Who is Keith Andrews? The Surprise Choice to Take Over at Brentford
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Who is Keith Andrews? The Surprise Choice to Take Over at Brentford

Who is Keith Andrews? The Surprise Choice to Take Over at Brentford

With Brentford hero and likely future legend Thomas Frank moving onto what seems to be a cursed role as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, the Bees are left without their steady-handed leader for the first time since 2018.

But if rumours are to be believed, it seems that they may not need to look far from home. While most clubs recently deprived of their head coach look abroad or to other local clubs, the Bees seem set to appoint a member of their own staff, who is none other than Keith Andrews, the set-piece coach.

So who is he? Why are Brentford considering giving the job to someone with no previous managerial experience? And what, if any, are the drawbacks?

Who Is Keith Andrews?

On the face of it, the move makes sense - signing for the club from Sheffield United in the summer of 2024, Andrews was given a whole season to embed himself in the Brentford culture, and would have gained a great understanding of Frank’s approach, something should aid a smooth transition from old coach to new.

Although he has never been given a manager role, it cannot be argued that his presence on the coaching team has influenced how his sides play - and there is no better example than during his time at Brentford.

A side who relied on fluid counter-attacks and a physical approach to set plays under Frank, Andrews’ presence made Brentford a downright menace from corners and free-kicks - with the aerial presence of Ethan Pinnock, Nathan Collins, Christian Norgaard and Sepp van den Berg in the box, very few sides enjoyed the prospect of defending a Bryan Mbeumo delivery.

All crafted artistically by Andrews. They ended the season with 11 set piece goals across all competitions, fifth amongst their Premier League peers.

What are his Drawbacks?

But with the upsides of course come the drawbacks, the most significant being that Andrews has no prior managerial experience. His CV consists of assistant manager roles at MK Dons, Ireland U21 and senior teams, and at Sheffield United, before taking up the set-piece role at Brentford.

This, along with his somewhat prickly past, certainly deserve consideration. Andrews is an ex-Republic of Ireland international, and took to the field 35 times for his nation between 2008 and 2012. Playing as a defensive midfielder, and hailing from the same country as Roy Keane, there was always going to be that hint of aggression about him.

Retiring three years after his last international cap, Andrews went into punditry, and it was during Martin O’Neill’s stint as Northern Ireland head coach that Andrews caused controversy. And ironically, the dispute was oriented around set-pieces, the same facet which Andrews would later specialise in.

He spoke of his dislike of O’Niell’s reliance on set-pieces to win games, and even more bullishly put the entirety of the blame on the manager’s head for Northern Ireland's poor showing at Euro 2016.

Though it is a long time ago now, neither have forgotten the exchange, and in light of Andrews being linked with the vacant Brentford job, O’Niell has come out and said “I hope he does get it, because then he will realise what management is all about.”

So if Brentford hire Andrews, are they hiring someone with too big an ego for their own good? Every club that runs on a small budget knows that the last thing the team needs is someone running it who is unpredictable - rash decisions, split dressing rooms and tetchy media interaction soon follow.

But wouldn’t it also be a good thing to have a serious character in the dressing room? One who isn’t afraid to say things as they are, someone who has been there and done it on the international stage?

Can Andrews Successfully Replace Thomas Frank?

Regardless of if you think he is a good choice or not, Andrews would come in with sizeable shoes to fill - a universally popular figure at the club, Frank slotted into the dugout when Brentford were sat plum in the Championship mid-table battle, and had to endure a tough start after the recent death of the clubs technical director Robert Rowan.

But his managerial nous soon became clear - after navigating to an 11th placed finish in 2018/19, Frank’s side were transformed, making the play-offs the next season. Though they fell short against Fulham in the final, they were not to be denied in 2021, and the Dane finally became known as a Premier League manager.

Many thought Brentford were top candidates to go straight back down, but a remarkable 13th placed finish, followed by season ending positions of 9th, 16th, 10th established them as a Premier League time.

Cementing Brentford as a top flight side might well be the greatest feat Frank will ever accomplish, run on a small budget, the club focused on smart recruitment and big money returns on their investments, Ivan Toney was one, Bryan Mbeumo this summer looks set to be another.

Andrews will need to adopt this club culture quickly if he is to steady the Brentford ship after Frank’s departure. There is certainly potential in his appointment, but everyone at the club must do their utmost to ensure he remains level-headed.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Harry Pascoe

Lead Writer

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