Micky van de Ven reacts to ‘amazing’ message from Brentford ace Mark Flekken
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven reacted to a disappointed Mark Flekken on social media after Brentford drew 0-0 with London rivals Chelsea.
The Dutch shot-stopper was in fine form as he made six saves and kept a clean sheet against Chelsea on Sunday (6 April).
Whilst Newcastle target Bryan Mbuemo, and Nottingham Forest target Yoane Wissa put in uncharacteristically poor performances, Flekken was on hand to earn his side a point.
However, the failure to win in a match Brentford were in control of for long portions of will be a concern, as any hopes of qualifying for Europe now rest on several tough match-ups, with the Bees’ next three opponents being Arsenal, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest.
Mark Flekken praises ‘amazing support’ from Brentford fans
Following the draw, Flekken posted a series of images of himself in action against West London-rivals, Chelsea, captioned: “Tough week but we keep pushing till the end. Amazing support again at the Gtech”.
The post was then liked by the shot-stoppers international teammate Van de Ven, showing his support for the Brentford number one.
With the Bees sat 12th in the Premier League table, European football seems a step too far this season.
Brentford missing out on Europe could be major blow for summer transfer window
Football Insider Verdict
With heavy interest from sides capable of offering more money, and importantly, European football, Brentford are in for a tough task keeping hold of Mbeumo and Wissa this summer.
That said, the Bees have made a name for themselves when it comes to replacing the irreplaceable, as they did when Ivan Toney left for Saudi Arabia and Wissa stepped up in his place.
However, the issue now for Brentford is that making the step-up to competing for Europe will be a costly endeavour if they lose their two star players this summer.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Wissa | Mbuemo |
| Appearances | 28 | 31 |
| Starts | 27 | 31 |
| Goals | 14 | 16 |
| Assists | 2 | 5 |
| Minutes | 2,298 | 2,785 |
Wissa and Mbuemo have both benefitted from an extended period of development with their current side and should the Bees attempt to replace them with players who need a similar amount of time to improve, they may miss their window to achieve the dream of playing on the continent.
The likelihood is that Brentford will need to spend a considerable chunk on finding two new attackers, and as shown by Igor Thiago’s transfer from Club Brugge, there are no guarantees when it comes to expensive signings.