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Mark Warburton faces an uncertain future as Brentford manager because he refused to countenance owner Matthew Benham’s desire to splash the cash in January.
Despite leading Brentford to fourth in the Championship, Warburton does not know how much longer he will be their manager after reports earlier this week that the club have approached Paco Jemez, the coach of Spanish club Rayo Vallecano.
Standard Sport has learned that one of the disagreements between Warburton and Benham centred around the recruitment policy during the recent transfer window.
It is thought Benham believed Brentford might never have a better opportunity to win promotion to the top flight and that he wanted to improve their chances further by loosening the purse strings last month.
Warburton, on the other hand, was of the view that a spending spree would upset the balance of his squad and possibly hinder their chances of promotion. It is understood he was willing to bring in players but only if they strengthened his squad. He also felt the best time to make wholesale changes was in the summer, when it is easier to integrate players into a club.
Under normal circumstances, a club owner would be able to do as he pleased. But at Griffin Park, such matters are decided by a four-man committee, comprising Benham, Warburton, assistant manager David Weir and sporting director Frank McParland.
Benham was expected to make a statement today explaining the situation to supporters. Earlier this week, he tweeted: “It’s been a very difficult 24 hours.
“I’ve been a genuine fan since 1979 and try to honestly act in the best long-term interests of the club.”
