KEITH ANDREWS has been backed to make Brentford even better after succeeding Thomas Frank as head coach.
The former Republic of Ireland midfielder takes the reins from the German who has moved to Tottenham Hotspur.
Keith Andrews has been named Brentford manager[/caption]
He replaces Thomas Frank[/caption]
It represents a promotion for Andrews, who was set piece coach since joining from Sheffield United in July 2024.
Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the London side have finished 13th, 9th, 16th, and 10th.
And director of football Phil Giles backed the 44-year-old to build on that which Thomas Frank built.
He said: “Keith is a very good fit.
“He gets on with everyone, he’s very open and he’s a learner. Keith is clear in what he wants, he’s detailed, and the players and staff like and respect him.
“He understands the players in the building and the way we’ve played and trained under Thomas Frank.
“Keith will bring his own evolution but isn’t starting from scratch, so hopefully we can make some quick progress.
“He’s a very good coach and has clear ideas about how he wants the team to improve.
“We were looking for somebody not just to maintain what we’ve been doing but actually try and get better.”
Andrews will have quite the rebuilding job on his hands amid a summer of flux at the Gtech Community Stadium.
On the pitch, the Bees are set to lose Bryan Mbeumo amid ongoing talks with Manchester United, while Christian Norgaard is closing in on a move to Arsenal.
Off the pitch, meanwhile, assistant first-team coach Justin Cochrane, head of athletic performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton followed Frank to Tottenham Hotspur.
On these vacancies, Giles added: “There’s been a lot of work going into what the team around Keith looks like.
“How do we take what we had last year and get better? That process is ongoing.
“We have to look at the blend of skills and experience. It’s an exciting project to have these roles open together.
“We’ll build it over time and learn about strengths and weaknesses. We’ll build it step by step and get the right balance.”
Andrews is a highly regarded coach, having previously served as assistant manager to Stephen Kenny with the Republic of Ireland.
He was also MK Dons’ assistant manager for the 2015/16 Championship campaign.
In his playing days, Andrews represented the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hull City, MK Dons and Blackburn Rovers during a 16-year playing career which began in 1999.
Andrews earned 35 caps for the Republic of Ireland and featured at UEFA Euro 2012 under Giovanni Trapattoni.
‘VITRIOLIC CRITIC’
He was a frequent critic of Martin O’Neill, who succeeded the Italian and led the Boys in Green to Euro 2016.
And O’Neill is keen to see how his former player gets on in his first managerial gig.
Speaking to talkSPORT O’Neill said: “He has been their set-piece coach.
“The irony is when I was manager of the Republic of Ireland he was a particularly vitriolic critic of mine at the time.
“He was really dead against me trying to use set-pieces to try to win games.
“The irony is he becomes the set-piece coach. Really I say good luck to him. Brentford have decided, if it is the case, that he should get it.
“I hope he does get it because then he will realise what management is all about.”
