Nathan Collins D Brentford b.2001

[tetsujin1979]

100 Premier League appearances today
1883552409190052224

[Eirambler]

Won MotM as well, though he really should have done better for the Palace goal. But he's clearly a leader at Brentford and probably - at the moment - looks like the Irish player with the best chance of becoming a first team player at a Champions League level Premier League club in time.

[rebelmusic]

Also won the penalty for their opener - albeit it should have gone for a hand ball before that.

The drama around the penalty is worth watching the highlights reel as a neutral. Mad stuff

[tetsujin1979]

Some more numbers around Collins' 100th PL appearance
1883933848834302103

[Olé Olé]

Was watching him there more to see Ferguson. But he's turning into some player.

[seanfhear]

Was watching him there more to see Ferguson. But he's turning into some player.He always looked like a great prospect, if he could kick out the mistakes ~ As many very good centre-backs had to learn as well.

[Eirambler]

Was just going to post what Sean has already said - he seems to have reduced the number of mistakes and lapses in concentration. He has always had the natural ability. Brentford fans seem convinced they're going to lose him for a massive fee in the next year or two.

Having the ability to send out a team including four solid Premier League performers at the back in Kelleher, O'Brien O'Shea and Collins (average age 24) must surely give us a strong foundation to build on for the next few years. Though if the last member of our GK/back four combination is 33 year old PNE squad player Robbie Brady that's a serious drop off from the other three. The standard gap between the stronger positions in our team and the weaker ones seems to be getting wider if anything.

[Olé Olé]

Hate to break it to ye but I didn't say he wasn't a great prospect or didn't have the natural ability. I always thought both of those things. In fact, anyone with two eyes would have seen this so nothing revelatory here.

My point is that he does seem more focused and does not appear to be lapsing in concentration. He has the odd howler in him as we saw for Ireland.

When I say he's turning into some player, he looks to be focused, he looks to be assured and his performances this season are seeing him marked out as their ever present, defensive lynchpin.

He looks every inch a consistently
comfortable and very good Premier League player.

[SkStu]

Hate to break it to ye but I didn't say he wasn't a great prospect or didn't have the natural ability. I always thought both of those things. In fact, anyone with two eyes would have seen this so nothing revelatory here.

My point is that he does seem more focused and does not appear to be lapsing in concentration. He has the odd howler in him as we saw for Ireland.

When I say he's turning into some player, he looks to be focused, he looks to be assured and his performances this season are seeing him marked out as their ever present, defensive lynchpin.

He looks every inch a consistently
comfortable and very good Premier League player.

Agreed. It was only the occasional lapses in concentration that was holding him back. His performances this season show how much he has cut that out and he’s where we knew he’d be. He’s a rolls royce of a player.

[Eirambler]

Wins Man of the Match in the late game on Sky, Brentford won away at Bournemouth.

Brentford still in the running for Europe.

[Eirambler]

Another fine performance tonight away at Arsenal. If he keeps going like this he'll do maybe one more season at Brentford at most before he moves on to a bigger club.

[Exgrad]

Yes, as long as none of the big clubs watch his Ireland performances.

[elatedscum]

With Virgil Van Dijk rested by Liverpool today, Nathan is the only (outfield?) player to have played every minute in the premier league this season. Would be a nice record to have if he can complete the season that way.

Tets - any idea the last Irish player to do that?

[tetsujin1979]

With Virgil Van Dijk rested by Liverpool today, Nathan is the only (outfield?) player to have played every minute in the premier league this season. Would be a nice record to have if he can complete the season that way.

Tets - any idea the last Irish player to do that? looked it up recently actually, it was Stephen Ward in 2011/12 for wolves

[Eirambler]

Played the full 90 today to complete a full, interrupted season in the Premier League. Didn't miss a minute, the only outfield player in the league to manage that.

[seanfhear]

Played the full 90 today to complete a full, interrupted season in the Premier League. Didn't miss a minute, the only outfield player in the league to manage that.Great achievement.

[Eirambler]

Also he's the first Irish player to do it since it went to five subs in a game. I think the addition of the extra two subs makes it even more of an achievement than it was previously, as you're obviously more likely to be subbed off now. Just shows how well regarded he is at Brentford that they will likely have subbed off half their outfield starters in most games but didn't sub him off once.

[joey B]

Thomas Frank rumoured to want to take him with him to Tottenham,Romero meant to want to leave Tottenham this summer so could be a good move and another player playing Champions League football…..

[CraftyToePoke]

Thomas Frank rumoured to want to take him with him to Tottenham,Romero meant to want to leave Tottenham this summer so could be a good move and another player playing Champions League football…..

Kelleher is roaring WFT lads somewhere really loudly, I wait five years to pick my move and now this ?

[rebelmusic]

I hope he stays put. Having Collins and Kelleher together for preseason and the first 6 weeks of the league would be huge for our qualification chances

[Eirambler]

Frank is just a cog in the Brentford wheel though, they have a specific type of manager that they go for - someone who coaches and leaves the business of transfers to others. They'll have someone similar lined up to replace him that fits their model.

[CraftyToePoke]

Frank is just a cog in the Brentford wheel though, they have a specific type of manager that they go for - someone who coaches and leaves the business of transfers to others. They'll have someone similar lined up to replace him that fits their model.

He's there since 2016 and in his present role since 2018, he's the reason they are in the EPL also. And at no time in their history have they been achieving like they are now, so he's quite an important cog, the previous cog was Dean Smith, before him Lee Carsley and Mark Warburton. What you are coming out with reminds me a lot of the pre Laudrup era guff that Swansea came out with, just before it all went really wrong.

