Brentford have had an indifferent start to the new season as they occupy 17th place in the Championship standings.

The pressure could soon be on head coach Thomas Frank if results do not improve, considering The Bees were tipped to crack the playoffs before the season got underway.

Despite the quality of the performance in the 3-1 victory away at Barnsley, the win at Oakwell was Brentford’s only one in their last five league games.

A reason for their league position could be because key players such as Neal Maupay, Ezri Konsa and Romaine Sawyers swapped Griffin Park for new pastures in the summer, and the side may have not fully adapted.

The worry is that more could also follow suit in January. Brentford have garnered a reputation in recent times for being a selling club, and their best players are often highly sought after.

Here are two that FLW think that Brentford will have to try and keep a hold of in January…

Ollie Watkins

Despite their disappointing league position, there has been a shining light in the Brentford side. Watkins has had an excellent start to the season, netting 7 times in 11 Championship games - including a superb hat-trick against Barnsley.

Bees fans will be confident in keeping their star man; the Exeter academy product signed a new 5-year deal in August, which keeps him in West London until 2023.

However, should his excellent performances continue, Brentford might have a fight on their hands to keep their No.1 striking option.

Said Benhrama

The tricky Algerian winger was heavily linked with a move away from Griffin Park in the summer, with former manager Dean Smith interested in bringing him to Aston Villa.

In the end, the 24-year-old decided to stay at Brentford, but other teams could renew their interest in the forward in January, who has asserted himself as one of the best dribblers in the Championship.

Despite not registering any assists so far this season, Benrahma has been a key figure in Thomas Frank’s side, combining well with Ollie Watkins and Sergi Canos in attack.