Rosenior To Put Fate In Kids Hands?

The odds are stacked heavily against Brentford ending their run of 10 League One games without a win when they return to leaders Nottingham Forest on Saturday, five days after losing 2-1 in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at the City Ground on Tuesday.

But beleaguered manager Leroy Rosenior may put his faith in youngsters Charlie Ide and Clark Masters as he fights the threat of relegation – and bids to keep his job.

He is considering giving a key role to 18-year-old striker Ide, recalled early from his loan to Conference South club Sutton United to make his full Bees debut in Tuesday’s dress rehearsal.

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And Masters may continue in goal even if senior keeper Stuart Nelson has recovered from his ankle ligament injury. The Times understands Nelson was dropped the day before he was hurt in training.

Rosenior said: ‘Ide did well at Sutton, scoring four goals and looking sharp.

‘He and Jo Kuffour played well up front against Forest on Tuesday and he could have a big part to play.

‘Nelson will have a fitness test on Friday (today). If he is fit, I will have to decide between him and Masters.

‘We will be going to Forest with a positive attitude.

‘But I need to bolster the squad and must find a way of getting some players out so others can come in.’

Brentford’s league woes away from home continued as they crashed 3-0 to Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park last weekend, leaving them a point above the relegation zone. Rosenior claimed his bid to turn things around was not being helped by the displays of some of his senior players.

‘You want to see passion and desire and only three or four players showed that,’ he said.

‘The others are kidding themselves if they think they have given their all.

‘And that’s not the kids – the others are old enough to know better.

‘To go under like we did at Oldham is disappointing.

‘When we come under a bit of pressure, we crumble.

‘I have to take responsibility, because I threw the kids in and they found it tough.

‘Masters pulled off some good saves but looked shaky at times.

‘He is only 19 and that was only his third game – that is what you expect from kids.’

Brentford opened in a 4-5-1 formation, with Calum Willock playing alone up front.

But he was forced to go off after only 10 minutes with a fractured eye socket after being hit by an opponent’s arm, and is expected to miss up to two months.

Substitute Clyde Wijnhard offered so little he was hauled off at half-time, with Kevin O’Connor switching up front.

An injury to Adam Griffiths – playing as the fifth man in midfield – further disrupted the Bees’ line-up and saw Sam Tillen join Thomas Pinault as half-time substitutes.

Oldham took the lead after 15 minutes, and repeated the dose two minutes after the restart to make it 2-0.

Richard Wellens rounded off the Latics’ scoring in stoppage time, scoring at the second attempt after a good save from Masters.

Brentford: Masters; O’Connor, Heywood, Osborne, Frampton; Kuffour, Skulason, Carder-Andrews, Griffiths (Tillen ht), Tomlin; Willock (Wijnhard, 10) (Pinault ht). Att: 4,708.

Brentford were better at Forest on Tuesday, when Kuffour’s seventh goal of the season gave them a 39th-minute lead, writes Chris Wickham.

But the home side hit back to reach the area quarter-finals, with Junior Agogo laying on goals for Nicky Southall and Grant Holt in a nine-minute spell at the start of the second half.

Rosenior told the Times: ‘I got the reaction I wanted.

‘We played some good football at times and the attitude was good for the most part.’

The crowd of 2,031 – Forest’s lowest for a competitive match since the Second World War – contained just 75 Bees fans.

Source: ‘Your local guardian’