Nathan Collins

[jlove]

Just seen the highlights and is in the mix for all 3 of City's goals. Makes too many defensive errors for me at this level. I'd rather see Sep play out the last 2 with Ajer.

Being “in the mix” may be preferable to “watching on”, though.

 

[North London Bee]

Thought he was fine

 

[rebus]

Thought he was fine

Exactly. Usual b***ocks pile on from people with absolutely zero awareness.

 

[CTBee]

Exactly. Usual b***ocks pile on from people with absolutely zero awareness.

Someone watched the highlights and saw Collins on their screen when we conceded a goal, therefore he makes far too many mistakes

 

[rebus]

Someone watched the highlights and saw Collins on their screen when we conceded a goal, therefore he makes far too many mistakes

This is exactly it.

 

[upnorthbee]

Just seen the highlights and is in the mix for all 3 of City's goals. Makes too many defensive errors for me at this level. I'd rather see Sep play out the last 2 with Ajer.

Not Collins biggest fan but as a CB, he's probably gonna be in the mix for all 3

He was fine v City fwiw

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Not Collins biggest fan but as a CB, he's probably gonna be in the mix for all 3

He was fine v City fwiw

If he wasn't in the mix for a goal, you can guarantee there'd be posts saying he'd gone missing.

 

[Gazza Bee]

Didn't see much wrong yesterday - certainly not at fault for any of the goals. Not his best season for us overall but still would get into my starting XI

 

[brentfordfc4ever]

Played ok this season. Can we do better, I personally think so.

 

[rebus]

Played ok this season. Can we do better, I personally think so.

Show me the money then. I think he’s fine.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

If we made him available, all of the clubs around us would be interested. We won't though thankfully.

 

[jlove]

Played ok this season. Can we do better, I personally think so.

We can always do better and I’m sure the scouting team have a few they follow should the opportunity appear… he’s probably the best of the bunch right now, though I feel Berg will be better in the longer term.

 

[North London Bee]

I’m still not sure though what our best centre half pairing is as I can see why all three should play.

 

[BAGSHOTBEE]

Exactly. Usual b***ocks pile on from people with absolutely zero awareness.

Look at the goals and tell me he defended them well Mr awareness.

 

[rebus]

Look at the goals and tell me he defended them well Mr awareness.

I don't debate with message board pigs who love the mud and make others dirty.

 

[ABEEE]

Collins has dropped off from his last season but thought he was fine yesterday.

 

[Twickenhamben]

He’s not had as good a season as last year but I do find the criticism of Collins a bit strange. Yes he will be at fault for goals, but that will be the case for all centre backs. It’s like some fans expect no player to ever make a mistake.

I sometimes listen to the Ealing Road podcasts and while it’s quite interesting at times the overall criticism of players for not consistently being perfect is a bit tiring.

 

[SH]

He’s not had as good a season as last year but I do find the criticism of Collins a bit strange.

Whilst not justifying criticism at all, I’d suggest it’s because—like Schade—he hasn’t obviously progressed this season, whereas we all hope that all players will progress all the time (which is patently barmy).

Hopefully for a relatively young defender in particular it’s a bit of snakes and ladders, or two steps forward one back, and he’ll be back stronger next season. He’ll have a year with CK, MK and SVdB under his belt, so lots of room for optimism… and there could well be more competition coming through from some of the young CBs on loan.

 

[BAGSHOTBEE]

I don't debate with message board pigs who love the mud and make others dirty.

thats convenient

 

[Guildford Bee]

Just seen the highlights and is in the mix for all 3 of City's goals. Makes too many defensive errors for me at this level. I'd rather see Sep play out the last 2 with Ajer.

He made several big blocks and tackles during the course of the game and carried the ball out of defence well.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

He was fine yesterday.

Only thing for me is he sometimes slows the pace right down and plays so really random long balls.

But thats me being very picky.

 

[upnorthbee]

He was fine yesterday.

Only thing for me is he sometimes slows the pace right down and plays so really random long balls.

But thats me being very picky.

Yeh agree with that, he does at times get a little cumbersome.

Hes still very young for a CB with his prime probably being around 30, so I expect development and improvement next season

 

[damsgard.szn]

he used to be so calm and able on the ball, passes seem wayward and panicked. hope we get the old nathan back for next week

 

[brentfordfc4ever]

he used to be so calm and able on the ball, passes seem wayward and panicked. hope we get the old nathan back for next week

Yes, literally looks like a sh*tting dog sometimes.

 

[Gee Bee]

Too much space gifted in front of him today, meaning he had to decide to stay Orr go to often. The system of 4222 didn’t work imho

 

[snowstormbee]

Yes, literally looks like a sh*tting dog sometimes.

Lovely

 

[NickThe(Half)Greek]

Our captain, yes.
Our best centre back, no.

