You are my Brentford, my only Brentford...

Considering the 2010/11 season is almost three weeks old I haven't blogged much about Brentford. Truth be told there hasn't been much to shout about. An opening day defeat at Carlisle was followed a week later by Walsall at GP and yep, another defeat.

In between those two games we did manage edge past Cheltenham in the League, OK, Carling Cup. We'd not beaten them in five previous attempts so it was good to finally beat the relative newcomers to the Football League.

Last weekend we took a good point away from Swindon Town's County Ground. We lost 3-1 home and away to them last season so it was a decent point and our League campaign is up and running.

We drew Hull City in the second round of the Carling Cup, and as you can tell, I was really looking forward to them coming down to Griffin Park!  The reason for my total lack of enthusiasm for a game against a team newly relegated from the Premiership was (and still is) because for the 1990's and first half of the 20th century, Brentford were a better team than them and it's hard to get away from that way of thinking.

I still find it hard, as do most Bees fans I reckon, to think of Fulham, Stoke and particularly Wigan as established Premiership teams.  Recent Brentford history shows we've been better than all of them but have never grabbed the opportunities when they've presented themselves.  A terrible play-off record, including Wembley (loads of quality in that 1997 Crewe team) and Millennium Stadium (shit that Brentford team was good) defeats, have poured cold water over promotion hopes at regular intervals and led to the dismantling of many a team well equipped to play in the second tier.  Relegation to the basement in May 2007 (although it was on the cards months before the dreaded final day of the season) hit the club hard but there is renewed optimism around the club since bouncing back from our two season stint in League Two in May 2009.

A great ninth place finish in League One last season has led to major investment in the playing squad over the summer and we appear to be in a position to have a real go at promotion over the next two or three seasons.  Of course, with investment comes expectation and the GPG was awash with negativity following our two defeats.  The point at Swindon has helped to ally some fears and this is where (eventually) Hull City come in.

On Tuesday we had a great result.  A 2-1 win (Bees view, Hull view) and a place in the third round for the first time since 1991.  All of a sudden the negativity has been replaced with a renewed confidence that we have what it takes to push on into (at least) the top six.  Oh the fragile and fickle mind of a football fan, what a world we inhabit!

Fingers crossed we get a decent draw, a winnable home or top Prem team away will do.  Most fans will echo this list of teams that we want to draw and those we want to avoid.  Any takers for Wigan away?  It's bound to be them now isn't it!?! 

Saturday sees Rochdale, bloody hell even they've got executive boxes, in TW8.  They are in the third tier for the first time since the 1973/74 season, 36 long long years ago, having finished last season in the final automatic promotion spot from League Two.  So far they've drawn two and lost one in the league so they've had a better start than us!  They've also won on their last two trips to GP so I'll be heading to GP a little nervous but expecting a win.

Three points on Saturday and we'll be cooking on gas.  YOU REDS!