Title rivals on Brentford chances of promotion

Last updated : 22 January 2006 By Smallsy
An article posted this week on the BBC Website gave Greg Halford the chance to comment on the promotion chasing sides looking for League one glory this year, after Southend and Swansea drawing and Huddersfield being beaten by the Bees, Colchester jumped into first place and coming from nowhere now feel they have a chance of making the Championship.

Speaking on Brentford the player said,

"Brentford have always been more of a team rather than having any real star players. Deon Burton was there last year and he got goals for them, but they signed Lloyd Owusu from Reading in the summer who they thought would score a load but he hasn't really produced."

"They have got a decent team - but I did not expect them to be up there to be honest."

On their match this season he said,

"When we played them at their place we battered them and it could have been five, six or even seven-nil on the day.

We beat them quite comfortably but they are a good little side and you know with Martin Allen in charge you know he is going to get everything he can out of the players."

On the other promotion chasers he said,

"Swansea are the best side in this division.

"They have probably got the best squad next to us. Lee Trundle has scored lots of goals this season and he is probably their top player - and obviously they have just signed Leon Knight who will be a good buy for them."

"Everything is in place for them to be a Championship team"

"They have got money behind them, a new stadium and a good squad so it's all looking good for them at the moment. "



"Southend went on a good run after beating us 3-1 at their place in August - and won eight straight games in the League."

"That put them right up there and they are still playing well, especially Freddy Eastwood who keeps scoring too."

"Southend are hungry. They have just come up from League Two so they want to prove themselves in this division."

"They are a good team but I didn't think they would be this consistent, getting results week in, week out."

"They have surprised me a little bit by being up there but they are always going to score goals with Wayne Gray and Eastwood up front."



On our opponents this weekend he said,

"They have got a good set of players as well but they came down to our place early in the season and we should have turned them over."

"They got a 0-0 but we were all over them - we just didn't have the killer instinct in front of goal. "

"Again, I am a bit surprised they have stayed up there - they seem to just nick a result here and there which keeps them in the frame."

On his own table toppers he said,

"We got off to a slow start but we have been on a really good run and I think we should be in the top two with the squad we have got."

"Jamie Cureton came in on loan in October and I think that is when everything changed for us."

"He has gone back to Swindon now but he came and scored seven goals in the short time he was here."

"Jamie was fantastic. He lifted everyone, not only on the pitch but in the changing room as well. That is what started our run."

On how the rest of the League is shaping up he said,

"It is all very close, and it will probably stay that way until the end of the season."

"We have got to play Barnsley a couple of times and Chesterfield have already beaten us once at home. "

Then you have got Nottingham Forest. On paper they look good with the players they have got but they do not seem to have got started yet and we beat them quite easily on 2 January."

Summing up he said,

"Our run proves we can beat anyone in the League so anything less than automatic promotion would be a disappointment - we are definitely good enough."

"There is nothing we can do about Swansea - we do not play them again so the title is in their hands but we have to play everyone else who is up there again."

"Our FA Cup run has definitely been a confidence boost but it is just a bonus on top of our League form - we want to go up."

"The players we have here could play at Championship level. We would have to strengthen the squad but at the moment it is good and we have youngsters coming through as well."

"We would be able to cope. It would be a battle to stay up but I cannot see any reason why we couldn't and I think we would do all right."