If they finish top 10 it would be an incredible return for them.
If they finish top 10 it would be an incredible return for them.
Remember when anything good that happened under Ireland for Kenny was down to eustace or barry.
You could apply the same theory here in reverse though. Even a manager as talented a Andrews couldn't overcome the Stephen Kenny disasterclass...
My view is different though - I think that this success is as much (if not more) about Brentford as it is about Andrews. He's a useful cog that found himself in the right place at the right time, and with a top class striker and keeper signed for him by the club to help him on his way. But the subsequent fortunes of Dean Smith and Thomas Frank would suggest that Brentford is a club that is capable of making managers look better than they actually are.
you could and its true, all though Brentford identified Andrews as someone with potential and got him in the building as set piece coach so he would get familiar with set up pre making jump to manager. He was nearly a figure of fun in Ireland at that point, or at best irrelevant.
it's worth reading through the thread. This place was genuinely one of the most sympathetic places to him.Originally Posted by Exgrad
When he got the set piece job:
"I'm very sorry. No one deserves that"
"Visions of the Brentford defence standing in a wall at the edge of the box for hours listening to Andrews talk absolute rhubarb"
And then when he got the big job:
"with his lack of experience in a pretty unforgiving environment, it's more likely than not that he won't be a success"
"Its good to see an Irish manager getting a shot at the Premier league but it must be a bit of a sickener for the likes of Kenny and Bradser that the guy probably the least qualified of the 3 of them gets a shot at it"
"I think around the Greek games where he was naive in press conferences and Poyet basically laughed at him, did a lot to damage his reputation in my eyes anyway. He was never a genuine contender when the Irish Manager saga was on going because of it I think."
"Nothing on show today to alleviate the fears held by Irish fans about this appointment. It's just one game but their fixture list for the next while looks awful"
"Brentford were poor and seem to be in trouble - they have lost some big players and haven't replaced them"
"Brentford were constantly getting pinned in. What possession they had in the first half consisted of slow, lateral balls across the back line as they were incapable of moving through the lines. Where have we seen that before …"
I always had time for Andrews and will always wish him well but I think that their performances and results this season, along with Franks performance at Spurs, proves true a lot of what EG has claimed. Brentford have set themselves up in such a way that they are more than a manager, more than a star striker. Their model for recruitment and succession planning on the player and coaching side is almost impeccable. I also happen to think that Andrews is outperforming where Frank would be if he were still in place having lost Wissa, Mbuemo and Norgaard and only truly upgraded in other positions with Outtara and Kells. Thiago was signed the season before and Frank didn't use him much.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
You may be correct. Or you may be incorrect. There is absolutely no way of knowing, but I would never downplay what TF achieved at BFC, including leaving the place in excellent condition for his successor to take over.
Thiago was badly injured in a psf soon after he arrived, and needed a knee operation. He then received an infection which further delayed his return, such that (I think) he was actually in a wheelchair for a short period. So although he managed a handful of sporadic appearances during the season, mostly from the bench, it was fitness/injury problems which inhibited him and nothing to do with TF's preferences/prejudices.
Last edited by EalingGreen; 11/01/2026 at 1:26 AM.
Thomas Frank's ill-fated stint at Spurs seems to add weight to the theory that being a successful manager within the Brentford ecosystem doesn't have much of a relationship to being successful outside it.
Actually, I think it adds more weight to the theory that being a successful manager outside the Spurs ecosystem doesn't have much of a relationship to being successful inside it.
Probably both. But until a Brentford manager moves on to longer term success after leaving the club, I'll have my doubts as to whether success as a manager at Brentford is an accurate measurement of wider management ability. I think the setup there makes managing Brentford a complete one off compared to almost all other football management jobs.
Gotta eat some humble pie about Keith Andrews…
I really thought he’d be awful as Brentford boss — no experience, set-piece coach straight into a Premier League gig, sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
But, honestly, he’s proved the doubters (me included) very wrong. Since taking over from Frank last summer, he’s kept Brentford competitive in the Premier League, I thought he would get them.religated
Would you cut me off a slice please?
I thought exactly the same
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
May I just elaborate on a couple of those points. First, he did have managerial experience, albeit as an Assistant. (Also as a player, unike eg Thomas Frank).
Second, BFC had been keeping an eye on him for some time, so that when they heard he was going to be offered the Manager's job at MK Dons, they moved in to talk to him. Presumably both sides liked what they heard, so he was invited to come on board. As it happens, they'd just lost their set-piece coach (to Arsenal?), so that was a coincidental role available for him to allow him to become familiar with the club (and v.v.). Had it been a different vacancy, or even none, I've no doubt they'd have found a role somewhere to keep him occupied.
Of course he must have impressed in the role, but even then, when the (long anticipated) exit of TF finally arrived, KA was by no means a shoo-in for the job - they interviwed two other candidates, but clearly KA impressed most.
As for Bees fans' reactions, the majority were probably a bit perplexed too, the difference being that such is the club's record in making left-field appointments which do work out, the fans were still prepared to trust the club's judgement.
https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/...ord-head-coach The Bees boss has penned a deal which extends his stay until the summer of 2032. That's some contract. Extended from 2028 to 2032.
Thats unbelievable job security for any football manager
Its really not that complicated!!!
Based on just six (albeit successful) months in charge too. It does seem a bit unnecessary tbh. But good luck to him with it. Bet Thomas Frank wouldn't mind it about now!
Im sure Andrews doesnt think it was unnecessary. From Brentfords point of view they have pretty seen every manager do well with them in recent years and then go on to struggle when they leave, so they probably believe the manager is basically plug and play with the structures they have in place. This gives them stability knowing they wont lose him to Spurs or something in the next couple of years
Its really not that complicated!!!
Oh God no - take the money and run.
That said, I do share the view of those earlier in the thread who said that Andrews wasn't necessarily a good candidate for the Ireland job in the future despite how he was doing at Brentford. They seem to have a very good setup where the manager maybe isn't massively important (as has been argued before - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/449...nagers-matter/)
Assuming he continues to do well with Brentford, whether we want him or not for the national side will be irrelevant. But we can’t be serious in saying that we’re too good for him if he continues along like this and is available at some point later in his career.
Actually he's been with them 18 months, so they must have seen enough to know what they have.
And as for the long contract, this is Brentford protecting their asset i.e. they know there must be a good chance of a bigger club coming in for him, so whoever it is will have to pay up to get him. Remember, Spurs had to pay Brentford over £6m to recruit Frank (plus a couple of coaches).
And as it happens, while Bees have one of the lowest wages bills for players in the PL, if not the lowest, they pay their managers very well, in order to keep them. (I think TF had it his contract that he would earn more than any of his players?).
Add in that all contracts are very heavily incentivised with performance bonuses etc, so TF will have been doing very well.
Finally, seeing as he was in demand when Spurs approached him, he used his bargaining power to negotiate an extremely lucrative severance package for whenever he was going to be sacked, reportedly up to £8m, for 8 months work!.
All of which goes to show how well run BFC are in every aspect, not just buying and selling players.
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