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Brentford played ‘nowhere near’ our standards – Andrews
Keith Andrews’ managerial debut at Brentford resembled a forgettable first impression, marred by defensive lapses and a disappointing result.
The former Wolves and Blackburn midfielder assumed the helm in June, succeeding Thomas Frank after his move to Tottenham Hotspur.
The appointment marked a significant step up for Andrews, 44, previously the set-piece coach under Frank.
Brentford’s preference for internal promotions, mirroring Frank’s elevation in 2018 after Dean Smith’s departure, paved the way for the former Republic of Ireland international.
However, their newly appointed manager watched as Brentford conceded within five minutes of his opening Premier League fixture at Nottingham Forest.
Andrews witnessed Chris Wood exploit defensive vulnerabilities, scoring Forest’s early goal in their comfortable 3-1 victory.
The goal originated from a preventable corner, conceded following a mix-up involving goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and captain Nathan Collins. Despite being surrounded by three Brentford players, Wood capitalized on the ensuing set-piece to open his account for the season.
This set the stage for a lackluster first-half performance and, despite Igor Thiago’s penalty consolation, a first opening-day defeat for the Bees since their promotion in 2021.
It also marked the first time Brentford have conceded three goals on the opening day at any level since 2004-05, when they lost 3-1 to Chesterfield in League One.
As fans express concerns about a potentially difficult season, Andrews spoke candidly to BBC Match of the Day, emphasizing the need for improvement.
“It was always going to be difficult but we made it harder for ourselves,” he said. “We knew their strengths and we knew the problems they would cause. Set-pieces were always going to be a threat.
“Get back to basics. Basics in the game is a dirty word at times, but you have to have an edge and do the ugly side of the game and compete as a team. I didn’t think we did that.
“I saw it a lot in the first half and it’s something we need to address. The second half was a lot better on a lot of fronts.”
Keith Andrews won 35 caps for the Republic of Ireland
The nature of the defeat, in which Brentford generated only 0.46 xG from open play, is likely to heighten supporter anxiety.
The Bees struggled to contain Forest, conceding twice as many fouls, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson dictating the flow of the game.
The result also raises questions about Andrews’ credentials as a Premier League manager, considering his lack of prior experience in a leading role and a mixed coaching record.
He previously served as assistant to Karl Robinson at Milton Keynes Dons during their Championship relegation in 2015-16. Andrews also collaborated with Stephen Kenny during his unsuccessful tenure as Republic of Ireland manager and gained top-flight experience at Sheffield United under Chris Wilder, culminating in their bottom-place finish in 2023-24.
He then joined Brentford, where the club’s succession planning favoured his appointment.
“Keith Andrews was in and around the coaching, but his main focus was set-pieces,” former Brentford defender Ben Mee told BBC 5 Live.
“I felt it was a continuity point for the club [appointing Andrews]. He has been an assistant to a couple of coaches, and I think he’ll do a good job.
“For the club, it was the right decision. Brentford like to do things a bit different there.”
In Andrews’ defense, even seasoned managers would face challenges at Brentford, given the significant departures of key players this summer.
Star forward Bryan Mbeumo, captain Christian Norgaard, and first-choice keeper Mark Flekken have all been sold. Striker Yoane Wissa also appears to be on his way out, having been excluded from Sunday’s squad amid reported interest from Newcastle.
“It’s a day-by-day one in terms of Wiss,” Andrews said afterwards. “As far as I know, nothing else has happened today.
“I have no idea what the situation will be, I have been up here since yesterday so we will deal with that during the week. Hopefully it can resolve itself sooner rather than later.”
Michael Kayode, Keane Lewis-Potter and Igor Thiago all failed to deal with Chris Wood in the lead up to the opening goal
Further compounding Brentford’s challenges at Forest was the absence of midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard, whose wife was in labour, and the limited fitness of German forward Kevin Schade, who only appeared as a substitute.
Consequently, Andrews’ first starting XI was inexperienced and ultimately exposed, featuring three players aged 21 or younger, a first for Brentford in a Premier League match.
The team also had the youngest average age in the Premier League – 24 years and 98 days.
This included 20-year-old attacking midfielder Antoni Milambo, their most expensive summer acquisition at £17m from Feyenoord.
The Dutchman endured a difficult debut, proving ineffective and struggling against Anderson. He also narrowly avoided conceding a penalty for a handball, spared by VAR intervention.
Milambo was replaced by Schade at half-time, and Brentford improved with the introduction of experience in the second half through 35-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson.
The England international, returning to the Premier League after spells at Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia and Ajax, provided much-needed aggression and stability in his 432nd top-flight appearance.
However, based on this performance, that alone will likely not be sufficient to prevent Brentford from a relegation battle.
“No team is at their best on the opening weekend, it takes a number of weeks to build that familiarity and intensity again,” former Scotland international Rachel Corsie told Radio Five Sports Extra.
“Brentford have a concession in some ways, but I did just feel though that they were naive and they need to learn very quickly.”
While initial impressions are not definitive, Andrews must quickly refine his team. Renewed emphasis on set-piece coaching could be a beneficial starting point.
Jordan Henderson (right) came on at the City Ground for his first Premier League appearance since 2023
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