Andy Munro watches Blues win at Brentford.
Brentford had only won one match in eight so the usual scenario would be that their bad run would be broken against the Blues. Yet somehow, Blues escaped with all three points despite being under siege for much of the game.
Gary Rowett went for two up front, which perhaps is sticking two fingers up to those who reckon that if Reading are Barcelona then we’re Inter Milan. This brought rewards when Donaldson earned himself a penalty following a superlative through ball from Kleftenbeld, who proved that he’s not just a Dutch clogger. Shotton then made it two from close in following a flick on to a wicked free kick from the current pariah that is Cotterill. In fact, Shotton generally had another decent game despite continuing to get himself into some awkward situations.
Brentford then got one back through their current hot prospect Hogan and then it was tin hat time. Having said that, Blues could have been three or four up before they were pegged back. One of the other pleasing factors was a mature performance from Championship debutant Cogley. Solid defensively, he wasn’t afraid to get forward as well. Hopefully, he will be given further chances until the return of Spector – it would be a shame if Gary opted for a stop-gap signing in the circumstances.
While we undoubtedly can partly thank Lady Luck for three points, a win away at Brentford is not to be sneezed at particularly as their manager Dean Smith is no mug. With Blues now firmly in a play-off position, the intriguing question is how will the manager go about any improvements in the transfer window without upsetting the equilibrium? Perm anything from a full-back, a central defender, a quick goalscoring forward and, of course, the signing up of Juktwiecz. One thing is certain, it would be better to sign one player of top quality rather than three who are merely competent and who just block young talent coming through.
