side Reims. The left-sided player was on the transfer list at his side in France and arrives for a cut-price £10,000. The twenty five year old has represented several sides in the French lower leagues and helped Reims win promotion to the second tier in 2010. He is described as a quick, agile winger with an accurate cross.

"We've brought in two young, hungry players," Bees boss Zola said. "We need a bit more pace in the team and both Darryl and Ludo are comfortable breaking forward quickly. We've tried to look a little further afield in the transfer market, the owner's connections abroad have helped us considerably and we're working on a few deals at the moment. We want to build a team capable of promotion and we think we've found players with the skills that we need."

BUSY DAY AT GRIFFIN PARK
Published: 14 July 2011 - By Tom Moore




Brentford have seen two players depart Griffin Park and a new signing arrive on the same day.

Gianfranco Zola has continued to put his stamp on the squad and his most expensive new signing yet was confirmed this afternoon. Bulgarian midfielder Stefan Velev has agreed a £250,000 move from Beroe in his homeland, joining fellow new arrivals Darryl Westlake and Ludovic Gamboa. The Bees have also allowed midfielder Marcus Bean and striker Gary Alexander to leave the club.

Velev is a versatile central midfielder who can play in both an attacking or defensive role. The twenty two year old has signed a four-year deal with the Bees. He represented Beroe in the Europa League last season and is another example of Brentford's willingness to look further afield for new signings, an increase in scope credited by Zola to new owner Matthew Benham.

Bean has joined League One rivals Walsall in a £20,000 deal. The former QPR man has been a mainstay in the Bees line-up over the past three seasons and was a regular under Nicky Forster but was told that he was unlikely to see as much game time this season. Alexander has joined Bury in a £50,000 move after just one season at Griffin Park, where he scored twelve goals in all competitions.

ZOLA CONTINUES BEES REBUILD
Published: 23 July 2011 - By Tom Moore




Brentford have announced the departure of Sam Wood and the signing of French striker Yassin El Azzouzi.

Gianfranco Zola's attempt to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited from Nicky Forster earlier this month has continued as Wood joins League Two side Macclesfield. The Bees have also confirmed the arrival of French striker Yassin El Azzouzi in a £190,000 deal. This follows Zola's signings of midfielders Stefan Velev and Ludovic Gamboa and defender Darryl Westlake.

El Azzouzi has agreed a three-year deal at Griffin Park. The twenty eight year old played in the third tier of French football last season with Bastia, earning promotion with the Corsican side. The striker was described by Zola as a quick and physical forward with a clinical eye for goal. El Azzouzi will compete with the likes of Mike Grella and Clayton Donaldson for a space up front.

Wood has been with the Bees since 2008 after joining from non-league side Bromley. He was part of the Brentford side that lifted the League Two title a year later and won the Bees' Player of the Season award following an inspired start to life under former boss Andy Scott. Wood mostly featured as a substitute over the past two seasons and the versatile midfielder has joined Macclesfield in a £10,000 switch in search of regular first-team football.

This is brilliant so far! Keep it up

really good mate

Cheers! Got a fair few updates already written so hopefully I can stick with this one.

DICKSON RETURNS ON LOAN
Published: Sun 31 Jul 2011 - By Ciaran Brett



Ryan Dickson has rejoined Brentford on loan from Southampton until the end of the season.

The left-back enjoyed three successful seasons at Griffin Park under Andy Scott, making thirty nine appearances as Brentford lifted the League Two title in 2009. Dickson joined Southampton last summer in a £150,000 deal but after being informed by Saints boss Nigel Adkins that he was unlikely to be part of his starting line-up this season, Gianfranco Zola has brought the popular defender back to the Bees on a season-long loan deal.



"I had the best couple of years of my career here," the twenty four year old said. "I've got a lot of fond memories here at Brentford and even though the manager has changed, there's still a lot of the lads here that I played with last time. The boss made it clear that he was targeting promotion this season and I don't see it as any step down from Southampton. I've got a massive amount of respect for him from his playing days. He's an ambitious kind of person and he has big plans for the club."

Zola has also returned to his homeland to bring centre-back Trevor Trevisan to the club. The twenty seven year old has joined on loan until the end of the season from Serie B side Padova. Trevisan, who can also play at left-back, has represented several clubs in Italy's lower leagues including Pisa, Vicenza and Venezia. The defender is known for his tough tackling but he is also comfortable playing the ball out from the back.

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ZOLA TARGETS STRONG START
Published: 5 August 2011 - By Tom Moore




Gianfranco Zola has called on his Brentford players to come racing out of the blocks against Scunthorpe.

