DICKIE LEARNS A LESSON TO ROCK ROVERS
Referee: Darren Bond
Raya Toney Janelt Jensen
BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank heaped praise on Ivan Toney – then demanded more from the 22-goal striker. Toney, signed for an initial £5million last summer from Peterborough, scored twice to make it six goals in three games as the Bees hit back from 1-0 down to rack up 20 straight Championship outings without defeat. Former Newcastle man Toney, 24, also teed up Vitaly Janelt, whose midfield partner Mathias Jensen netted too – as keeper David
Raya atoned for a third-minute own goal with a string of outstanding saves.
Frank (above), celebrating second-top Brentford’s “togetherness” in taking Toney to west London, said: “Big praise goes to the recruitment team and Matthew Benham, the owner.
“The biggest value we have is togetherness. The recruitment team, Matthew, the two sporting directors, Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen, me and my coaching team... we all agreed to take the player.
“Ivan only needed a few games to adapt and then he hit the ground running.
“It also says a lot about the club, our style of play and how we do things because you can’t hit the ground running if the team is not working.
“But Ivan has his personality and character and his ability in the No.9 position – and for that he deserves a lot of praise.
“He has a massive desire but I want even more. I would never set him a goal target, only ways I want him to improve.”
Boro were crestfallen (below, left) but Neil Warnock (below) is calling on Yannick Bolasie to inspire an all-out promotion assault now.
On-loan Everton winger Bolasie was a threat in his second game – but Warnock’s men failed to profit from his service and ruthless Brentford showed them how to finish.
Bolasie, 31, played under him at Crystal Palace but Warnock felt let down in October when his first attempt to lure him on loan fell through.
Boss Warnock said: “Bolasie has been working very hard and he owes me – he owes me big time.
“So I’m expecting big things from him and I don’t think he’ll disappoint me.
“Some of his crosses... we will eventually put them in. We haven’t had that quality. People will write us off but we have to play without fear.
“We’ve played the best two teams – I don’t think there’s anything else in the League.”
Bettinelli 6, Fisher 6, Dijksteel 6, McNair 5, Bola 6, Howson 6, Kebano 6 (Spence 69, 5), Morsy 6, Saville 6, Bolasie 7 (Watmore 81), Assombalonga 6 (Akpom 69, 5)
Raya 8, Dalsgaard 6, Pinnock 5, Bech Sorensen 6, Henry 7, Ghoddos 6 (Reid 83), Janelt 7, Jensen 7, Fosu-Henry 6
MOTM
IVAN TONEY (BRENTFORD)
MARK WARBURTON has no doubt Adam Armstrong is on his way to the Premier League.
That, in a way, was a backhanded compliment to Rob Dickie, who had been singled out as QPR’s weak link by Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray.
Dickie (above, right, with Armstrong) had the last laugh, his crucial 64th-minute block of a goal-bound Armstrong effort securing a first home win since November for Rangers.
It came 10 minutes after his own shot was blocked and fell to Yoann Barbet to smuggle in QPR’s first goal at Loftus Road in 2021.
Mowbray revealed he started 18-goal top scorer Armstrong on the left to expose Dickie. He explained: “You play strengths against perceived weaknesses. Dickie’s a very good footballer but can’t run like Armstrong can run.”
Tactically it was a no-brainer after Armstrong had shown Dickie a clean pair of heels at Ewood Park in November to score twice in a 3-1 win.
But QPR’s summer arrival from Oxford stuck to his task on Saturday and is starting to build a solid back three with Barbet and skipper Geoff Cameron, with only one goal conceded from open play since the turn of the year.
Warburton said: “Armstrong is a Premier League centre-forward. Look at the quality of his finishing, the timing of his runs. His awareness on the ball.
“I’ve no doubts he goes to the Premier League. For Rob, who is getting better with every game, it was a good lesson. That is the type of learning he needs. You can’t replicate that in training.”
QPR:
BLACKBURN: