He, for me, is the early front-runner for ‘Manager of the Season’. This is in stark contrast to the swathes of other Premier League managers that have already left their positions so far this term: Graham Potter, Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Vitor Pereira, Enzo Maresca, and Ruben Amorim.
Following their 2-0 defeat away to Chelsea on Saturday, the Bees sit comfortably in 7th in the table – having been as high as 5th in recent weeks.
Pre-season predictions and a slow start
Embed from Getty ImagesBrentford were among the pre-season relegation favourites after a mass Summer exodus that also included the departure of their highly-rated manager, Thomas Frank.
And these predictions looked wholly justified as Andrews’ side were already 3-0 down at half-time in their first-league fixture of the new campaign. They would go on to lose this one 3-1 and were also defeated by the same scoreline away to rivals, Fulham, on September 20th. This left them 17th in the table at this point – their lowest EVER Premier League position. But since then, things have only got better…
Keith’s early days
Embed from Getty ImagesKeith Andrews had a modest playing-career – starting his journey at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leadership, however, came at a tender age for him when he captained them at just 20-years-old – still a club record as their youngest ever skipper. He would go on to appear for Wolves in the Premier League for very little time but rose to prominence as a goal-scoring midfielder for League Two outfit MK Dons.
His form prompted a £1million-pound move back to the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, who were managed by his former MK Dons boss, Paul Ince. Ince clearly felt he could get the very best out of Andrews at any level. Two years of regular football at Rovers was followed by a successful loan spell at Ipswich Town in the Championship in 2011-12.
This is where I got my own first-hand glimpses of Andrews in action as he plundered 9 goals in just 20 matches from central midfield, showcasing a knack for arriving in the box at the perfect moment. His influence on the team was further cemented when he was handed the captaincy by then Ipswich manager, Paul Jewell, who called the Irishman “terrific” and made several attempts to sign him permanently.
Fast-forward to his ‘coaching’ career, which started back at MK Dons as Assistant Manager to Karl Robinson in 2015. He also worked as an Assistant to Stephen Kenny for both the Republic of Ireland Under-21 and senior set-ups. Following a short stint as part of Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United backroom staff, he was appointed as Brentford’s ‘set-piece’ coach in July 2024.
Brentford’s Director of Football, Phil Giles, said at the time: “He is someone we have known for a while and always had in mind for a role at some point in the future.”
Giles himself is well-known for his ‘data-driven’ decisions, long-term vision, and successful footballing strategies that have brought great stability to the West-London club.
His appointment of Andrews as ‘set-piece’ coach immediately reaped the rewards in the 2024-25 season. Brentford were the third top scorers in the league from attacking ‘set-pieces’ (13), as well as having the best defensive record from ‘set-piece’ goals conceded (just 3).
Andrews was praised for his innovative kick-off routines, too, being credited as a key part of Brentford’s run of (extremely) early goals in September 2024. Incredibly, they became the first-ever Premier League side to score inside 40-seconds in three consecutive matches.
He was already ‘set’ for the next step…
Huge challenges in the first managerial job
Embed from Getty ImagesAndrews was promoted to Head Coach at Brentford in June 2025, as he replaced ‘Tottenham Hotspur-bound’ Thomas Frank. Frank was a hugely popular manager at the club during his reign from 2018 to 2025, which obviously included their promotion to the Premier League in 2021. Taking over from such a highly respected and successful manager was the first major hurdle.
Added to this, he lost the services of Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United and Yoane Wissa to Newcastle United immediately. The two strikers had scored 39 Premier League goals between them in the 2024-25 season. Replacing that sort of firepower appeared to be an impossible job for Andrews, but you wouldn’t know it with their ‘goals-for’ column only bettered by Arsenal, Man City, Man United and Chelsea so far this season. They have even scored two more than the current champions, Liverpool.
And if that wasn’t enough to take, they sold their ever-present Captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, too. The midfielder had made nearly 200 appearances across six seasons for Brentford; another player that the Gtech Community faithful will miss greatly.
Previous manager Frank had Brentford finishing in the following places in the Premier League: 13th, 9th, 16th and 10th. A superb track record that added even greater pressure to the incoming Andrews.