[SkStu]

He's there since 2016 and in his present role since 2018, he's the reason they are in the EPL also. And at no time in their history have they been achieving like they are now, so he's quite an important cog, the previous cog was Dean Smith, before him Lee Carsley and Mark Warburton. What you are coming out with reminds me a lot of the pre Laudrup era guff that Swansea came out with, just before it all went really wrong.

I wouldn’t call it guff to be fair. While it’s really difficult to assess just what impact Frank leaving would have on Brentford, the club does seem to be extremely well run and has a really clear and solid operating model based on data and sound transfer investments. With the disclaimer above about you never quite know, I’d see it more in the Brighton vein than Swansea…

[EalingGreen]

I wouldn’t call it guff to be fair. While it’s really difficult to assess just what impact Frank leaving would have on Brentford, the club does seem to be extremely well run and has a really clear and solid operating model based on data and sound transfer investments. With the disclaimer above about you never quite know, I’d see it more in the Brighton vein than Swansea…There is NO comparison between Brentford and Swansea, none.

After six successful seasons in the PL when they were comfortably mid-table (Martinez, Rodgers etc), Swansea's principle individual owners shat on the (minority) fan owners, and sold out to two Americans for a massive personal profit. The next season Swans finished 15th, and were relegated in 18th the season after (2017/18). They squandered £79m of parachute payments without finishing higher than 4th, before sliding down the division when the money ran out:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/16/swansea-relegation-lament-ownership-ideal (Paywall)

The two Americans finally sold up last November, finally ending an "eight-year tenure of disappointment and decline" [sic]:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ceqxpv0n2vqo

By contrast, Brentford's Matthew Benham is still in charge after 13 years, and while he is open to outside investment, he has already turned down a number of offers, since he couldn't be sure they were right for the club.

People should write them off at their peril.

[EalingGreen]

He's there since 2016 and in his present role since 2018, he's the reason they are in the EPL also. And at no time in their history have they been achieving like they are now, so he's quite an important cog, the previous cog was Dean Smith, before him Lee Carsley and Mark Warburton. What you are coming out with reminds me a lot of the pre Laudrup era guff that Swansea came out with, just before it all went really wrong.TF is, indeed, hugely important, but he's hardly "the" reason they're in the PL. This is a collective effort, with Mathew Benham and Phil Giles being at least as important as TF, if not more.

Of course Benham and Giles are quite open in admitting that it would only take one bad/unlucky season to see them go down again, but there is presently no sign of that happening, Thomas Frank or no.

Oh and btw, while their present achievements are outstanding, this is actually the club's second Golden Age, the first being during the 1930's under Harry Curtis, when the club spent 5 seasons in the (old) First Division, including finishing 5th in 1935/35, i.e. London's top club. Unfortunately this spell was interrupted by WWII, so that they got relegated in the first season after the war - another crime to be added to Adolf Hitler's charge sheet.

[seanfhear]

TF is, indeed, hugely important, but he's hardly "the" reason they're in the PL. This is a collective effort, with Mathew Benham and Phil Giles being at least as important as TF, if not more.

Of course Benham and Giles are quite open in admitting that it would only take one bad/unlucky season to see them go down again, but there is presently no sign of that happening, Thomas Frank or no.

Oh and btw, while their present achievements are outstanding, this is actually the club's second Golden Age, the first being during the 1930's under Harry Curtis, when the club spent 5 seasons in the (old) First Division, including finishing 5th in 1935/35, i.e. London's top club. Unfortunately this spell was interrupted by WWII, so that they got relegated in the first season after the war - another crime to be added to Adolf Hitler's charge sheet.The more ya hear about Hitler, the worse he gets !

[EalingGreen]

Seems from this BBC interview that NC won't be going to Spurs with Thomas Frank:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cdr57l3vd38o

Basically he'd like TF to stay, but if he doesn't, Bees will have a plan to replace him. While he's looking forward to working with Kelleher next season.

(It may also be that with NC having signed a very long contract recently, Bees have set a higher transfer price for him than Spurs are prepared to pay? Or at least Spurs feel they can get better value elsewhere? For myself, I'd hope it could be a sign that Romero is staying, even if that still seems unlikely)

[Eirambler]

If and when he's moving on from Brentford he should be aiming higher than Tottenham anyway. Champions League football next season has the feel of a bit of a one off, they're a mid table side these days.

[EalingGreen]

If and when he's moving on from Brentford he should be aiming higher than Tottenham anyway. Champions League football next season has the feel of a bit of a one off, they're a mid table side these days.Really?

They finished 5th in 2023/24, two points off 4th/Champions League.

Not saying they'll repeat that next season, but it's a bit early to be writing them off (imo).

[Eirambler]

Yes, that's just how I see them, unlikely to be a top 6 side going forward. Where they finished this year was a one off, but I don't see them as a consistent Champions League side, they just don't spend enough to match the big guns and some other teams spend smarter as well.

[Rayzor]

Yes, that's just how I see them, unlikely to be a top 6 side going forward. Where they finished this year was a one off, but I don't see them as a consistent Champions League side, they just don't spend enough to match the big guns and some other teams spend smarter as well.

To be fair, they should be competing for champions league football every year, they have 9th largest revenue in world football. Right manager ,some decent signing and there's no reason they shouldn't be competing for the top 4/5.

[Eirambler]

Frank is just a cog in the Brentford wheel though, they have a specific type of manager that they go for - someone who coaches and leaves the business of transfers to others. They'll have someone similar lined up to replace him that fits their model.

OK, so I might have to walk back this comment if they go and give the job to Keith Andrews!