Promotion hopes can be enriched or dashed in the hectic December schedule.

Brentford are third in the Championship table – just a point adrift of league leaders Derby County – and currently on one of the best runs of form in their history.

They may not be certainties to last the distance, but there are five very good reasons why they have a fighting chance.

1. Alan Judge - The Irish midfielder arrived on loan from Blackburn Rovers last term with a point to prove before making the move to Griffin Park permanent in the summer.

Quick and comfortable on the ball, the 26-year-old former Notts County star currently embodies everything about Brentford’s high tempo style of play – allying his ability with an unbelievable work rate.

He is able to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye which can only help the likes of Andre Gray and Alex Pritchard in unlocking the tightest defence.

Who needs Adam Forshaw?

2. Mark Warburton - The manager has a very clear grasp of how he wants his team to play and what sort of player he needs to get that game plan on to the park.

Always calm and measured in his approach, he comes across as a man very much in control of everything on the playing side of the club.

But the former City trader’s key strength is his man management.

Toumani Diagouraga was loaned out to League Two Portsmouth last season and appeared on his way out of Griffin Park at the start of this campaign.

But he has roared back to form to become one of his side’s best performers during the club’s recent run of form. Similar renaissance are rare in the club’s recent past.

3. International breaks - Never before has a Brentford manager been able to give his squad down time during the season.

Warburton proved adept at resting his players at the right time during last season’s League One promotion assault.

The rest weekends are only going to help keep Brentford fresh and sharp as the campaign gathers pace.

4. Griffin Park - The Bees have lost just seven league games at home since August 2012 and only once at home this season. To say Griffin Park is a fortress is an understatement.

Confidence in getting a result on home soil makes it easier to tackle tougher assignments on the road.

5. The transfer window - The season boss Warburton can approach can offer players an element of security over their immediate futures, while at the same time dangle the carrot of a potential promotion push.

It is unlikely players are going to move elsewhere – although Jonathan Douglas’ situation remains uncertain – hence it will be a case of strengthening things to offer a different threat in the second half of the season.

That said, it is hard to remember a time when Brentford had a bench boasting the quality of the likes of Stuart Dallas, Nick Proschwitz, Tommy Smith, Jota, James Tarkowski and Sam Saunders.

If injuries and suspensions remain kind, 2015 could be a very memorable year for the Bees.