The Bees will travel to Glanford Park tomorrow afternoon for the first game of the season in League One. Former West Ham boss Zola surprised many by dropping down the divisions to take charge at Griffin Park but the Italian is confident that he has joined a team on the rise. The forty five year old has brought in six players in the transfer window and he expects a positive start against the Iron.

"We've got a clear set of goals for the season ahead," Zola told the Hounslow Chronicle. "The owner has put his money into the team over the summer and I think we've built a squad that can challenge at the top of the table. The boys are confident and they have worked very well in pre-season. I don't want to take the result for granted but I know we have the quality to win tomorrow and anything else would be disappointing."

All six of Zola's new signings are in contention to start against Scunthorpe. Bulgarian midfielder Stefan Velev is League One's most expensive transfer this summer at £250,000, while the Bees also splashed out £190,000 on Bastia striker Yassin El Azzouzi and £75,000 on Walsall defender Darryl Westlake. Zola's dealings mean that Brentford have the highest net spend in the division so far this season at just over half a million pounds.

SCUNTHORPE 1-2 BRENTFORD
Sat 05 Aug - 15:00 - Glanford Park



Ten-man Brentford hung on to secure three points in the first game of the season against Scunthorpe.

A debut goal from French striker Yassin El Azzouzi and centre-back Karleigh Osborne's tap-in looked to have sent Gianfranco Zola's men on their way to a comfortable opening-day victory. Ryan Dickson's second-half own goal gave a glimmer of hope to the hosts. New signing Stefan Velev's red card looked to have put the victory in jeopardy but the Bees weathered the storm late on to earn a first win at Glanford Park in nearly six years.

El Azzouzi was the club's second most expensive summer signing at £190,000 and the Frenchman showed his class by forcing Josh Lillis into a smart save after weaving through the defence. The home side looked dangerous on the counter and hit the post in the first half through Chris Dagnall. Bees captain Jonathan Douglas teed up the opening goal in the thirty ninth minute, swinging in a deep cross for El Azzouzi to nod into the back of the net.

Osborne added a second two minutes after the break. Man of the match Douglas created havoc with a well-worked free kick and the centre-back stabbed the ball past Lillis. Five minutes later, Scunthorpe hit back in an unfortunate fashion as Richard Lee parried a corner into the back of Ryan Dickson into the net. The Bees defended well late on to protect the lead, despite Velev seeing red on his debut for a second yellow card with thirteen minutes left.


Brentford (4-4-2)
Lee - Westlake (Logan 47), Osborne, Trevisan, Dickson - McGinn (Forrester 71), Douglas, Velev , Gamboa - Donaldson (Grella 62), El Azzouzi.

Brilliant write up this. Absolutely brilliant, hope you keep this going.

BRENTFORD 3-1 CHELTENHAM
Tues 09 Aug - 19:45 - Griffin Park



Brentford advanced to the second round of the Carling Cup in comfortable fashion against Cheltenham.

Gianfranco Zola's side enjoyed a straightforward evening against their League Two opponents. Yassin El Azzouzi kept up his good start to life with the Bees with his second goal in as many games before Marcel Eger headed in a second. David Bird struck back for the visitors in the closing stages before Harry Forrester opened his account for the season to cap off a comprehensive victory for Brentford and seal a potential tie against Premier League opposition in the second round.

It required just seven minutes for the Bees to break the deadlock. The Frenchman linked up with Mike Grella in his own half before racing through a sudden gap in the Robins' defence to finish off his American strike partner's placed through ball. El Azzouzi returned the favour by crafting an excellent chance for Grella to score his first goal of the season. The former Leeds striker was left with his head in his hands after firing wide despite being clean through on goal.

Eger headed in Sam Saunders' corner on the stroke of half time to double our lead but the away side came out in spirited fashion and goalkeeper Richard Lee had to be on top form to make a stunning save from Darryl Duffy's long-range drive. The Bees stopper could do little about David Bird's curling twenty-five yard strike in the eighty fourth minute but Forrester quickly ended any chance of a comeback within a minute with a well-taken half-volley at the far post from a Saunders cross.


Brentford (4-4-2)
Lee - Logan, Eger, Spillane, Woodman - Saunders, O'Connor, Douglas (Reeves 45), Weston (Gamboa 81) - Grella, El Azzouzi (Forrester 67).

Go you good things.

BRENTFORD 3-2 EXETER
Sat 13 Aug - 15:00 - Griffin Park



A determined performance from Brentford ensured that they came out on top in a five-goal thriller.

