Keith Andrews’s gravity-defying miracle has Brentford dreaming of Europe | Brentford

When the information cycle spins so quick, it’s price remembering the place Brentford had been in the summertime. That they had misplaced their common supervisor of seven years, Thomas Frank. That they had misplaced their two finest forwards, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. That they had misplaced their goalkeeper Mark Flekken. And so they had misplaced two stalwarts in Christian Nørgaard and Ben Mee (even when the latter’s involvement the earlier season had been restricted as he turned 35). Departure and substitute is an unavoidable a part of life for a membership similar to Brentford, however this appeared a like so much to take care of.

Their summer time signings had been onerous to guage. As a rule of thumb, if Brentford are signing somebody about whom you have already got thought-about opinions, it’s possible one thing has gone awry. That mentioned, Caoimhín Kelleher’s items are clear, and a charge of slightly below £13m appeared good worth for a goalkeeper with Premier League expertise, whereas Dango Ouattara had demonstrated at Bournemouth how efficient he could possibly be both via the center or out broad. However Antoni Milambo, Michael Kayode and Kaye Furo had been unknown portions.

However the largest unknown was the supervisor – or, not less than, it was unknown how efficient Keith Andrews can be as a supervisor. A part of the difficulty together with his credibility was that he was so acquainted from his (glorious) tv work. There’s all the time a level of scepticism when a member of the backroom employees steps up, but it surely’s magnified when everybody recognises him because the Championship punditry bloke off Sky Sports activities.

A supervisor is meant to have an aura, a mystique, to return from an elevated land with nice knowledge to impart. He’s not meant to be readily pictured leaning ahead on the Friday-night couch to talk with eloquence and earnestness about West Brom’s urgent triggers or the deficiencies of Middlesbrough’s offside entice.

It was totally cheap in August to concern for Brentford. They’ve the bottom wage invoice within the Premier League. Their repeated mid-table finishes are a miracle of defying gravity. With so many key components of their current successes departed and a brand new supervisor with no frontline expertise, doubt was logical. But, after Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, they sit seventh within the desk, 16 factors away from the relegation zone, certainly secure, and dreaming of European qualification.

Brentford have overwhelmed Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa and brought factors off Chelsea and Arsenal at residence. And in the event that they win at Macclesfield within the FA Cup on Monday, they are going to be within the fifth spherical for under the third time since they reached the last eight in 1989. It’s unlikely they may match their fifth-place end in 1936, however a finest postwar season of eighth or increased is attainable.

So what’s gone proper? Most clearly, there may be Igor Thiago and his 17 objectives this season. Damage restricted the Brazilian to at least one league begin in 2024-25, however his efficiency this marketing campaign has meant the absence of Mbeumo and Wissa has barely been observed. Brentford’s capability to establish expertise stays extraordinary. It’s true that he scored 18 objectives for Membership Brugge within the season earlier than he moved, however loads of forwards have been rampant in a second-tier European league with out with the ability to replicate that within the Premier League.

There’s Kayode, maybe the perfect exponent of the lengthy throw in a league obsessed by them, as was underlined once more in opposition to Arsenal. There’s Kevin Schade, whose tempo makes him an amazing menace on the break. There’s the relentlessness of Keane Lewis-Potter. There’s Nathan Collins, a nice old school centre-back.

There’s Mikkel Damsgaard, slight and cerebral, extra wispy educational than modern-day midfielder, however an adept unlocker of massed rearguards – when he will get the prospect; Andrews typically prefers a extra bodily possibility. There’s Vitaly Janelt, a kind of extra bodily midfield choices, gobbling up possession and distributing calmly.

However there may be additionally Andrews. It’s clear the buildings at Brentford are distinctive, a degree solely emphasised by Frank’s struggles after stepping outdoors that setting, however that doesn’t imply success is automated.

Speaking about his “phrase of the week” in pre-season could have appeared uncomfortably like Andrews had spent an excessive amount of time on LinkedIn or was in search of a gig internet hosting a kind of podcasts during which believable individuals clarify that you simply too could possibly be as profitable as them, if solely you spent 20% much less time sleeping and 12% extra rubbing ice cubes over your sinuses whereas sipping a smoothie product of horse placenta, but it surely appears to have labored. Given Liam Rosenior’s evident reputation with the Chelsea squad, perhaps it’s time to simply accept that the period of the brusque soccer man together with his easy tastes (steak and chips, Spain, Billy Joel) is over and the epoch of gamers as wannabe CEOs is upon us.

Nevertheless he’s carried out it, Andrews has created a facet which can be fast and direct, as harmful on the counterattack as any within the Premier League. Igor Thiago is a part of that, one of the vital efficient of the brand new wave of No 9s, a striker who causes central defenders bodily issues.

Brentford are able to sitting deep and absorbing stress in a low block however, as is the fashionable approach, additionally in a position to press onerous and excessive when required. They’re a menace from set performs, not solely Kayode’s throws but in addition corners. And they’re bodily and motivated sufficient to win greater than their justifiable share of duels.

There’s something very trendy about Brentford. However that’s not nearly type of play, it’s about what they’re. What’s the subsequent stage? Maybe they will dream of a Cup run or European qualification, however Crystal Palace supply a warning of how rapidly that form of success can flip bitter. The fashionable stratification of soccer means irrespective of how sensibly a membership are run there are ceilings via which they can’t move.

Brentford can not deny gravity for ever. Their finest gamers will transfer on and so too will their managers. However they’re denying it now and they need to take pleasure in it whereas they will. The doubts at the beginning of the season had been comprehensible sufficient, however that solely highlights how outstanding Brentford are.