Much of the Brentford talk heading into the January transfer window was the situation surrounding Ivan Toney following FA charges over alleged breaches of betting rules.
And despite a hefty ban still looming large over the player, the cloud of uncertainty seems a little less concerning due to the sides’ impressive form over the past month.
Following the World Cup return, the Bees have amassed an impressive 11 points from their last five games, currently sitting eighth in the table and 13 points away from the relegation places.
Thomas Frank’s side have also had a glimpse of what life could be like without their talisman during this period, sweeping Liverpool aside in a 3-1 victory as Toney watched on, ruled out with a knee injury.
Unbeaten in their last eight league games, this is the club’s best run of form since 1936 and, having claimed 30 points, the Bees are very much looking upwards at this present time.
The club have never been one to panic buy regardless of the situation and with so much positivity around TW8 anyway, it is little surprise to see only one new January arrival.
Highly-rated forward Kevin Schade has joined on loan from Freiburg until the end of the season with Brentford expected to make the deal permanent in the summer for a club-record fee of around £20m.
While Schade isn’t quite a direct replacement should Toney be found guilty, he provides the Bees with another attacking option, operating either as a winger or a striker to terrorise defenders with blistering pace.
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Elsewhere, while a creative midfielder was another area that could have been targeted, the combined form of Josh Dasilva, Mathias Jensen and Vitaly Janelt means it has become a much less pressing priority.
With the trio all getting on the scoresheet over the past month, it is further proof Frank’s side are more than a one-man Toney team and possess a number of players able to produce impactful moments in the final third.
Jensen in particular has stood out, appearing to step-up since the departure of Christian Eriksen, improving his work off the ball and slowly adding goals to his game alongside creating the most chances and providing the most assists in the entire Brentford squad.
At the back, Zanka’s ability to deputise appears to have made the short-term deal a shrewd masterstroke with the 32-year-old impressing at West Ham in the continued absence of the injured Pontus Jansson and Kristoffer Ajer.
Coupled with the excellent partnership between Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock, this is another position able to be put on the back burner until the summer at least.
Another area that will need to be addressed at the end of the season is the long-term future of goalkeeper David Raya with contract negotiations appearing to stall amid interest from a host of clubs.
READ MORE: Wins over Liverpool and West Ham signal the dawn of Thomas Frank’s Brentford 2.0
One Spaniard who does appear to have made a step closer to leaving Brentford permanently though is Sergi Canos, who sealed a deadline day loan move to Greek side Olympiacos.
Canos was a key part of Brentford’s side last season, scoring the club’s first ever Premier League goal but has dramatically dropped down the pecking order this term.
Although a cult hero with fans, it’s a sign of how far Brentford have come as they continue to move forward without fear – not just for the remainder of this campaign but also for future ones to come.