Brentford have made an impressive start to the season and last weekend’s 1-0 victory at Oldham saw Martin Allen's side climb to fourth place in the League One table. The Bees will be looking to continue their fine recent run when they play host to bottom side Swindon on Saturday and Mark Shail caught up with striker Lloyd Owusu to get his thoughts on the forthcoming match, as well as developments at Griffin Park. Owusu is currently in his second spell at Brentford after re-joining the club from Reading last summer.
Q:HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING THE SEASON SO FAR?
A:It's gone really well. We had a good start, which is always important for confidence, and we've been pretty consistent since then. There are some good players here and everyone is optimistic that we can have a good season.
Q:AND ANOTHER FINE WIN LAST WEEK?
A:Yes, it was a great result, especially when you consider that we were down to ten men for most of the game after DJ Campbell was went off in the first half. We had to dig in and grind out a result – which we did and I was pleased to play a part in setting up the winner for Scott Fitzgerald. Oldham is never an easy place to go so to get three points was very satisfying.
Q:IS THERE A SHARP CONTRAST IN THE MANAGERIAL STYLES OF YOUR PREVIOUS BOSS – STEVE COPPELL AND MARTIN ALLEN?
A:They are two totally different characters. Steve is very calm and calculated in everything he does, whereas Martin is an 'in your face' manager, and that's something I have had to get used to. One thing about Martin Allen though, he gets everything out of the players at his disposal. We work very hard, both in training and in our matches, and he places a large emphasis on our work ethic.
Q:WHICH OTHER TEAMS HAVE IMPRESSED YOU THIS SEASON?
A:One side that played really well against us was Bristol City. They beat us 3-2 at our place and I'm surprised to see them struggling towards the bottom of the table. But they've now got a new manager and I wouldn't be surprised if they went on a bit of run. Generally, I don't spend too much time thinking about the opposition – I prefer to concentrate on us.
Q:HAVE YOU SET YOURSELF A GOAL TARGET?
A:I have, but I'll keep that to myself just in case I don't get anywhere near it. At the moment I haven't scored as many as I would have liked but I've been pleased with my overall game. At the end of the day the most important thing is that the team is winning games. If I end up only scoring five goals all season but we get promoted, I'll still be a very happy man.
Q:MANY PEOPLE WILL BE VIEWING SATURDAY'S GAME AGAINST SWINDON AS A HOME BANKER?
A:I'm sure they will but we are preparing for nothing less than a really difficult game. People said the same thing when we played Bristol City at home and look what happened then! Swindon are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and I'm sure their players will be trying to impress caretaker manager Iffy Inoura. We certainly won't be taking anything for granted.