 

[jlove]

he used to be so calm and able on the ball, passes seem wayward and panicked. hope we get the old nathan back for next week

He was severely hampered by the midfield not knowing what was going on, being totally dominated by Palace; his only out ball was to Lewis-Potter and they quickly worked that one out, as well.

 

[jlove]

Our captain, yes.
Our best centre back, no.

He was both today…

 

[aawharris]

I dont really see what he did wrong today.
We had two defensive midfielders on yet him and Ajer were under siege for the first half an hour

 

[Old B]

He was both today…

Was Ajer that bad? Or just a close call?

 

[jlove]

Was Ajer that bad? Or just a close call?

None of them were great defending when under pressure but that could describe the whole team for much of the game. Collins tried to move the ball forward, in spite of most of the players in front of him melting away. A pass to Ajer just came right back to him – Berg was a revelation when he came on but all the changes by then meant getting the ball forward became easier.

 

[Gee Bee]

Was Ajer that bad? Or just a close call?

Personally thought they were too far apart from each other as I suspect Janelt or YY were to sit just in front, but Palace movement of Sarr & Pino made it difficult for them to decide when to hold or go

 

[Scratchy]

No one will be stopped from taking Israel stand - Collins

Republic of Ireland captain Nathan Collins says no player will be discouraged from taking a stand over the Boys in Green's Nations League fixtures against Israel if they wish to do so.

www.rte.ie

As well as the Israel game coming up in a few months time he speaks about captaincy for club and country.

 

[JANORAK]

No one will be stopped from taking Israel stand - Collins

Republic of Ireland captain Nathan Collins says no player will be discouraged from taking a stand over the Boys in Green's Nations League fixtures against Israel if they wish to do so.

www.rte.ie

As well as the Israel game coming up in a few months time he speaks about captaincy for club and country.

Good to read that he’s grateful to John Egan (and also Coleman) coming back into the squad, and lifting some of the captaincy burden off him.

 

[TW1Bee]

Scores for ROI after five minutes against Qatar

 

[Wouldbee]

Konate leaving Liverpool……. Will they come in for our captain?

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Konate leaving Liverpool……. Will they come in for our captain?

Rumours that Lacroix at Palace is leaving in the summer, more likely him

 

[MikeL]

Interesting article on Collins in the Irish Sport section in today’s Sunday Times

Verifying Device

 

[Bigbee]

Interesting article on Collins in the Irish Sport section in today’s Sunday Times

Verifying Device

paywall

 

[MikeL]

Should have opened up but here it is:

With his captaincy help gone, it’s time for Nathan Collins to step up​

Without Jordan Henderson at Brentford and likely exit of Seamus Coleman for Ireland, Collins will find leadership much more lonely — and contentious Israel games await​

Paul Rowan, Irish Football Correspondent
Saturday August 01 2026, 11.00pm, The Sunday Times

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Nathan Collins lost his captaincy comfort blanket at Brentford last week with the departure of Jordan Henderson to Chelsea, and leadership is about to become a more lonely place when it comes to international football too.
Being captain of both his club and country over the past year has been made far simpler by the presence of Henderson, while Seamus Coleman has been the de facto leader of the international squad since he was drafted back during an Ireland emergency. This was largely self-inflicted in the first place by Heimir Hallgrimsson prematurely discarding the Donegalman.
With Coleman at present without a club and seemingly wavering between continuing as a player or getting into coaching, a second comeback for Ireland under Hallgrimsson looks more unlikely, as he turns 38 in October.

At 25, Collins has plenty of room for improvement as a player and leaderSTEPHEN MCCARTHY/SPORTSFILE
Both the Brentford head coach, Keith Andrews, and Hallgrimsson will be hoping that some top-level leadership mentoring from Henderson and Coleman will have rubbed off on Collins, with Brentford going into their second season under Andrews and Ireland preparing for a Uefa Nations League grouping which includes that vexed double-header against Israel.
The departure of the head coach Thomas Frank to Tottenham and their captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal last summer was the catalyst for bringing in Henderson, as Andrews was anxious for a vocal leadership presence in the dressing room.
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Brentford’s canny director of football, Phil Giles, brought in Henderson, knowing the England midfielder could help the inexperienced Andrews and also support Collins, who had just been made captain when Andrews was promoted to head coach.
Henderson clearly picked up some of the duties he knew from years captaining Liverpool. Referees would talk to him despite usually only the captain taking on such a role, and a colleague noted that he would also act as a middle-man between the coaching staff and the squad, especially when Andrews thought it was appropriate. Despite being injured for much of the season, he was still able to make the England World Cup squad.
Certainly Collins is far less demonstrative as a leader. That leadership was called into serious question, alongside Hallgrimsson’s, after the 2-1 defeat to Armenia in September when the manager admitted that “it’s hard to see light at the end of the tunnel” and the captain was almost as bleak.