The Bees delighted the home faithful with an entertaining first league win at Griffin Park this season, which preserves Gianfranco Zola's perfect record and sees Brentford sit at the top of the table in the very early stages of the campaign. Mike Grella gave the Bees a second-minute lead with his first goal of the season before Benik Afobe's leveller for Exeter. Karleigh Osborne and Trevor Trevisan earned a two-goal lead before Osborne's late own goal handed the visiting side a consolation.

After a mere two minutes, summer signing Ludovic Gamboa laid the ball off on the edge of the box for Grella, who drove forward purposefully and blasted a powerful strike past Grecians goalkeeper Artur Krysiak. Arsenal loanee Afobe posed the biggest threat for Exeter and the pacy striker grabbed an equaliser for Paul Tisdale's side in the sixteenth minute, bursting through the offside trap to latch onto strike partner Daniel Nardiello's pass and turn the ball past Richard Lee.

Zola's recent work on set pieces in training proved profitable on the hour mark as the visitors struggled to deal with the Bees' aerial threat. Jonathan Douglas' corner was poked past Krysiak by Bees centre-back Osborne for his second goal of the season. Ten minutes later, Trevor Trevisan headed in his first Brentford goal from Harry Forrester's corner to establish a two-goal advantage. Exeter made the final six minutes a little more nervy as Osborne's attempt to clear Nardiello's chip resulted in a painful own goal.


Brentford (4-4-2)
Lee - Westlake, Osborne, Trevisan, Dickson - Saunders (McGinn 47), Douglas, Velev, Gamboa (Logan 77) - Grella (Forrester 66), El Azzouzi.

ZOLA TAKES HEART FROM BEES START
Published: 15 August 2011 - By Tom Moore




Gianfranco Zola believes that Brentford's strong start is a good omen for the rest of the season.

The Bees have breezed through their opening three games and sit at the top of the League One table with six points. Zola, who has targeted promotion to the Championship following substantial investment by new owner and lifelong Bees fan Matthew Benham, called on his side to see their perfect record as a confidence booster instead of a burden ahead of their trip to play Colchester tomorrow evening.

"We've had a few difficult moments but it feels great to start the season off with a couple of wins," the forty five year old said. "Looking at our opponents, they are games that we would expect to win if we want to really challenge this season but the entertainment factor has been there as well. The players are keen to play attractive football and I've hugely enjoyed working with them so far. We've had some good reviews in the media and I want to channel those nice comments into something that can really build the players confidence."

The Bees will take on Colchester at the Weston Homes Community Stadium tomorrow evening searching for a third straight win in the league. Striker Yassin El Azzouzi will be hunting for his fourth goal in as many games, continuing a prolific start after his summer arrival from French side Bastia. Northern Irish international Niall McGinn is expected to replace Sam Saunders in the Bees' starting line-up after the on-loan Celtic winger recovered from a knock sustained in training.

COLCHESTER 0-4 BRENTFORD
Tues 16 Aug - 19:45 - Weston Homes Community Stadium



Brentford made it three wins from three in League One by demolishing Colchester.

The Bees ran riot at the Weston Homes Community Stadium as four different players got their names on the scoresheet. Trevor Trevisan ensured that Gianfranco Zola's side went in to half time ahead before a lethal second half display secured the points. The shellshocked home side were no match for Brentford's clinical attacking football after the break as they went on to add another three goals through Karleigh Osborne, Yassin El Azzouzi and Marcel Eger.

Zola called for his side to continue their confident performances ahead of the game and Brentford's superiority was clear in the opening stages. Ludovic Gamboa hit the side netting with a powerful drive in the fifth minute and El Azzouzi forced Mark Cousins into two saves in the first half as they looked to open the floodgates. Italian defender Trevisan finally put the Bees ahead with a minute of the half left, bundling the ball over the line after El Azzouzi's header hit the crossbar.

Osborne nodded in Sam Saunders' corner twelve minutes after the break to double the lead. El Azzouzi finally got his goal in the seventy eighth minute as Harry Forrester broke down the left wing and crossed low for the French striker, who fired the ball past Cousins. The former Bastia man now has four goals in four starts since arriving in the summer. The Bees continued to cause havoc at set pieces and German centre-back Eger headed in from Saunders' corner kick with four minutes remaining.


Brentford (4-5-1)
Lee - Logan, Osborne, Trevisan, Dickson (Eger 64) - Douglas, Velev - McGinn (Saunders 45), Grella, Gamboa (Forrester 73) - El Azzouzi.

this is going well.

You could certainly say that, quite a few goalfests and the strikers are on fire. Cheers for the comments!

BRENTFORD 4-0 TRANMERE
Sat 20 Aug - 15:00 - Griffin Park



Another ruthless display ensured a comfortable fourth straight league win for Brentford.

