AHEAD OF their crucial trip to Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford will need all of their team to be at their best, and none more so than midfielder Romain Sawyers.
The St. Kitts and Nevis international was once again a crucial cog in their 2-0 win over managerless Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon (December 30).
Brentford have surprised many this season with their free-flowing football which has seen them move into tenth and just four points off the coveted play-off places.
Sawyers has been integral to their rise up the table and their form has improved rapidly after the failed to win any of their opening eight games. Since then, they have only lost twice in 16 games; to Cardiff and Hull City.
Brentford bos Dean Smith said of Sawyers: “He might have had six [goals] if he had got that one at the end but he is very unselfish there and I spoke about him after the Aston Villa game and his performances [for us] have been excellent.
“His workrate, defensively, with and without the ball has been really good and he’s become a really integral part of the team.
“They’ve all got to play well to keep their places in the team. He’s a quiet leader, Romaine. He’s well respected by the team and he’ll keep getting better.”
Sawyers has five league goals this season, two more than he achieved in the whole of the last campaign and Smith clearly has faith in the 26-year-old after bringing him to West London after managing the Kittitian for three of his four years as Walsall boss.
Like all Championship clubs, the games come thick and fast after Christmas with their trip to Wolves followed by a home FA Cup third round tie against Notts County, before a trio of league games against Bolton Wanderers, Reading and Norwich City.
The Bees may not be one of the biggest clubs aiming for promotion from the second tier but they are winning a lot of fans and with wins over Fulham, Norwich and Villa they are clearly not scared of stinging a few famous names along the way.
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