Brentford

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Brentford technical director Lee Dykes spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about the Bees' recruitment strategy:

"We have a data coverage of over 85,000 players - that is the first stage. You filter through in stages and the number is coming down. At the end of the process, you eventually arrive at between 60 and 70 players that are the best five or six in each of the positions.

"Once we have got the shortlist in place, we can start to do some serious due diligence on the particular names.

"The Premier League is a place where a lot of young players want to come and play. The work we've done with players like David Raya, Bryan Mbeumo - those stories carry themselves around the industry."

Dykes says he is open to the use of AI in future recruitment, adding: "It's definitely in the next phase - we are exploring that.

"I think AI will enhance the data search - we just don't know how yet."

This week 5 Live Breakfast are behind the scenes with Brentford all week, so keep checking back on this Brentford page for further interviews.

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Footballers across the world partake in Ramadan every year as Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown, and at Brentford it is no different.

Ted Munson, lead nutritionist at Brentford, says this period can produce challenges for his department, but explained to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast how they navigate this.

"We have got four players fasting for Ramadan at the moment," he said.

"They tell us how they want to do it and we will work with them. Some of our players who are doing Ramadan, they will take food back with them and they will have everything set for how they are breaking their fast, and then they are probably waking up at 4.30 am in the morning and we will have their breakfast set up for them as well."

Brentford manager Thomas Frank works closely with Munson to ensure each Bees player is eating in the optimal way to reach their goals.

"All of our players have physical goals and from a nutrition perspective," added Munson.

"I'd like to think if you asked any of our players what their goals were nutritionally, they would be able to tell you.

"For me, we have the 80-20 rule. If they can get 80% nutrition, then that's great, and then the other 20% can be pure enjoyment.

"Here we don't ban any sauces, we still have desserts the day before the game and things like that.

"We have different philosophies for different days. Some days we have higher calorie foods out, and then other days you might see a salad bar out on the live stations. It all comes down to the education and being light-hearted with it.

"I have a lot of dialogue with Thomas Frank, especially when it comes down to individual player goals. For example, if we have a player who we want to make stronger, I will play a key role in that and Thomas has an excellent open-door policy so I will just jump in his office and give him an update."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast this week to get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the Brentford training ground

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This week, BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast have been granted exclusive access to Brentford's training ground.

In a recent interview, director Niti Raj explained the reasoning behind naming the training facilities after the late Robert Rowan.

"In 2018, Robert Rowan, our friend and colleague, died following a cardiac myopathy at the age of 28, and that was a massive shock to all of us and brought home that many young people die every year not knowing about cardiac health conditions," he said.

"We worked with this fantastic charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young, external, that do cardiac screenings for young people.

"They can tell you if there is something you need treatment for or if you need to make lifestyle changes to hopefully avoid these tragedies."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast for more

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Brentford director Nity Raj says that keeping costs down for supporters is a key pillar of the club's vision to engage future generations of Bees fans.

This week, BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast has been given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Brentford Football Club, getting an insight into how things operate.

Raj believes Brentford have a "responsibility" to keep prices down for fans of all ages.

"We are talking about affordability for our fans and if we can't get seven or eight year-olds interested in the football, they will go to something else," he said.

"So we have got a responsibility to make sure that the fans who are seven years old are going to be fans when they are 70.

"Part of that is about having good prices for them."

This includes giving youngsters a chance to travel to away fixtures as well.

"Kids of that age, when they are getting into football, are going to have these amazing away experiences and part of that is because they can afford to come on them," he added.

"If we can make football more affordable, we are doing that to build our future."

Raj also believes that the fact the Bees have less funds available to them than clubs such as Manchester United or Manchester City allows them to be more innovative.

"I was talking earlier about the hunger that in some respects it helps keep you focused," he said.

"On one hand, you might not have problems when thinking about resources of what you need to bring in, but then it also means you are maybe not as focused.

"There is a big correlation between money spent and performance in our industry and the clubs that have got the most tend to do the best.

"Do I feel sympathy for it [Manchester United's financial struggles of late]? No. But I also recognise that we have a strength that comes from our position."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on BBC Sounds

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

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There were two main topics to reflect on as we walked away from the Gtech on Saturday after yet another home defeat.

Brentford had played reasonably well against Aston Villa, especially in the second half, but once again had come up just short.

Apart from not doing well against top-half sides this season, as I have discussed here before, it seems that all visiting teams in recent games seem to have worked out how to play against us.

Spurs changed their tactics at the start of February and came away with a 2-0 win, and then both Everton and Villa relied on massed defence and playing on the counter-attack to hurt us.

