Player Focus: Pint-sized Pritchard Central to Brentford's Promotion Push
Back in December 2013, Mark Warburton was handed the opportunity to succeed Uwe Rösler as Brentford boss after the German took over at Wigan Athletic. Despite being offered the chance to follow Rösler to the DW Stadium, Warburton opted to remain at Griffin Park, with the decision, in hindsight, proving to be the right one. The 52-year-old took the Bees into the Championship in his initial six-month spell in charge of Brentford, winning 17 of the 27 league games he managed
He was then handed a one-year rolling contract at the end of the 2013/14 season as a result of his initial success as the club strived to secure back-to-back promotions. However, after a good start to the campaign, Brentford’s season threatened to come apart at the seams when, in February, it was confirmed that Warburton, assistant manager David Weir and sporting director Frank McParland would depart the club later this year.
While the form dipped, Brentford recovered to eventually finish 5th in the Championship, securing a place in the play-offs as a result. A 2-1 first leg defeat to Middlesbrough at home, however, means the Bees have it all to do when they travel to the Riverside Stadium on Friday night. Aitor Karanka’s side have kept the most clean sheets at home (13) in the Championship this season, which does not help Brentford’s cause.
If they are to break down the staunch Boro defence, they will need young Alex Pritchard to be firing on all cylinders when they make lengthy trip up north. The 22-year-old has spent the season on loan with Brentford from parent club Tottenham and has impressed in West London. His WhoScored rating (7.20) ranks fourth among all Brentford players in the Championship this season. After a successful campaign in League 1 with Swindon, Pritchard has made the step up to England’s second tier with relative ease.
The young attacker was not at his best in the first leg loss to Boro, gaining a WhoScored rating of just 6.61, but showed signs of what he is capable of in the defeat. 3 shots on goal, 2 key passes and 1 successful dribble highlight as much, and despite failing to score or assist in the encounter, Pritchard was influential in the attacking third, as he has been for much of the season. The England U21 international is helped by Warburton’s decision to allow the youngster to roam across the final third and not demand he remain in one position over 90 minutes.
38 of Pritchard’s 44 league starts this season have come in a central midfield position, but he, along with Alan Judge and Jota, are granted the freedom to form a fluid attacking three. Pritchard’s clever movement in such a key area of the pitch means he is regularly open to receive the ball and is not restricted to where he pops up on the pitch. This has helped the young creator complete more successful passes in the final third (800) than any other player in the Championship this season.
The number of key passes he has played (114) also ranks third behind only Jacob Butterfield (120) and David Cotterill (116). The vision he boasts to create chances for his teammates only accentuates his ability to provide for others and it’s perhaps no surprise to see that Pritchard has gained a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘key passes’. A return of only 7 assists in the Championship this term may not be spectacular, especially given then number of key passes played, however a counter argument to that is that this figure will have been higher had he been playing in a team with a more potent strike force.
That is not to say Brentford faltered in front of goal. Only four teams have scored more goals in the Championship season than the Bees (79), but had Pritchard figured for the likes of Bournemouth (98 goals) or Watford (91), it is likely he would have registered more assists this season. Nevertheless, after a successful campaign with Swindon, the on loan attacker has continued his impressive development as he looks establish himself as one of the brightest young English talents in the country.
Ahead of the daunting trip to Boro on Friday night, Pritchard is expected to play a crucial role as Brentford aim to overturn the one-goal deficit and progress to the play-off final. Warburton’s side lost 4-0 at the Riverside Stadium earlier in the season, but this encounter is expected to be a closely fought affair, even if Karanka’s team have lost just once on home turf in 2015. If the Bees' pint-sized creator can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and add to his 12 goals and 7 assists this season, however, it’s possible that Brentford’s season will be extended beyond tonight.
Do you think Brentford can overcome Middlesbrough in tonight's meeting and make it to the Championship play-off final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
