After years of success below Thomas Frank, Keith Andrews confronted a frightening activity when he took over at Brentford this summer time.
After a Tenth-placed end final time period, few felt the Bees may replicate that form of type this season given the departures of captain Christian Norgaard and star winger Bryan Mbeumo.
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However towards Premier League champions Liverpool lifted them into eleventh, and the Bees’ dwelling file – aided by wins towards Manchester United and Aston Villa – is the joint-fourth greatest within the high flight.
Solely Arsenal, Manchester Metropolis, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Bournemouth have scored greater than the 14 objectives Brentford have in 9 matches.
Six of these have been scored by Igor Thiago, making him the joint-second high scorer within the division behind Erling Haaland.
Andrews, in his first Premier League managerial function, has quietly gone about his enterprise – so how has he finished it?
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The previous Republic of Eire midfielder has overseen a tactical evolution moderately than a revolution.
Not one for imposing his personal teaching ideology, he prefers to maximise the expertise in his squad and has made a collection of tweaks that he hopes will construct on Frank’s success.
“The one factor now we have acquired is particular person brilliance,” stated the 45-year-old.
“I believe we actually have that within the squad – gamers able to moments. That comes from the atmosphere, the help they get, the coaching mannequin as we’re huge on growing gamers’ particular person qualities.”
Brentford are having much less of the ball in video games below Andrews, however total their stats stay remarkably much like when Frank was in cost.
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Given his background as Brentford’s set-piece coach, the expectation was that his group would rating greater than ever from that supply, however objectives by way of set items are literally on the lowest degree since they gained promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
That’s not to say it’s not from a need of attempting. They’ve had the sixth most makes an attempt by way of set items this season, with Michael Kayode’s lengthy throws an especially potent weapon. After Manchester Metropolis edged a 1-0 win at Gtech Neighborhood Stadium final month, matchwinner Haaland stated: “It was a troublesome sport, and jogged my memory of Stoke Metropolis with Rory Delap 15 years in the past!”
Of their final Monday, 10 of their 22 efforts on objective got here from headers, probably the most by a group in a Premier League sport this season.
Andrews’ facet have been hitting groups on the break, with their common variety of quick breaks greater than double what they have been below Frank.
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And their 4 league objectives on the counter-attack has already matched the tally all through final season with solely Bournemouth scoring extra.
Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade scored a mixed 50 objectives final season, and whereas few would anticipate that whole to be challenged this marketing campaign there are promising indicators their new-look assault could be very efficient.
In Saturday’s good win over Liverpool, Dango Ouattara, Thiago and Schade all scored in the identical sport for the primary time.
Thiago, whose first season on the membership was wrecked by harm, has that he’ll observe within the footsteps of the prolific Ivan Toney, Mbeumo and Wissa.
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“His coronary heart is big. His spirit, his braveness, the adversity he confronted final 12 months round his harm, settling into a brand new nation and tradition,” stated Andrews.
“I believe what he acquired right here was actual help and an actual perception in him. As an individual he actually settled into this membership.
“I communicate just about each day about his sport and the way we are able to enhance him. He is a nightmare to play towards – that is the truth of the best way he performs the sport with such starvation. Typically you must calm him down barely. He is proving to be a serious participant for us, which we thought he can be.”
Brentford have proudly by no means been within the backside three on the finish of a Premier League matchweek since they have been promoted, a statistic Andrews has made a great begin in sustaining.