Groundhog Day is that American tradition where if a groundhog emerging from its burrow sees its shadow then it will head back underground and winter goes on for another six weeks.
This was made the spine of the eponymous film where Bill Murray is forced to relive the same day in perpetuity until he can ‘find himself’ and become less selfish. He breaks the loop by helping others during his repeating day.
As the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship edges closer to its conclusion, Brentford are looking to be stuck in their own Groundhog Day scenario.
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Brentford’s Groundhog Day 2019/20
Last season the Bees buzzed when coming out of the Covid-imposed lockdown of football. At one point, it looked like they were going to run away with automatic promotion all by themselves.
As it was, the electric performances couldn’t be sustained and the Bees ended the season limping. They were knocked out in the play-off semi-final.
Last season they were led by an electric strikeforce headed by 24-goal Ollie Watkins and supported by the likes of Said Benrahma and Bryan Mbeumo.
The trouble is, the end of the 2020/21 Championship campaign is looking increasingly like the end of the 2019/20 Championship campaign for Brentford fans.
Brentford’s own Groundhog Day playing out – again
This season’s end sees the Bees buzzing intermittently with their last four games all being draws and all four against bottom-half teams. Last night, the West London outfit drew 0-0 against a battling but struggling Birmingham side.
Since the start of March, a span of six games, Brentford have won just once – a slender 1-0 victory over a struggling Blackburn Rovers outfit.
Whereas last season Brentford has Benrahma, Mbeumo and Watkins this season they have the more dangerous Ivan Toney backed up by Sergi Canos and Mbeumo. Again, a powerful attack but spluttering at the end – when it matters.
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Brentford need to be like Bill Murray
Just like Bill Murray in the film, Brentford needs to ‘find themselves’ or at least rediscover that swagger and form that swept sides away under an avalanche of attacking football.
Like lazy writing, Brentford’s attacking football is not full joined-up and looks patchy when applied in part form only.
They have seven games left before the campaign officially draws to a close; they are nine points behind Watford who occupy 2nd in the table. Aside from Bournemouth and Watford, they have a pretty favourable run-in to the end of the season.
The Bees must change and change quick. Otherwise, they’ll be waking up again to the 6 am croonings of Sonny and Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’…again…and again.
