STEPHEN KENNY has backed his former Ireland No 2 Keith Andrews to thrive at Brentford.
The Bees appointed the 35-cap Ireland international as their new gaffer on Friday after Thomas Frank’s recent departure.
Andrews worked with Kenny for almost five years with the Ireland Under-21 and senior set-up.
He then joined the West London club as set-piece coach last summer before getting his big promotion on Friday afternoon. And Kenny — who is now in charge of St Pat’s — said: “I’m in regular contact with Keith. I’m absolutely thrilled for him.
“It’s a great opportunity for him. He deserves it. He has a superb level of detail. He’s a very organised guy. Super professional. A very modern, analytical coach with innovative ideas.
“Good luck to him. It’s great news.”
Former Ireland chief Martin O’Neill took aim at “vitriolic critic” Andrews before his deal was confirmed.
But Kenny believes that Andrews can cope with a Premier League job.
He asserted: “Keith is well able to handle all of that. It’s all about football really.
“We spoke nearly every day for a few years. We still converse a lot.
“We have a good relationship and I’m delighted for him.”
As for Saints’ form, Kenny has been left scratching his head over their lack of goals.
A glut after Kenny’s arrival saw them finish as Premier Division top scorers in 2024.
But the goals have dried up recently.
The Saints have netted just once in a five-game winless streak.
And they became the first team to fail to score this season against bottom side Cork City with Pat’s still sixth.
Speaking after Friday’s scoreless draw, Kenny said: “Not taking the lead is hurting us.
“We probably didn’t do enough in the second half to win but we should have gone in ahead. I don’t know why we’re not scoring at the moment. We’re just missing our opportunities and snatching at chances.”
Kenny feels the run of games since the mid-season break — which included losses to Shelbourne and Derry City — has compounded their situation.
He explained: “The five games in 14 days is the most intense period of the season. It can make or break you. I’ve always tried to use those periods as a psychological advantage to press ahead.
“It’s been a poor two weeks for us. We’ve gone from having an unbeaten home record for a full year to losing two 1-0s.
“Momentum can take you up but it’s had a negative effect on us. We haven’t capitalised on the opportunities.”
TURNING IT AROUND
But Kenny believes his squad can turn their season around, like they did last year.
He insisted: “We’re in a better position than we were this time last year.
“Going into Europe, we were out of the FAI Cup and we were in the bottom three.
“We weren’t in a great position but we actually went on an incredible run of league and European games. The spirit in the team is good.”
With the transfer window to open on Tuesday, Kenny maintained that Pat’s will not be making rash signings.
And he stated: “We’re not making knee-jerk decisions.
“Midfield has been a little issue for us this year. Romal Palmer has not been available the whole year and Chris Forrester has been out for nearly eight weeks. We’ll see about that.”
