Bees need to strengthen for play-offf charge

A baby boom and niggling injuries saw the Griffin Park chief name youngsters Frazer Franks, Lewis Ferrell and Ryan Blake on the bench for Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at promotion chasing Swindon Town.

The teen trio have just 30 minutes of first team football under their belts between them this season in contrast to the Robins, who could afford to name 19-goal Charlie Austin as a substitute at the weekend.

A win for Brentford against Hartlepool United could tee-up Scott’s men for a ninth-place finish in their first season since winning the League Two title last year, should Bristol Rovers fail to match that result against Leeds United.

A striker and defender top the manager’s summer wish list as he seeks to build a squad capable of making the next step in 12 months time.

While the Bees have tested League One’s front runners this campaign, Scott says there is work to be done insisting mediocrity is not a word he is comfortable with.

And he believes he will be fighting a losing battle unless his men start believing they can improve.

“As a team and a club you don’t get into the playoffs or promoted without the whole squad having belief,” he said.

“Certainly we need to improve the strength and quality of the squad. We’re sitting 10th in the league, which is probably where we deserve to be.

“To bridge the gap between that and the playoffs is a big jump. We need to improve the quality of the squad.

“We’re close, but being close isn’t good enough and we need to get there. And that is the difference between a good side that gets in the playoffs and one that just misses out.

“I said to the lads ‘If you believe we can get there, we will get there. If you don’t believe you can get there, then there is no point trying’.

“Consolidation or accepting mediocrity, those two words are not in my dictionary. Success is. Determination and belief are. They’ve got to believe they are good enough to go and win games.”