Ivan Toney return can save Brentford's season... his impact stretches far beyond just goals
Catching up with Pontus Jansson on a video call this week, Ivan Toney was asked by the former Brentford captain whether he is ready for his much-anticipated comeback.
“I’m more than ready,” was the predictably confident response from Toney.
And that is just as well, because Brentford need their returning talisman to make an instant impact.
The injury-hit Bees have lost five Premier League games in a row and are only three points above the relegation zone, so the timing of his return could not be better.
It is obvious that losing top scorer Toney has been a major blow for Brentford.
Only Erling Haaland (36) and Harry Kane (30) scored more than his 20 Premier League goals last season.
Brentford have managed just four goals in their five straight League defeats, in which they have finished poorly and also struggled to create chances.
Their poor run suggests their issues are bigger than simply being without Toney, but he is more than just a goalscorer and his return could transform the way they play.
Brentford are not a long-ball team in the Tony Pulis sense, but they do go direct more than most other Premier League teams, and Toney was key to that last season.
They topped the charts for playing long passes (2,312), while no other team in the top flight had a higher proportion of their total passes sent long than Brentford’s 17 per cent.
Toney is the perfect forward to lead the line, and his aerial dominance and ability to bring the ball down meant they could go long as a tactic when they wanted.
This season, Brentford rank sixth for long passes (1,110) and ninth for proportion of passes sent long (13 per cent), showing the big adaptation they have had to make without him.
Toney offers them an out ball, links play, creates chances and is certain to make them a more dangerous threat going forward.
Brentford have badly missed his pressing, too. They have gone from being the most effective pressing side in the division to the second-worst.
Then there is set-pieces. No team scored more goals from dead-ball situations than the Bees (23, joint-top with Manchester City) last season, and Toney was central to their success.
In total, 13 of his Premier League goals last term came from dead balls (seven from set-pieces and six from penalties).
His last competitive fixture was a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last May, but Thomas Frank expects him to be back up to speed in no time.
Toney has worked tirelessly on his fitness over the last eight months, including work with a personal trainer and a number of trips to Nashville to sharpen his finishing with former England forwards coach Allan Russell.
"Match sharpness may take a few games, but Toney is determined to make up for lost time and knows the next few months are the most important of his career"
He has scored goals in behind-closed-doors friendlies and Brentford hope he can help fire them up the table to safety.
Match sharpness may take a few games, but Toney is determined to make up for lost time and knows the next few months are the most important of his career.
He needs to repay Brentford for the support they have shown him and wants to prove he can rediscover his best to secure a move to a top club in the summer.
Toney is also targeting a place in the England squad for Euro 2024, and returning to an elite level will be vital to his hopes of a recall from Gareth Southgate.
Having watched the action while sat behind the Brentford bench in recent weeks, tomorrow he will finally get his chance to make an impact on the pitch.
His team-mates must step up, too, but his return could come to save Brentford’s season.
