It was a matter of when and not if Ivan Toney would leave Brentford.
By Sam McGuire
The England international has been courted by a host of clubs ever since an impressive debut campaign in the Premier League back in 2021/22. The former Peterborough United striker found the back of the net on 12 occasions and registered five assists as the Bees claimed a 13th-place finish.
Reportedly a target for Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea, Toney enhanced his reputation the following season, scoring 20 goals and contributing four assists across 33 appearances. Toney was believed to be viewed by Spurs as the ideal successor to Harry Kane if he was to depart, but having missed the end of the campaign after being suspended for betting offences, a move was put on hold.
He missed the first half of last season but still managed four goals and two assists in 1,449 minutes for Brentford in the English top-flight. He did enough to make it into Gareth Southgate’s England square for Euro 2024.
With just 12 months left on his deal, the Bees needed to cash in on the wantaway forward this summer. It was a surprise to see him still at the club when the new campaign kicked off. He missed out on the matchday squad. Yet the move to Al-Ahli still came as a surprise. The expectation was that he would remain in the Premier League but he’s now made the Saudi Pro-League his home. He’ll likely be paired in an attack containing Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez.
Last season, Brentford struggled without Toney. They finished 16th in the English top-flight and for periods of the campaign, it looked as though they’d be in a serious relegation battle. Thomas Frank’s side underperformed at both ends of the pitch, scoring fewer goals than they should have while conceding more than expected. In fact Expected Points had they 10th in the Premier League. That, alone, paints the picture of their campaign.
The general consensus was that the poor attacking display was tied to the absence of Toney. Being without the 28-year-old certainly didn’t help the Bees but it is also worth noting they had an a bit of an injury crisis. For example, Bryan Mbeumo, a player who started the season in fine form, missed over three months of the campaign with an injury. In total, Brentford suffered 29 injuries across 2023/24. It was severe enough for the club to launch an internal investigation into why they had such bad luck.
Speaking in April, Frank said: “Of course, it is serious — we have had too many injuries.
“We’re doing a big review into what kind of injuries we’ve had and how quickly they [injured players] have returned to be able to play. That’s what we look into across all the departments — the coaching staff, sports science, performance department and medical department. Everything is linked.”
Combined that with the fact Yoane Wissa, another key attacker, was away on international duty for a month and you start to see that while Toney’s absence didn’t help, it was one of many reasons why they underperformed rather than the main reason.
Brentford looked to futureproof their attack this summer with the signing of Igor Thiago. The centre-forward scored 18 in 34 for Club Brugge last season and his performances in Belgium convinced the Bees to part with a club-record £30million to bring him to England.
The new No. 9 suffered a meniscus injury in pre-season and probably won’t be seen again until 2025. The fear was that there would be a repeat of last season with Brentford having to avoid a relegation scrap.
Three games into the season, things are looking good for Frank’s side. They are currently sixth in the Premier League table and the attack, without Toney or Thiago, is impressing. Only Erling Haaland (seven) has more goals than Mbeumo (three) while Wissa is, once again, catching the eye. The 28-year-old has three goal involvements in three outings.
Brentford have a distinct style of play. They’re playing to the strengths of their attackers.
The Bees have averaged just 40% possession in their opening three matches, a figure which sees them rank 17th for this particular metric. Despite this, they rank fourth for Big Chances (11) and eighth for Expected Goals (4.9). They’re also eighth for Shots on Target per 90 (4.7). Frank has his team sitting deep and compact in an attempt to frustrate the opposition. This style also lures their opponents into pushing higher and leaving space for Wissa and Mbeumo to attack.
This strike force is perfect for counter-attacking football and Brentford, so far, are nailing it. There are no signs at all that Toney is being missed. And it is quite intriguing to see how the Bees will perform once Thiago returns from injury. They have a powerful, pacey attack with multiple goal threats. If they all remain fit, there’s every chance of a comfortable mid-table finish this season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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