MAUPAY SEEKS TO SINK SWANS
Red-hot striker bids to fire Bees to glory
CLUBS cast admiring glances Neal Maupay’s way in the January transfer window, but the Brentford hot-shot was never in any doubt that he wanted to stay put at Griffin Park.
And now he’s eager to repay the Bees’ faith by helping them reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 30 years this afternoon.
The likes of Huddersfield, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, the latter managed by ex-Brentford boss Dean Smith, were linked with the £20m-rated French striker in the new year.
Yet he stayed put and notched his 21st goal of a prolific season in the 1-0 midweek win against Villa.
“I’m really blessed with the confidence Brentford gave me so it was not a decision,” said the nippy striker.
“When I start something, I want to finish it, so for me it was easy. The whole club show me support so I want to finish the season really well and see what happens next.”
Chance
Before the summer break, Brentford have the chance to shoot for glory in the FA Cup. They would have loved a home draw in the fifth round, but they head to south Wales to take on fellow Championship side Swansea.
There’s £360,000 in prize money on the line, but more important to the players is that there’s a chance to move within one game of Wembley and two rounds of the final.
With a number of the Premier League heavyweights having already fallen by the wayside this is a brilliant opportunity for both Swans and Bees.
When the sides met in the Championship at Griffin Park in early December, Brentford slipped to a 3-2 defeat.
“They beat us when we were on a bad spell,” said Maupay. “We conceded three goals in the first 25 minutes so it’s hard to get a good result.
“They have a good team, good players and they will play at home - it will be a big game for them as well. It will be like a Championship game, it will be an open game. I expect some goals so we see what happens.”
Expansive
If it is an open game between two teams who usually like to play an expansive style, then that will suit Maupay. The former Nice and Saint-Etienne forward, who joined the Bees a year and a half ago, is always likely to sniff out chances and is hungry to add to his 20-goal haul.
“It’s not bad, but as a striker I always want to do more,” he said. “At this moment, my team-mates, the coaching staff, the whole club believe in me, they show me a lot of confidence.
“And as a competitor, you always want to be at the top. I’ve never won any cup so it would be nice to get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals or further.”
Growing up in France, Maupay’s knowledge of English football was fairly limited, though Wembley did make its mark.
“Even though you don’t know a lot about English football, you know Wembley Stadium,” he added. “The play-offs, big games are at Wembley and it would be amazing to play there. It will be hard in the league to make the play-offs and if we can go really far in the FA Cup, it would be nice. We’ll try to make it.”