The Bees have been the early pace-setters in League One and top the table alongside Chesterfield, who have also collected maximum points so far. Gianfranco Zola's men raced to a four-goal win for the second time in a week at Griffin Park with a superb performance against Tranmere, who were reduced to ten men after Ian Goodison's dismissal in the first half. Mike Grella's brace and two late goals from Clayton Donaldson and Stefan Velev sealed another dominant victory.

Brentford fans have celebrated nine goals in the first three games and the Bees' impressive striking form was clear from the kick-off. Grella gave us the lead after just thirteen minutes. Captain Jonathan Douglas spotted a gap in the Tranmere defence and the American striker skipped through to slot the ball past Owain Fon Williams. The Welsh keeper recovered to deny Yassin El Azzouzi with a smart low save before Goodison saw red for a second yellow card following a foul on the Frenchman in the twenty fourth minute.

Grella scored his third goal of the season five minutes after the break, easily outpacing veteran Chris Perry to fire the ball deftly into the bottom corner. A late flurry of goals reflected an imperious performance from the Bees, who looked dangerous throughout. Kevin O'Connor clipped the ball through for late substitute Donaldson to bag a first league goal of the season in the eighty fifth minute. Velev added a fourth goal in added time, ghosting in at the far post to divert Darryl Westlake's well-placed cross past Fon Williams.


Brentford (4-4-2)
Lee - Westlake, Osborne, Trevisan, Dickson - McGinn (Forrester 45), Douglas (O'Connor 75), Velev, Gamboa - Grella, El Azzouzi (Donaldson 82).

Killing them so far

Brilliant writing and presentation man! good form too!

MILLWALL 4-6 BRENTFORD (AET)
Tues 23 Aug - 19:45 - The Den



Brentford recovered from 4-1 down to win an extraordinary game against Millwall in the Carling Cup.

The hosts looked to have comfortably sealed a place in the third round after going into half time with a three-goal lead. Few could have predicted a stunning fightback in the final fifteen minutes from the Bees to level the scores at 4-4 and send the match to extra time. Goals from Yassin El Azzouzi and Marcel Eger capped off an unbelievable comeback from Gianfranco Zola's side, who will play the manager's former club West Ham in the next round.

The Lions took the lead in the fourteenth minute as Liam Trotter sent a powerful volley crashing past Richard Lee from outside the area. In a game that saw an amazing twenty nine shots on target, it was no surprise when the Bees equalised five minutes later. Ludovic Gamboa floated in a corner and Eger rose highest to nod the ball past goalkeeper David Forde. Millwall regained the lead when Jay Simpson pounced on Lee's fumble from Scott Barron's corner after twenty eight minutes.

Dany N'Guessan tapped in a third goal seven minutes later and Darius Henderson clipped Barron's cross into the back of the net to ensure Millwall went in at the break with a commanding lead. As the clock ticked towards the final whistle, few could have expected the late comeback that saw the Bees force the game to extra time. Harry Forrester grabbed a goal back in the seventy fifth minute, then El Azzouzi rounded the goalkeeper five minutes later to leave the Bees chasing just one more goal.

The unlikely equaliser arrived with four minutes remaining. Forrester picked out Gamboa on the edge of the box and the French winger hammered the ball past Forde to leave the substantial travelling support in ecstasy. There was only going to be one winner after such a superb comeback and El Azzouzi slotted home Clayton Donaldson's through ball to finally give Brentford the lead. Eger headed in his second from another Gamboa set-piece in the closing minutes of extra time to seal an extraordinary win.


Brentford (4-5-1)
Lee - Westlake, Eger, Trevisan, Dickson - Douglas (Forrester 73), O'Connor (Grella 59) - McGinn (Donaldson 59), Velev, Gamboa - El Azzouzi.

ZOLA SPEECHLESS AFTER THRILLER
Published: 23 August 2011 - By Tom Moore




Gianfranco Zola saluted the spirit of his Brentford players after their extraordinary win over Millwall.

Zola's side recovered from 4-1 down going into the final fifteen minutes at The Den to win 6-4 after extra time and earn a place in the third round of the Carling Cup for the second consecutive season. The Bees will travel to Zola's former side West Ham in the next round and their Italian coach couldn't quite believe the circumstances of his side's shock victory, their fifth straight win in all competitions. The forty five year old has a perfect record from his opening five games with the Bees.

"I don't know what to say," the Brentford boss said in his post-match interview. "It was absolute madness out there and I'm proud of the players. They didn't give up and in those fifteen minutes, I think we could have beaten most teams, it was unbelievable how we kept pressing and creating chances. We've got a great draw for the fans in the next round and the lads are brimming with confidence after the way we played. Maybe there is also a little to improve defensively but we will have time to work on that."

