Bees are missing Alexander, says boss

Brentford manager Uwe Rosler was left to rue the continued absence of striker Gary Alexander after his team’s home defeat against Stevenage.

The Bees are without a win in five matches and Borough’s 1-0 victory at Griffin Park led to some fans venting their frustration by booing their team off at the final whistle.

Rosler’s side have lost momentum since a hugely encouraging start to the season and the German believes Alexander’s injury has been a major factor.

He said: “It’s [because of] the lack of Gary Alexander for the last six or seven weeks. We saw at the start of the season what we were like when we played 4-4-2 – a system we trained for.

“We put a lot of emphasis in training on the final third, and we are capable of creating – we had 20 crosses – and do a lot of good things, but in the final third we are missing a bit of quality. And it’s in the final third where games are decided.

“With one up front, especially at home, teams are sitting deep. The forwards we have are not really killers in the box. We miss a physical presence next to Clayton Donaldson.

“With that physical presence up front we would have scored or at least tested their goalkeeper more.”

Rosler had previously sought to play down Brentford’s disappointing home form, but it is clearly a worry after a fourth loss at Griffin Park this term.

Without a win in six home games, they will want to make amends when struggling Chesterfield visit on Saturday.

Rosler admitted: “It is getting to be a big concern now. We have to stop this run.”