Finally, the impressive form of the promoted sides this season – especially Sunderland and more recently Leeds United has been a refreshing change. Last season, the low points tally of Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester meant that no one else was ever in serious jeopardy of getting dragged into a dogfight. Andrews has not been able to rely on the failings of others this season.
These factors highlight the impressive start that Andrews and his Brentford side have made against the odds…
The secrets to his success
Gone Under the Radar: Brentford clearly have great stability from top to bottom at the club. This is immediately evident from the fact that a change of manager has done little to derail them. From the outside, there were few expectations on Andrews – but from within, they showed great trust in him. This is the perfect platform for him to thrive in. His success so far, and Frank’s struggles at Tottenham Hotspur, highlight the difference in leadership and structure at these clubs overall, not solely from the Manager’s input.
Incredible Home Form: They have made the Gtech Community Stadium a fortress this season. From their 11 home matches so far, it’s 7 wins and only 1 defeat. They have amassed 24 of their 33 points. The stadium holds just over 17,000, and only Bournemouth’s ground holds fewer. But they have clearly been unaffected by the ‘modern stadium syndrome’ which has burdened teams such as Southampton and West Ham United in recent years. The players seem to relish playing at Home and are backed by a knowledgeable and passionate fanbase who understand the optics.
Embed from Getty ImagesIgor Thiago goalscoring: The loss of Mbeumo’s and Wissa’s 39 Premier League goals seemed to leave a chasm in their attack – but step forward, Igor Thiago, who has already netted 16 times this season. He is just four goals behind Erling Haaland. Last season, he was scoreless in eight games – but he’s hit the ground running this year. He is an absolute powerhouse up front for the Bees and suits the physicality of the Premier League perfectly. He has a relentless work ethic and a habit of finding the back of the net regularly. A Brazil call-up is surely just around the corner.
Kelleher and Henderson: Much like the striker situation, losing Mark Flekken in-goal could’ve spelt disaster for Brentford – but the acquisition of Caoimhin Kelleher has been a masterstroke. A goalkeeper who never let Liverpool down in high-profile matches, and at 27 years old, he was ready to be the Number 1 somewhere. His and Brentford’s ambitions have been matched impeccably. He is a superb shot-stopper, a penalty-saving expert, and has accomplished distribution with his feet; a real all-rounder.
The Liverpool links continue with Jordan Henderson. Much maligned for his brief stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, the former Reds legend has had a renaissance at Brentford. Yes, he’s 35 now – and doesn’t play every minute of every game anymore – but his influence and impact on this Brentford side has been magnificent and totally justifies his recent selection in Thomas Tuchel’s England squads. His three goals and one assist are a decent return for the veteran midfielder, which included the glorious through-pass for Thiago to score the opener against Manchester United.
Embed from Getty ImagesLong Throws & Set-Pieces: Of course, ‘set-pieces’ were always going to feature here for Keith Andrews – and especially the long throws which have created three goals for them this season. They haven’t been as prolific as last season in attack in this sense, but they do still have the second-best defence when dealing with ‘set-piece’ goals against.
Michael Kayode is a buccaneering full-back, but he also has a rocket of a long throw, averaging 33.2 metres. Even when they do not directly result in a goal, they certainly cause unease in Premier League backlines against all visiting opponents.
Other Contenders for the award
The obvious choice would, of course, be Mikel Arteta – especially if he brings home multiple pieces of silverware. Pep Guardiola at Man City can never be completely ruled out, but he is having a tougher time than usual. Unai Emery at Aston Villa is a very able operator and has transformed them into genuine Top 4 contenders again. Then comes an honourable mention for Regis Le Bris at Sunderland, with them sitting pretty in 9th place with 33 points – already eclipsing all of the promoted sides from last season.
Embed from Getty ImagesKeith Andrews recently won the battle against Le Bris in their league game, 3-0, as he attempts to take Brentford to at least a top-half finish. In many people’s opinions, he just needs to stay up to achieve success. This is almost secured already, but the Premier League is a relentless beast that can swallow anyone up if the standards slip just slightly.
I hope that his first season in management continues to be a successful one – and if so, he must surely remain in the conversation for Premier League ‘Manager of the Season.’