Despite dominating possession in each match, we failed to break down either opponent despite putting in plenty of crosses which were simply headed away.

The other factor is our continuing injury crisis, which leaves us short of experience on the bench every week.

Thomas Frank has hardly any options to change a match when we are either holding on to a lead or chasing the game.

Just when we had positive news on Friday about a whole crop of injured players, including record signing Igor Thiago, Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry, two more names were missing from the matchday squad when we checked our phones for the team news on Saturday.

Fabio Carvalho, a regular substitute this season, has dislocated his shoulder and had surgery, while January loan signing Michael Kayode was also out with a minor injury.

It leaves us wondering if we are we ever going to have a full-strength squad again.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

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We asked for your views on Brentford's Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

George: Frustrating - a very even match where we had plenty of chances in their box but couldn't turn it into the net. Disasi flung himself well in front of the best of those chances and their keeper was outstanding. While we fought to the dying seconds, they ran the clock down well and we lacked the two things that any Premier League team sorely needs when trailing - decisive substitutions and a generous helping of luck.

Iain: Brentford played well against a well organised Villa defence. Just two points - one, when will Brentford take a shot instead of walking the ball in? And two - when will the quality of refereeing improve in this country?

Paul: I think the referee was weak, but saying that we need to fall behind to start playing and it shouldn't be like that at home. Don't understand Thomas Frank's substitutions. What's the point of bringing on a centre half with minutes to go when there's a B team forward on the bench?

Villa fans

Paul: Question marks were raised over Unai's team selection, but he got it absolutely spot on when you now consider the fresh legs we'll have for the visit of Club Brugge. At the business end of the season it feels like we're finally coming good. Disasi in particular was immense.

Jason: More gritty performances like this would be handy; you don't get points for style. Disasi was a beast.

Andrew: Proud of the Villa team. Every player put a shift in and I was worried at the start with Olsen in goal but we were excellent in the first half without scoring and a very close VAR decision ruled out Rogers' goal.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-1 Southampton

• Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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It proved to be a disappointing Saturday evening for Brentford, who delivered a rare flat display on home soil against Aston Villa.

While the Bees applied some late pressure, they only had three shots on target to show for their efforts.

Boss Thomas Frank felt hard done by that his side were not awarded a penalty when Axel Disasi's push on Kevin Schade was waved away by referee Jarred Gillett.

However, they were also guilty of being a little too passive until the visitors opened the scoring.

And even that was avoidable with Ollie Watkins allowed to run unopposed from the left channel into the Brentford penalty area.

Republic of Ireland defender, Nathan Collins was then stationary as the ball clipped off him and through the body of goalkeeper Mark Flekken into the Bees goal.

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Thomas Frank spoke to Sky Sports after Brentford's defeat against Aston Villa: "They went 1-0 up, getting the margin you need, via a deflection. From that moment to Ollie Watkins' [second half] chance, we were completely on top.

"We created many dangerous situations without really having the margins. I'm really pleased with my team – especially in the second half, I feel we deserved more than we got. We played with great intensity, played forward and put them under pressure."

"Of course we dream and want to end as high as possible. You could see [Villa] felt the pressure because they had to win. They have signed five great players [in the winter transfer window] – that's what we're competing against."

On Brentford's penalty appeals: "[Axel Disasi's foul on Kevin Schade] is a big, big penalty. I don't understand how VAR can't overturn it. Disasi clearly took Schade out. The second one was on a softer side, but you can't go through the back of a player. I maybe understand that one a bit more, but the first one is a penalty."

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Brentford are the only side across the top four tiers of English football without a home clean sheet this season. They've conceded in each of their last 16 league games at the Brentford Community Stadium since a goalless draw with Fulham in May last year.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Villa's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)

• Liverpool v Southampton - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town

• Brighton v Fulham

• Brentford v Aston Villa (17:30) full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Everton (20:00)

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

This should be a really good game - it is 11th versus 10th but both teams are looking up the table and thinking about getting into the European places.

It feels like it will be close but I am actually pretty sure Brentford will win it - Aston Villa have been stretched all season and we know they tend to be a bit flat the weekend following a Champions League match.

That's the test for Unai Emery's side here. Can they break that habit of dropping points after playing in Europe? I'm not convinced.

Villa are in a strong position against Club Brugge after their first-leg win in Belgium but, if they are at all tired from that game, then Brentford's energy means they are not a team you would want to face.

I'm going for Villa striker Ollie Watkins to score against his former club, but I am backing the Bees to take the points.

