During the 2011–12 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League One. In a season of transition under new manager Uwe Rösler, the Bees finished in 9th place.
Season summary
After guiding Brentford away from the League One relegation zone and securing a mid-table finish at the end of the 2010–11 season, Nicky Forster was passed over for the full-time manager's job in favour of Uwe Rösler. Rösler's appointment was part of an overhaul behind the scenes at Griffin Park, with Forster's first team coach Mark Warburton retained by the club and installed in the newly created role of sporting director. Medical and analysis teams were added to the backroom staff and a Development Squad was introduced to replace the reserve team. Manager Rösler brought in six new players before the beginning of the season – defenders Marcel Eger and Shay Logan, midfielders Jonathan Douglas and Harry Forrester, loan winger Niall McGinn and forward Clayton Donaldson. Two more players would arrive before the end of the summer transfer window, defender Adam Thompson and forward Mike Grella. Grella was a late replacement for Charlie MacDonald, who transferred to Milton Keynes Dons.
Despite falling at the first hurdle to League Two club Hereford United in the first round of the League Cup, Brentford enjoyed a strong start to the league season, winning five of the opening seven matches to climb as high as 4th place. By the end of 2011, the Bees were on the edge of the playoff places and had exited all the cup competitions, having been knocked out of the FA Cup and Football League Trophy at the second round and Southern Area semi-final stages respectively. Manager Uwe Rösler spent much of the first half of the season overhauling the squad, loaning out Pim Balkestein, Ryan Blake, Michael Spillane and Sam Wood, with six loan players arriving between 8 September and 24 November as cover during an injury crisis. Leading goalscorer Gary Alexander was loaned out for the final two months of the season.
Just 3 wins from a 16-match spell between 17 December 2011 and 20 March 2012 dropped Brentford back into mid-table. Though the team finished the season strongly (winning six and drawing two of the final 9 matches), too many dropped points at home saw the Bees finish in 9th place, six points below the playoff zone. The season proved to be one of transition and the loan signings of left back Jake Bidwell, centre back Harlee Dean and midfielder Adam Forshaw proved to be shrewd, with the trio returning for the 2012–13 season (Bidwell on loan, Dean and Forshaw on permanent transfers) and all playing a major part in Brentford's future success. Teenage Development Squad midfielder Jake Reeves was blooded during the season and was described as "a big option" by Rösler.
League table
Results
Pre-season friendlies
League One
Results by round
Results summary
Results
FA Cup
Football League Cup
Football League Trophy
Sources: Statto, brentfordfc.co.uk, brentfordfc.co.uk
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2011–12 season. NoPositionNameNationalityDate of birth (age)Signed fromSigned inNotesGoalkeepers1GKRichard LeeWatford201021GKAntoine GounetUnattached201231GKSimon MooreFarnborough2009Defenders3DFCraig WoodmanWycombe Wanderers20105DFMarcel EgerSt. Pauli20116DFPim BalkesteinIpswich Town2010Loaned to Rochdale and AFC Wimbledon14DFShay LoganManchester City201117DFRyan BlakeYouth2009Loaned to Farnborough and Hampton & Richmond Borough22DFKarleigh OsborneYouth200423DFAdam ThompsonWatford2012On loan from Watford24DFJake BidwellEverton2011On loan from Everton25DFHarlee DeanSouthampton2011On loan from Southampton30DFAlfie MawsonYouth201132DFLeon LeggeTonbridge Angels2009Midfielders2MFKevin O'Connor (c)Youth20004MFMarcus BeanBlackpool20087MFSam SaundersDagenham & Redbridge20098MFJonathan DouglasSwindon Town201111MFMyles WestonNotts County200916MFSam WoodBromley2008Loaned to Rotherham United18MFNiall McGinnCeltic2011On loan from Celtic19MFHarry ForresterAston Villa201120MFToumani DiagouragaPeterborough United201027MFManny OyelekeYouth201140MFJake ReevesYouth2011Forwards9FWClayton DonaldsonCrewe Alexandra201117FWClinton MorrisonSheffield Wednesday2012On loan from Sheffield Wednesday28FWAntonio GermanBromley201229FWGary AlexanderMillwall2010Loaned to Crawley Town33FWLuke NorrisYouth2011Players who left the club mid-season10FWSaido BerahinoWest Bromwich Albion2012Returned to West Bromwich Albion after loan10FWMike GrellaLeeds United2011Loaned from Leeds United before transferring permanentlyReleased10FWCharlie MacDonaldSouthend United2008Transferred to Milton Keynes Dons12MFAdam ForshawEverton2012Returned to Everton after loan12DFMichael SpillaneNorwich City2010Loaned to Dagenham & RedbridgeTransferred to Dagenham & Redbridge17FWKirk HudsonAldershot Town2010Released21GKConor DevlinUnattached2011Released21GKSimon RoyceGillingham2010Retired23GKDale BennettWatford2012Returned to Watford after loan24DFBlair AdamsSunderland2011Returned to Sunderland after loan25DFMiguel LleraBlackpool2011Returned to Blackpool after loan26FWDavid ClarksonBristol City2011Returned to Bristol City after loan26FWPiero MingoiaWatford2011Returned to Watford after loan Source: Soccerbase
