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" I played up front at the beginning of last season, and am getting to know the position a bit better. The more I play there the better I get. Nicky Forster and I played together against Woking and Palace. He's an experienced pro and on the pitch he tells me where to go and what to do. It was a dream debut last season. To score two goals up front was great, and hopefully I can do it this season as well. If I'm picked to play up front I'm confident I can do the same again. "
Meanwhile defender Michael Spillane told YourLocalGuardian :
" I'm really excited for Saturday and can't wait for the season to start. I've spoken to Myles about what happened last year and he made sure I knew what he did. If we can repeat that result and get the three points it will be a great start. Three points on the board is always a great confidence boost. "
Brentford have been even busier than Carlisle over the course of the summer in the transfer market. The Bees, after their end of season clearout which saw them release Fraser Franks, Lewis Ferrell, Steve Kabba and Mark Phillips, and having transferred Ryan Dickson to Southampton, Nikki Bull, Danny Foster and Ben Strevens to Wycombe, and then Cleveland Taylor to St Johnstone, bringing no fewer than eleven new players in to Griffin Park.
Eight of those coming in being Toumani Diagouraga, Kirk Hudson, Richard Lee, David McCracken, Simon Royce, Michael Spillane and Craig Woodman, while three players have been signed in the last 24 hours. That trio being striker Gary Alexander from Millwall, centre-half Pim Balkestein from Ipswich and frontman Robbie Simpson on a season-long loan from Huddersfield Town. One man not getting a deal in West London this week though was trialist centre-forward Izale McLeod who was released by Bees boss Andy Scott on Monday.
In team news for the visitors tomorrow, last season's top scorer Charlie MacDonald will be available to play after missing most of the pre-season campaign with a groin injury. The game will come too soon though for striker Carl Cort and winger, and summer signing from Aldershot, Kirk Hudson, Cort out with an Achilles problem while Hudson has a groin injury. Brentford will also be likely to start with 20-year old Simon Moore between the sticks as Andy Scott has failed this week in his efforts to sign a goalkeeper on loan.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Andy Haines from Sunderland, and he will be assisted down the lines by Paul Curry from Morpeth in Northumberland, and Billy Khatib, who, like Haines, is also from Sunderland. Meanwhile the fourth official is Paul Kettlewell from Lancaster.