The Bees equalled their record performance in the competition last season, making it all the way to the fourth round after claiming the scalps of Cheltenham, Hull and Premier League side Everton. Their longest run since 1982 was ended in a penalty shoot-out by the eventual champions Birmingham following a 1-1 draw at St. Andrew's. Their reward in this year's third round is a trip to West Ham, where Zola will aim to take revenge on the club that sacked him in May 2010.

Great presentation for this career, something you rarely see nowadays due to time constraints of some people, good start to the season as well.

Cheers for the comments, I've always preferred doing this style of story, even if it does take a while I love reading this sort of thing.

I'm rather surprised at how well it's going, I thought it'd take a bit longer to really hit top gear.

Crazy cup match haha

NOTTS COUNTY 0-1 BRENTFORD
Sat 27 Aug - 15:00 - Meadow Lane



Yassin El Azzouzi struck from the spot to seal three points from Brentford's trip to Notts County.

After the drama of the Bees' 6-4 extra-time victory over Millwall on Tuesday, it was a far more sedate affair at Meadow Lane but Brentford managed to come away with a fifth win from the opening five games. The victory sees Gianfranco Zola's side remain at the summit of League One, ahead of Chesterfield on goal difference. El Azzouzi's penalty in the nineteenth minute was enough to see off the home side, who ended the game with ten men after midfielder Neal Bishop was sent off in the second half.

Jonathan Douglas went closest for the Bees in the early stages. The Irish midfielder has a reputation for his long-range efforts and Douglas narrowly missed out on a spectacular first goal of the season on two separate occasions. With nineteen minutes played, Douglas was tugged down in the area by Michael Stewart and referee Mike Dean pointed straight to the spot. The in-form El Azzouzi stepped up confidently and blasted the penalty into the top corner to claim his fourth goal of the season.

Stewart looked to make amends for his error in the second half as the Scottish midfielder connected with Alan Judge's deep cross, only to head the ball over the crossbar. Richard Lee also made an excellent save from Karl Hawley's powerful strike. After a series of high-scoring games, Zola's side finally produced a solid defensive performance to protect their slender lead. County lost Bishop to a straight red card late on following an ugly challenge on Bees right-back Darryl Westlake.


Brentford (4-2-3-1)
Lee - Westlake, Osborne, Trevisan, Woodman (Logan 70) - Douglas, O'Connor - McGinn (Eger 74), Forrester, Gamboa (Donaldson 45) - El Azzouzi.

BRENTFORD 1-0 CRAWLEY
Tues 30 Aug - 19:45 - Griffin Park



Brentford secured a routine win against Crawley in the first round of the Football League Trophy.

Gianfranco Zola named a heavily-changed starting line-up at Griffin Park as the newly-promoted visitors made their debut in the competition. A single goal in the first half from Clayton Donaldson was enough to see off the Bees' League Two opponents, who were reduced to ten men late on after referee Lee Probert handed a straight red card to defender John Dempster. Zola's side will take on League One rivals Colchester in the next round.

Brentford tested Crawley goalkeeper Michel Kuipers on several occasions in the first half as the Bees sought a sixth consecutive victory under Zola. Mike Grella and strike partner Donaldson dovetailed well to produce a good chance for the eventual matchwinner, only to find Kuipers to be equal to Donaldson's placed effort. Grella also forced a good save from the visiting keeper after Stefan Velev broke down the right wing and sent a teasing cross to the American at the far post.

Donaldson finally broke the deadlock in the forty fourth minute. Grella's through ball looked to have been swept up by Reds centre-back Abdelaziz Kamara but the defender failed to control the ball, allowing Donaldson to fire it into the back of the net. The away side's best chance of the match came on the hour but Simon Moore got a firm hand to Scott Davies' effort, before Dempster was sent off for a professional foul on Yassin El Azzouzi with two minutes left on the clock.


Brentford (4-4-2)
Moore - Logan, Spillane, Legge, Woodman - Saunders (McGinn 59), Reeves, Velev (Osborne 61), Weston - Donaldson (El Azzouzi 86), Grella.

Brilliant again, mate. What version of FM is this? This career has really been the inspiration to start writing mine in news style updates too.

Wow, cheers. The style is a bit slower than the usual screenshot format but I always think you can make people feel a bit more involved doing it this way.

I'm playing this on FM2012 - I've never really been able to get into the later games (possibly due to me being shit at them) so I thought I'd stick with what I knew, it gives it a nice alternate history thing as well. (I've played a couple of seasons in and LVG is Man City manager, for example)