It was a season of almost unprecedented ups and downs – and the trials and tribulations of Brentford's 2015-16 have now been chronicled by supporter Greville Waterman.

From the dark days under Marinus Dijkhuizen to the brief recovery under Lee Carsley; from Dean Smith's initial bright start to the nightmare run of 10 defeats from 13 games which had many fearing a relegation battle; and finally the superb run of seven wins out of nine to finish the season on a high – it's all there in Growing Pains.

The book is the follow-up to Ahead of the Game, which followed Brentford's astonishing debut season in the Championship in 2014-15. Waterman, a Bees fan of some six decades, has been blogging regularly over the seasons in question.

He said: “Last season was pretty much a one-off in terms of its unpredictability and roller-coaster nature. Generally you can tell after about 10 games where the team is likely to finish up and whether you're in for a successful season, but it was an intoxicating and exhausting combination of thrills and spills and doom and despond pretty much all the way through.

“In terms of a comparison, 1992/93 does spring to mind. We slowly tried to establish ourselves in a new division, gradually found our feet and by Christmas looked safe and secure before a massive slump that ended in cruel relegation on the last day of the season.

“I knew we couldn't hope to match the incredible achievement of the previous season. We were a known quantity now and teams wouldn't take us so lightly. Initially I still expected a top half finish, but then the roof fell in with too many transfers in and out, even if we know and accept the reason why they all happened.

“I did lose my belief to a degree when we kept losing and began to fear the worst, but I thought we had a calm hand at the tiller and that the luck would turn as it did, with Kelvin Wilson's gruesome error at Forest which gifted us that so, so valuable opening goal.”

The sales of and injuries to key players played a massive part in the ups and downs, but the managerial uncertainty – which saw Marinus Dijkhuizen sacked after just eight games, Lee Carsley lead a revival but make it clear he did not want the job, and Dean Smith finally make his mark after coming close to disaster – did not help.

Disaster: Marinus Dijkhuizen

Waterman said: “We were going nowhere under Marinus except into the bottom three and a change had to be made.

“It was obvious that things were not right behind the scenes, and it was a brave but correct decision to admit a massive recruitment error and fire him before the rot set in and became terminal. Of course, everything that could go wrong for him did so, but it was never going to work out for him.

“As for Carsley, I think he was totally consistent in his viewpoint from day one. He really did not want the job and had to be persuaded to take it on. That was his prerogative, and we have to respect his wishes.

“He helped us out at a time of great need and got us out of a hole. He did a great job, got us fit and organised and put smiles back on everyone's faces, but he was never going to be a long-term appointment.

Consistent: Lee Carsley

“Dean Smith has settled into his role and we can clearly see how he has influenced us. He is calm, intelligent, organised, knowledgeable and an exceptional man-manager without being a soft touch.

“He can also manage upwards as well as down. He has thrived on the way we do things at this club and taken full advantage of the support he has been given as well as adding full value himself.

“He has taken time to learn about the division and his players and is putting his own stamp on things. I am really pleased with him.”

Much of the blame during the season's low points landed at the feet of directors of football, Rasmus Ankersen and Phil Giles, but Waterman believes they should be cut some slack.

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He said: “The two DOFs took some fearful stick last season, and whilst Rasmus did make some unfortunate public utterances that unrealistically raised expectations, we were all guilty of jumping to quick knee jerk reactions and not allowing ourselves time to make reasoned assessments of their work.

“They faced an appalling situation, with the rump of Mark Warburton's team wanting to maximise their earnings elsewhere, and we were forced to throw too many young inexperienced foreign players to the wolves far too quickly, and not surprisingly some sank without trace.

“Injuries took their toll too and we couldn't cope early on. By the end of the season, the DOFs were looking far cleverer, given the success of Woods, Barbet, Vibe and Colin.

“This season, I expect Hogan to continue to score goals and for Bentley, Egan and Sawyers to develop into real assets. I also expect a couple more Brentford-style signings of young, emerging talented players who we can develop.

Impressive: Phil Giles

“I interviewed Phil Giles for my blog and book, and he was highly impressive. He is bright, committed and knowledgeable, and we are following a strategy that is the only one possible if we are to outplay, outperform and outsmart teams with resources that dwarf ours.”

Waterman notes beating QPR and thrashing Fulham as undoubted highlights, as well as Sergi Canos' wonder goal at Reading and Sam Saunders' lobbed finish against Fulham, while his nadir was losing to Birmingham and Derby in Carsley's first two games, when Brentford were “slow, listless, weak, negative, uninspired and totally bereft of confidence.”

Hopes for next season include a top 10 finish and a good cup run, continuing to compete with far richer rivals – plus a more settled squad leading to a more settled campaign.

Waterman said: “I am appalled at the ridiculous sums of money being thrown at transfer fees and wages by our Championship rivals. We can't match them and nor should we try. We have to be smarter and luckier than them to maintain or even improve our position.

Highlight: Brentford beat QPR for the first time in 60 years

“We have a much more settled squad than this time last season and we are packed with talented young players. Of course we need strengthening and we lack a real game changer or match winner. The likes of Roofe or Canos would have been great, but they are far too rich for us, and we simply have to accept this.”

Waterman will continue to blog during the forthcoming season, but is also working on a biography of Brentford legend Bob Booker, which he hopes will come out next year.

He added: “Everything was just what I thought at the time, and I never went back and amended anything for the book. My columns were honest and heartfelt, and if I was proved wrong in hindsight, that is just how it is.

“I did take some stick during our new year poor spell when I allowed some guest writers the opportunity to express their views which were none too complimentary about the situation. Fair enough, but I wanted to explore all sides of the story, and things did not look too bright when we tottered into the international break in the back on that defeat by Blackburn Rovers.”

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Growing Pains is available now in the Brentford FC Superstore.