BARBET ALL SET FOR BUSY FESTIVE PERIOD
IN FRANCE, football shuts down for a winter break, but Brentford defender Yoann Barbet is looking forward to a festive fixture pile-up. It helps that the 24-year-old moved here a couple of years ago and is now accustomed to the hectic schedule. “There is a winter break in France and you only have 38 games, like the Premier League, so you have less games and a break,” he said. “It’s more chilling in France, but I enjoy playing in Christmas and I know it’s big moment for all the fans in England.” And he reckons December and January will go a long way to deciding if the Bees can press for promotion this term. “These two months now are the most important,” he said. “If you lose a lot of points now, then you know by February you have no chance to reach your aims. “This is where we have to rest a lot between the games. We have a great squad where you can make some change and still have high quality so that’s really good.” The Bees have ambitious plans for the future and had some good news in the week when it was announced that Hounslow Council had approved final planning amendments for their proposed new Brentford Community Stadium at Lionel Road. Building work on the club’s new home, which is due to have a capacity of 17,250, is expected to start in February. And Barbet reckons manager Dean Smith is the perfect man to lead the Bees to a Premier League future. “He’s a really good coach because he talks a lot with the players,” said the Frenchman. “In different clubs sometimes there’s the manager… and the team. To be together helps you be more confident on the pitch. I wish he can be in the Premier with us next year. That would be perfect.”