Jamie Carragher admitted Man of the Match was a foregone conclusion before kick-off, such was the narrative around Ivan Toney. But the Brentford striker’s best work on his comeback was reserved for others…
The Big Dog is back. And not a moment too soon for Brentford.
Ivan Toney returned from eight months out of action to inspire the Bees to halt their slide towards the relegation dog fight by edging a five-goal thriller against Nottingham Forest.
Toney scored – of course he did – with the only shot he was allowed. Forest, too kindly, showed him his path to goal but for Thomas Frank, Toney’s most telling contribution was not to be found in the chances that came his way, because there were none. Rather the opportunities he created for his fellow Bees, buzzing off the return of their best player.
Frank has hardly been subtle in seeking to use Toney’s return as a spark to jump-start Brentford’s season. Toney himself has embraced the fuss, feeding the narrative of a man seeking retribution. Which was bound to pique more interest than the reality of a man who screwed up before being rightly and fairly punished.
Still, on Brentford’s big night, Danilo waited all of three minutes before p***ing in the punch.
Toney was yet to have a single touch when Vitaly Janelt made a pig’s ear of two. The second was worse than the first, an attempted clearance sent skywards towards the edge of his box. Ben Mee’s header gained only a few yards, landing on Danilo’s left thigh. A deft touch and a beautifully-controlled volley later, Forest had another early lead.
And they were good value for it through the first 15 minutes. They looked better organised, sharper and smarter than Brentford. Until Matt Turner chucked away all their positive work by assembling a wall that would shame any cowboy builder.
Brentford did not even pretend that Toney would not take the free-kick, right of centre, 20 yards from Forest’s goal. The right-footer stood alone over the ball while Turner organised his defence – four men stood and another laid down. The Forest keeper even checked his work after Toney shifted the ball behind the referee’s back.
Ryan Yates wasn’t convinced with Turner’s placement. The Forest midfielder, on the near-post end of the wall, insisted he ought to be another step off centre. Turner said no and Chris Wood convinced Yates to listen.
His concern was valid. Toney moved the ball again but not enough to take out a well-placed wall. It hardly needed peak-Roberto Carlos to curl the ball around Yates, with Toney making the finish look as simple as it was.
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Rather than wait for Dominic Littlewood to show up, Toney turned and made a beeline for Frank before dedicating his comeback goal to Uncle Brian. The Big Dog was back indeed. And so were Brentford into a game which, to that point, they struggled to assert themselves.
The fact Toney was toiling in open play was hardly a coincidence. Forest’s centre-backs, Murilo and Andrew Omobamidele, were proving more effective than Turner’s wall in blocking the England striker’s route to goal, so his best work was taking place in the build up. Toney teed up Keane Lewis-Potter with a devilish cross he would have loved to have been receiving, moments before Lewis-Potter made a hash of a huge opportunity after Toney had again starred in the move.
While Forest were shackling Toney, they ignored Simple Minds’ good advice and forgot about Mee. Gonzalo Montiel switched off moments before Mathias Jensen’s corner-kick, allowing the Brentford centre-back to run unchallenged across the near post to bury his header.
Toney had to watch again while other strikers were gifted the space he has spent eight months dreaming of. Forest’s Wood was the first beneficiary when he headed the visitors level, three minutes before Neal Maupay was allowed to spin and shoot Brentford back in front.
Toney was again involved in the build up with a pass that switched play from left to right. But we know, because he’s spent most of the week telling us, that he won’t be content with that. Pre-assists won’t help him achieve the goals target he has set to earn an England place for the Euros and the big move he craves.
Such contributions, though, are huge for Brentford. And above his personal ambition, Toney has to prioritise his team’s plight. Especially in the coming weeks when five of their next six fixtures are against top-six opposition, including Manchester City. Twice.
In those fixtures, even top-form Toney might struggle to compensate for a lack of confidence evident again in Brentford’s performance. The nerves were palpable late on as Forest sought another leveller against a side who have spaffed more winning positions than any other.