Henderson became an assertive leadership figure for Brentford in Collins’ first season as the club captainRYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES
With Coleman and John Egan parachuted in for the next squad, the shattered confidence of the group and the manager was rebuilt in time for Ireland to reach the play-offs with a most miraculous run, inspired on the pitch by Troy Parrott.
While it still wasn’t enough to get Ireland to a World Cup, it is dangerous to write off Coleman — as Hallgrimsson discovered. However, even last season he played much more football for his country than he did for his club, where the Everton manager David Moyes seemed to prefer him as one of his close cohorts on the bench.
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If Coleman secures another year at a Championship club or higher then there is every reason to keep him in the Ireland squad, but at the moment that looks like a big “if”.
Hallgrimsson would love Coleman to stick around, at least until after the contentious games against Israel in late September and early October, when the Ireland manager knows that his voice will probably carry more weight than any other player, Collins included. But can he put Coleman in the squad if he is still not playing and doesn’t even have a club? Would Coleman even want it, given the strong reservations he has expressed already about playing Israel?
With Robbie Brady also now a free agent, Collins is going to have to step up again shortly, ably supported at both club and country by Caoimhin Kelleher. At least at Brentford, Andrews has the experienced Vitaly Janelt back as a defensive midfielder after an injury-hit 2025-26 season. Damien Duff has also arrived as Andrews’ assistant and will do plenty to make sure that Collins can cope with the twin responsibilities.

Two upcoming matches against Israel have caused contention and will be a test of the captain’s leadershipDAVID FITZGERALD/SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGES
After being ever present in the 2024-25 league campaign — the only outfield Premier League player to achieve that feat — Collins’s most recent season was more up and down, spending some time on the bench and committing one or two defensive howlers which resulted in opposition goals. His display against Armenia in Yerevan was probably his worst in an Ireland shirt but he finished the season strongly for club and country and, at the age of 25, probably still has plenty of improvement left in him, both as a player and leader.
Personally I think it is a lot to ask of one player to be captain of both his club and country — and there would be no shame in Collins passing on one of the armbands.
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Brentford could probably find a replacement more easily than Ireland. Andrews’s side were excellent for most of last season, though only managed one win in their last ten league games to narrowly miss out on European football. However, the fact that Brentford were happy to let Henderson go on a free transfer with a year left on his contract suggests that their confidence in Collins remains high.
For tricky games in Europe, Collins can rely on Ireland. And that could be Collins’s toughest leadership test

 

[Phreebee]

Interesting article. I was wondering if Jordan leaving might make Nathan’s job as captain a bit easier - sometimes it looked as though there was confusion about who was in charge, which can’t have been easy for him.

But the comment that it might be best he lets go of one of the armbands - and that Brentford would find it easier to find a new captain, is debatable.

But the GPG would be nothing without debate, so who do we think would be the next best player to step up?

 

[jlove]

who do we think would be the next best player to step up?

The captain really needs to be a player who starts games without question… If you look at that criterion, then there isn’t one with sufficient maturity and experience who qualifies.

 

[Wooburn Bee]

The captain really needs to be a player who starts games without question… If you look at that criterion, then there isn’t one with sufficient maturity and experience who qualifies.

Vitaly probably only other player that would qualify and even then he will be competing with Yehor Jensen and Sangare for a starting berth .

 

[jlove]

Vitaly probably only other player that would qualify and even then he will be competing with Yehor Jensen and Sangare for a starting berth .

Closest of the rest but I’d imagine his starts will decrease as the season rolls on.

 

[jbee]

The captain really needs to be a player who starts games without question… If you look at that criterion, then there isn’t one with sufficient maturity and experience who qualifies.

Kelleher?

 

[jlove]

Kelleher?

An option but, personally, I don’t like a ‘keeper as captain as there’s occasions when the captain needs to get around to get a specific message to the players.

 

[jbee]

An option but, personally, I don’t like a ‘keeper as captain as there’s occasions when the captain needs to get around to get a specific message to the players.

Yes, and I suppose given the captain is supposedly the only player allowed to speak to the ref him being the GK is not ideal. Anyway I think Collins will be fine.

 

[Lionel Bart-At]

Personally, I think it’s a bit of a nothing article and slightly overplays the importance of the captaincy role. It’s not such a complicated position in football in my opinion. You need a forthright leader of a player who can voice an opinion with a certain amount of tact and diplomacy in front is f the referee, as well as being able to add in a few rousing words of encouragement from time to time.,Nathan has these qualities in abundance. It’s not as if they’re asking him to captain the national cricket side! Now that is a job!

 

[hanworthbee]

I bet Nathan can’t wait for all the bollox that will come with those Israel games