Coaching staff NameRole Uwe RöslerManager Alan KernaghanAssistant Manager Peter FarrellFirst team Coach Simon RoyceGoalkeeping Coach Ben WoodPhysiotherapist Chris HaslamHead of Conditioning Darren GlenisterSports Therapist Chris DomoneyMasseur Bob OtengKit Man
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. NoPosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKRichard Lee3702000304202MFKevin O'Connor9 (5)110102113 (5)23DFCraig Woodman1801000302204MFMarcus Bean22 (10)20 (1)0103026 (11)25DFMarcel Eger13 (3)010104019 (3)06DFPim Balkestein2 (3)0—00—2 (3)07MFSam Saunders29 (8)1021102 (1)134 (9)128MFJonathan Douglas4621010305129FWClayton Donaldson40 (6)110 (2)0102043 (8)1110FWMike Grella1 (10)020—1 (3)44 (13)410FWCharlie MacDonald0 (3)0—10—1 (3)011MFMyles Weston11 (15)1100 (1)03015 (16)112DFMichael Spillane0 (1)00000000 (1)014DFShay Logan26 (1)320102131 (1)416MFSam Wood3 (2)000100 (2)04 (4)019MFHarry Forrester7 (12)00000108 (12)020MFToumani Diagouraga30 (5)420003135 (5)322DFKarleigh Osborne22 (3)000101024 (3)027MFManny Oyeleke100 (1)000001 (1)028FWAntonio German0 (2)0———0 (2)029FWGary Alexander20 (4)12200 (1)01 (2)223 (7)1431GKSimon Moore9 (1)000101011 (1)032DFLeon Legge23 (5)41 (1)0000 (1)024 (7)433FWLuke Norris0 (1)00000000 (1)040MFJake Reeves7 (1)0000 (1)00 (2)07 (4)0Players loaned in during the season10FWSaido Berahino5 (3)4———5 (3)412MFAdam Forshaw6 (1)0———6 (1)017FWClinton Morrison4 (4)0———4 (4)018MFNiall McGinn27 (10)51 (1)0001 (1)029 (12)523DFDale Bennett5100—005123DFAdam Thompson16 (4)0——2118 (4)124DFBlair Adams6 (1)010—0 (1)17 (2)124DFJake Bidwell240——1025025DFHarlee Dean23 (3)110—1025 (3)125DFMiguel Llera10 (1)010—2013 (1)026FWDavid Clarkson41——1051 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Goalscorers NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTTotal29FWGary Alexander12002147MFSam Saunders10101129FWClayton Donaldson110001118MFNiall McGinn5000510FWSaido Berahino4———432DFLeon Legge4000414DFShay Logan3001410FWMike Grella00—4420MFToumani Diagouraga200134MFMarcus Bean200028MFJonathan Douglas200022MFKevin O'Connor1001223DFDale Bennett10—0126FWDavid Clarkson1——0125DFHarlee Dean10—0111MFMyles Weston1000123DFAdam Thompson0——1124DFBlair Adams00—11Total6310972 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Discipline NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTTotalPts8MFJonathan Douglas80001020110114MFMarcus Bean5010001070720MFToumani Diagouraga500000106065DFMarcel Eger500000005057MFSam Saunders4010000050525DFMiguel Llera1100—1021523DFAdam Thompson40——0040424DFJake Bidwell40——0040414DFShay Logan4000000040425DFHarlee Dean3000—0030329FWGary Alexander3000000030332DFLeon Legge3000000030322DFKarleigh Osborne300000003039FWClayton Donaldson2000000020210FWMike Grella1000—1020217FWClinton Morrison10———10119MFHarry Forrester100000001011GKRichard Lee100000001012MFKevin O'Connor1000000010112DFMichael Spillane1000000010111MFMyles Weston100000001013DFCraig Woodman10000000101Total62120106071174 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: ESPN FC
International caps NoPosNatPlayerCapsGoalsRef4MFMarcus Bean10
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Uwe Rösler6 August 20115 May 2012 |
Summary Games played53 (46 League One, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 7 Football League Trophy)Games won21 (18 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy)Games drawn15 (13 League One, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy)Games lost17 (15 League One, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy)Goals scored76 (63 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 12 Football League Trophy)Goals conceded57 (52 League One, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy)Clean sheets20 (16 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy)Biggest league win5–0 versus Leyton Orient, 20 August 2011Worst league defeat4–0 versus Huddersfield Town, 1 October 2011Most appearances51, Clayton Donaldson (46 League One, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy), Jonathan Douglas (46 League One, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy)Top scorer (league)12, Gary AlexanderTop scorer (all competitions)14, Gary Alexander
Transfers & loans