Brentford are looking likely to be heading for the play-offs once again this season, with their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League now looking very slim.

The Bees have drawn too many of their games in recent weeks and that has seen them fail to keep pace with Watford in second place and means their attentions must now turn to trying to get over the line in the play-offs. Of course, whilst there is still a mathematical chance of them reaching the top two they will not give up, but it just seems too much for them to do.

Thomas Frank’s side will have the motivation to put right what went wrong against Fulham in the play-off final last term. That is something they will have to do if they want to keep their squad together and keep one or two key players at the club.

While we wait to see what happens with the Bees, we have taken a look at and ranked the ten longest-serving players in their current squad...

Kicking off this list is midfielder Christian Nørgaard, who has proven to be a decent addition to the squad since he made the move to English football.

Nørgaard was Brentford’s first signing of the 2019 summer transfer window and he arrived just ahead of Pinnock. The Bees brought in the midfielder from Fiorentina on a four-year contract for a reported fee of around £2.8 million. Last term, he managed to play a key role in the side making 42 appearances in the Championship and helping to dictate the play well at times.

However, this term his influence on the team has not been as big with the midfielder having suffered a few injury setbacks and also been kept out of the side by the form of other at times. He has still managed to make 14 appearances and has managed to force his way back into the starting line-up of late and could be key to their hopes of going up if he can stay fit.

In at ninth place on this list is midfielder Josh Dasilva, who is another player who has proven to have been a very good addition to the squad since his arrival.

Dasilva was brought into the club by Dean Smith in what was one of his last permanent signings as manager. The midfielder arrived at Brentford from Arsenal on a four-year deal with the option for a further 12 months on 21 August 2018. During the 2018/19 campaign, he managed to make 17 appearances in the Championship scoring one goal and providing one assist.

Last term, the midfielder managed to establish himself as a crucial member of the side and he was exceptional throughout the campaign managing to register an impressive tally of ten goals and four assists in his 45 appearances. To date, he has chipped in with five goals and four assists so far this term, but he has been out of action of late through injury.

In eighth place on this list is defender Julian Jeanvier, who is facing a much more of an uncertain future at Brentford than some of the other players that appear on this list.

The defender was signed by Brentford on 30 July 2018 coming into the club from French side Stade de Reims. During the 2018/19 campaign, Jeanvier managed to make 31 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and chipped in with five goals. He played an important role in the side last term as well managing to make 26 appearances in the Championship.

However, last summer the decision was made for him to make the move to Turkish side Kasımpaşa and he made just four appearances for them before suffering a serious injury back in October. His future at the moment is a little bit uncertain.

Marus Forss was originally signed by the Bees in the summer of 2017, but that was so that he could join their B team. So, he makes it in at joint 6^th place on the list for having been promoted to the first-team squad on 1 July 2018.

The forward was the B team’s top scorer in the 2017/18 campaign and won their Player of the Season, but he was unable to make that much of an impact during the 2018/19 season making just nine appearances in all competitions in which he scored two goals. Last term, he made three appearances for the Bees and also found the net 11 times in 18 games on loan at AFC Wimbledon.

Frank has handed the forward chances to impress for Brentford this term, usually from the bench and he has managed to chip in with six goals and one assist during his 35 Championship appearances to date.

Another player to have followed a similar trajectory to Forss is defender Mads Bech Sørensen, who was signed originally to play for their B team in 2017. He, therefore, makes this list having been converted to the first-team squad on 1 July 2018.

Sørensen suffered a couple of injury issues during the 2018/19 season, but he was still able an impression on the side with his ten appearances in all competitions. Last term, the defender suffered another injury setback at the start of the campaign, and he was loaned out to AFC Wimbledon in the January window where he made nine appearances in League One.

So far this term, Sørensen has managed to establish himself in Frank’s side on a more regular basis and he has made 28 appearances in the league to date and scored two goals.

In fifth place on this list is Emiliano Marcondes, who has been an important member of the Brentford squad since he arrived at the club, even if he has not always been a regular starter.

Marcondes was signed by the Bees in January 2018 on a three-and-a-half-year deal and he managed to provide one assist in his 12 Championship appearances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign. The following season, he was out of the side a lot due to injury, but he still managed to make 13 appearances for the Bees in the Championship.

Last term, he was sent out on loan to FC Midtjylland in the first half of the campaign and he made 12 appearances and scored two goals during his time with the club. In the second half of last season, he returned to Brentford and fired in two goals in 31 appearances in all competitions.

Marcondes has so far this term chipped in with one goal and two assists in his 27 Championship appearances.

Coming in at fourth place on this list is Brentford’s backup goalkeeper Luke Daniels, who has been a reliable option for the Bees to call upon when required throughout his time with them.

Daniels was signed by Brentford on 24 May 2017 and he was the backup goalkeeper to Daniel Bentley during the 2017/18 campaign, although he did make one Championship appearance which came on the final day in a 1-1 draw with Hull City in a match that saw him save a penalty.

The following campaign, Daniels continued to be backup to Bentley, but with the keeper ruled out for the rest of the campaign in March 2019 he had a run in the side and made 12 league appearances keeping four clean sheets.

The 33-year-old made just three appearances in all competitions last term for the Bees, and so far this term he has made four appearances in the league to date.

In third place on this list is defender Henrik Dalsgaard, who has been a crucial member of the Brentford side during his time with the club.

Dalsgaard was signed by Brentford on 23 May 2017, a day before Daniels, and he swiftly established himself as an important member of the side in the 2017/18 season making 29 appearances in the league and helping the Bees keep nine clean sheets. The following season, the defender managed to make 40 appearances in the league scoring two goals in the process.

Last term, Dalsgaard helped the Bees record 13 clean sheets in the league in his 43 appearances and also managed to score two goals and provide two assists. So far this campaign, the defender has scored a further two goals in his 35 appearances in the league.

Currently, Brentford’s second longest-serving player is forward Sergi Canos and he has been a key player for the Bees during his second spell with the club.

Canos has managed to enjoy an impressive season with the Bees on loan from Liverpool in 2015/16 in which he fired in seven goals and registered four assists in 38 appearances. He then moved to Norwich City but did not really make much of an impact at Carrow Road, so Brentford took the chance to re-sign him in January 2017.

The attacker finished the 2016/17 season with four goals and one assist in 18 appearances. The 2017/18 season saw him score three goals in 30 league games. He then enjoyed his best campaign for the club to date in 2018/19 firing in seven goals and creating seven assists.

Last term, Canos’ impact on the team was limited due to the excellent form of the front three, and as a result, he made just 15 appearances. Departures last summer have re-opened the door for him to be a key player this season and to date, he has chipped in with eight goals and five assists in 42 appearances.

Brentford’s longest-serving player at the moment is also one of their most important players in the form of Rico Henry, who has become one of the most sought after players in the English second tier.

Henry was signed by the Bees from Walsall in the summer of 2016 and he has proven to be an astute signing by Brentford in the last few years. The left-back’s impact on the side was somewhat impacted by some injury issues throughout his first few campaigns, especially during the 2017/18 season. However, the following year he managed to score one goal and provide two assists in 14 league games.

Last term, Henry established himself as one of Brentford’s most important players and also as one of the best players in the Championship. He managed to provide three assists in his 49 appearances and that saw him attract the attentions of the likes of West Ham.

So far this term, Henry has made 30 appearances in the league, but he has been out of action recently through injury. Brentford will face the tough task of keeping hold of him if they fail to earn promotion this term.