Brentford captain Christian Norgaard believes the growing criticism of the departing Ivan Toney is unfair.
The England striker drew the ire of some Brentford fans for his effort during the most tepid of west London derbies. Toney was not alone in looking uninterested but manager Thomas Frank’s decision to leave him on the pitch when the industrious Mikkel Damsgaard and Keane Lewis-Potter were substituted drew a brief chorus of boos.
Norgaard was quick to defend Toney, insisting the 28-year-old’s desire to return from a recent hip injury shows his commitment to the club he will leave this summer.
‘I didn’t notice any boos, so I don’t know if they were maybe directed at the whole team,’ said Norgaard. ‘We as a team couldn’t score and we needed to create more.
Brentford captain Christian Norgaard believes the growing criticism of the departing Ivan Toney is unfair
Norgaard insists Toney (pictured) ‘deserves a lot of praise for what he’s done for the club’
Brentford were held to a goalless draw against Fulham at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday
‘He (Toney) deserves a lot of praise for what he’s done for the club. He got us promoted, scored a bunch of goals both in the Championship and in the Premier League. He deserves his move.
‘He’s a warrior and he wants to play every game. Even if he has only one leg, it’s hard to keep him back and keep him out of the game. There’s a reason he’s the vice-captain.’