The rest of Villa's season is going to be a balancing act too - I'd back them to beat Brugge next week and make the quarter-finals, and also to overcome Preston in the last eight of the FA Cup.

But at the same time they really need a run of results in the Premier League to help them in the race for the top five. Right now they are still in touch with the teams above them but they have got to be careful not to slide out of contention there.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Brentford boss Thomas Frank has provided a "positive" injury update as the Bees prepare to face Aston Villa at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday (17:30 GMT), confirming that Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen will be back in contention.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference, Frank said: "Norgaard is back, which we expected after the concussion precaution. Jensen will be involved in the squad as well, so that's very positive."

There are also a few players nearing matchday fitness, including defenders Rico Henry and Sepp van den Berg. Henry is back in "full training" after recovering from a setback with his hamstring injury and Van den Berg is due to "train with the squad" next week.

Frank added that he is "pleased" Aaron Hickey has made his return to action with the under-21s after a 16-month injury layoff, although the full-back's return will be "step by step" and he will not be available for the Bees' next two Premier League games.

Brentford are currently 11th in the Premier League, just one place and four points behind this weekend's opponents Aston Villa, with one game in hand over their counterparts.

However, the Bees haven't come out with a win from any of their previous five encounters with Aston Villa and Frank is expecting to go head-to-head with "an extremely good team".

The Danish manager added: "I think they did fantastic business in the January transfer window, bringing in really good players. Their squad is among the best probably in the Premier League and they are most likely going into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

"They are one of the eight best teams in Europe. They are probably not satisfied with being only one position above us but we believe in ourselves and, if we hit our top levels, I believe we can get three points."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Brentford announced a change to the ownership structure earlier this week, with Matthew Benham transferring his shares into a new holding company.

It was said this will "modernise" the ownership model as it will "provide greater flexibility" and "better position the club for future growth".

Benham is the crucial figurehead behind Brentford's success since achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2021.

From conversations with sources behind the scenes, the need to "modernise" refers to a holding company, which is common at the highest level of football and aligns the club with the rest of the Premier League.

The need to provide "greater flexibility" is understood to refer to estate planning - as Benham could pass shares to his family.

And Brentford have been open about the hunt for minority investment to chase "future growth". The new structure would make the addition of a new partner simpler to achieve.

Those with knowledge of the situation have explained that such is the success of Benham's ownership, that they believe any new investors would be likely to want to keep on the current owner to avoid disrupting the success of his data-guided approach.

On a football and performance level, Brentford do not especially need expertise from an investor but would be attracted to a partner capable of promoting the business and boasting media or public relations expertise.

Sources that know Benham believe the scale of the reported £400m valuation and hunt for an investor is simply the Englishman testing the market - similar to an individual putting their house up for sale at a high price just to see if there is any interest.

The intention is not to sell a majority stake, but it is impossible to rule out because an incredible offer could always arise.

Meanwhile, a deed has been given to supporter group Bees United to allow a veto on any sale of the club's stadium and a fan to be appointed to the board.

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Following their 3-1 win at Villa Park in December, Aston Villa are looking to complete their first league double over Brentford since the 1946-47 campaign.

Having won 10 points from their first 12 available away from home in the Premier League this season, Aston Villa have since won just four from a possible 27 on the road.

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We asked for your views on one thing going under the radar at Brentford currently.

Here are some of your comments:

Tom: Kevin Schade. He was a bit unconvincing when he first joined the club, especially in comparison to the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. This year, he's really stepped up and seems to fit like a glove into the front four, to the point where if one of our attackers was to leave this summer, I wouldn't be completely worried because we've got three other amazing forwards.

Jonna: Brentford's squad this season is really next season's team in development. The squad value of £400m shows Brentford are quietly putting together a hugely talented and relatively young team. We might sell a player or two in the summer but we now have depth and youth, gaining experience. Prepare for a "surprising" 25-26 season that those in the know can see coming.

Lucas: We are sometimes too respectful to teams because of who they are. One thing definitely flying under the radar though is how good Mikkel Damsgaard is.

AC: That we've played most of the season with about half of our starting XI, if not less. Most crucially, Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey have really been out since the 2022-23 season. And it's only this season the club has really started to build the bench and transition in earnest from the Football League to the Premier League.

After a sixth home game without a win last time out against Everton, Brentford are six points off the top six in the race for European football next season.

So what's your verdict on how things are going? Is there a reason behind the inconsistency - or is that just the Premier League?

You know the Bees best so tell us, what's the one thing - good or bad - going under the radar at Gtech Community Stadium right now.

Let us know here