Brentford’s continuing improvement delights Andrews as he builds on Frank’s legacy

Brentford (2) 3 v Liverpool (1) 2

Premier League

Matchweek 9

Talking Points

By Kaz Mochlinski at the Brentford Community Stadium

It is two wins in a Premier League season of 38 matches, but the six points secured in the space of six days by Brentford, at West Ham United and against Liverpool, could prove more meaningful than most.

A first away victory under Keith Andrews, followed in less than a week by beating the league title-holders, lifted the Bees from 16th place and three points above the relegation zone into the top half of the table.

Even allowing for congestion causing fluctuations in the standings at this stage of the season, being established comfortably in the mid-table region rather than at the bottom is already a significant positive.

It shows the big difference that can be made in a very short space of time, as beating West Ham United and Liverpool doubled Brentford’s number of successes so far in the Premier League, from two to four.

But the two wins also raised the spirits and erased doubts swirling around the side at a potentially crucial point in Andrews’ rebuilding of the squad after the departures during the summer of his predecessor as head coach, Thomas Frank, and several of his stars.

All of Brentford’s big home wins are celebrated with a lap of honour to thank the fans for their contribution, and yet the latest one after overcoming the Reds felt like it was more special still than usual.

The Bees have just come through a run of hosting Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in successive league games, with two victories, a draw, and only a single, narrow defeat.

Their home form has always been a key cornerstone throughout their time in the top flight, but doing so well during this challenging sequence under new management, and capping it off with a win against Liverpool, was exceptionally satisfying.

“We’ve just beaten the Premier League champions,” underlined Andrews with a smile. “It’s a big result for the football club, I think, to beat the Premier League champions.

“But it’s especially a big result because of maybe the nature around our next chapter as a football club. And certainly for me it’s a biggy.”

In the aftermath, Andrews expressed his appreciation to the older generation of managers from whom he has learned a lot, having stayed in contact with several, specifically mentioning Roy Hodgson and Tony Pulis.

There was definitely a very good mix of various influences in Brentford’s approach against Liverpool, with something of Hodgson’s style of football, as well as aspects taken from Pulis’s playbook, including of course set-pieces and long throws.

It took less than five minutes for the Bees to score from a long throw by the superb Michael Kayode, and they now have racked up eight Premier League goals from throw-ins since the start of last season, more than twice as many as any other side.

Already during the current campaign Brentford have sent 47 long throws into the opposition penalty area, with the next highest figure being the 38 delivered by Crystal Palace, the team that they are now due to come up against in the league.

Kayode has the most consistency and power in his long throws, but actually Mathias Jensen has surpassed his teammate for distance, so the Bees have several options, having also scored this season from a Kevin Schade throw-in.

More vitally this time Schade got a goal of his own just before half-time on a perfectly-executed fast break. Remarkably, Brentford have still never lost any of the 11 Premier League games he has found the back of the net, winning 10 of them.

“Brentford is known for very good set-pieces, but they are also, in my opinion, known for a fantastic counter-attack” pinpointed the Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, in his engagingly clear analysis despite his evident disappointment after another defeat.

“The energy in the stadium is definitely helpful for them. And they are a very good team in winning duels and winning second balls. So you have to give them credit for that as well.

“But, yeah, of course it’s hard to win a game of football if the other team wins more duels, more second balls than you. Especially if that is also something they are playing off.

“And, again, like I’ve said many times, it’s also difficult to win a game of football if the set-piece balance is in their favour.”

Andrews in contrast is delighted at how his players are responding to the new ideas which he is trying to instill into the squad. And he is particularly pleased that they appear able to challenge any opponent in the league.

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I felt that teams were coming here and having a comfortable game. I really wouldn’t. I can’t be that head coach / manager, where we / you allow teams to dictate the game, and come and have a stroll and win games.

“That would eat me alive. And we won’t be that. We don’t have that group. So we’ll always try to find ways of getting results, however that may be.”

Andrews is most positive about the improvement that he is continuing to obtain from this Brentford side: “It was a bit of a slow burner the start to the season. I think understandably.

“I can just see it, day to day, week to week, the evolution of the group, and the individuals. And it’s very pleasing to see that growth. And that rapport and spirit within the group just become stronger and stronger.

“From a really natural place. It’s not forced, it’s natural. It’s a really special group to be around on a day-to-day basis. It’s a special football club to be at. So, yeah, I’m really happy about the way things are going.”