Brentford’s Season Preview: Life After Thomas Frank Begins with Keith Andrews

The 2025-26 season finds Brentford at a crossroads. Brentford have spent years defying gravity in the Premier League. However, this year, with their manager off to Spurs, their captain in tow, their keeper gone to Leverkusen, and their star attacker sold to Manchester United, pundits are convinced their Premier League fairy tale is about to crash back to earth. Yet, if history has taught us anything, it’s that writing Brentford off rarely ages well.

For the first time since their promotion in 2021, the Bees begin a campaign without the stable presence of Thomas Frank on the touchline or the creative threat of Bryan Mbeumo in attack. Frank, who defined Brentford’s rise as both tactician and figurehead, has left for Tottenham after seven years in charge, taking trusted assistants Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam, and Joe Newton with him. Mbeumo, who shouldered the attacking burden with an incredible 27 goal contributions last year, was sold to Manchester United. Alongside the departures of captain Christian Nørgaard, veteran defender Ben Mee, and goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Brentford have lost much of the identity that carried them to consistent mid-table finishes. Even Yoane Wissa, one of the forwards left with a proven Premier League pedigree, appears on his way to Newcastle United. The manager confirmed he will miss the opening game, citing a “very disruptive preseason” and saying Wissa is “not ready to perform.” Unsurprisingly, many now tip the club for relegation.

Yet to reduce Brentford’s story to “too much change” misses what has always defined the club: a refusal to panic and a willingness to back their processes. Owner Matthew Benham and sporting director Phil Giles built a Premier League side chiefly centered around data, undervalued recruitment, and a belief in continuity. Those foundations remain in place today, even if the names have shifted and are unfamiliar. And just as on the pitch, the club’s leadership is changing. Recently, Benham sold a 25% stake of his holding company for $135m, bringing in South African businessman Gary Lubner and film director Matthew Vaughn as investors, while retaining day-to-day control.

Much like the changes behind the scenes, the choice of head coach reflects Brentford’s preference for evolution over upheaval. To outsiders, Keith Andrews’ promotion may look like a concerning and underwhelming gamble; to the club, it follows the same logic that has guided every major decision. Andrews has been inside Brentford since last summer as set-piece coach, helping hone one of the league’s most feared dead-ball units. His resume includes assistant roles at MK Dons and the Republic of Ireland under Stephen Kenny, a stint with Sheffield United, and a playing career spanning two decades across Wolves, Blackburn, MK Dons, and 35 caps for Ireland. At 44, Andrews is making his first step into Premier League management and is a relative unknown to fans of the game. However, he arrives with credibility inside the building and upstairs with the decision-makers.

“I’m humbled to be the new head coach of an amazing football club that’s touched me in a lot of ways,” Andrews said on his unveiling. “I love it here, I love coming in every single day, and I will give absolutely everything to continue the success of this football club.” Phil Giles was equally emphatic: “Keith is a very good fit. He understands the players and the way we’ve played and trained under Thomas Frank. He’ll bring his own evolution but isn’t starting from scratch.”

Though Andrews’ appointment has drawn near-universal criticism, it is easy to forget that Frank himself came from a similar position. In fact, when he was promoted from assistant in 2018 after Dean Smith’s departure, Brentford had just lost their technical director and endured a dreadful start under his stewardship, only winning once in ten games. Only after shifting to a 3-4-3 and riding out the turbulence did Frank steady the team and eventually lead them into the Premier League. The parallels are obvious: Andrews is being dismissed by outsiders as unproven, but so was Frank. This is not to say that Andrews will be a success; few Premier League managers are. Rather, Brentford’s choice is not a desperate reach for someone out of his depth, but a deliberate strategy rooted in long-term thinking.

So far, recruitment and dressing room changes have been typical Brentford. Caoimhin Kelleher arrives from Liverpool, offering Premier League experience in goal. Nathan Collins, younger and fitter, takes the captain’s armband and provides leadership from the back. Jordan Henderson, at 35, is a somewhat controversial addition but brings elite leadership and experience to a dressing room that now counts eight full internationals in its likely starting XI. Michael Kayode’s permanent move from Fiorentina looks like a classic Brentford signing: a 19-year-old right-back already proven in Serie A, with the athleticism and decision-making to grow into one of Europe’s best in his position. He fits the club’s data-driven model perfectly and is relatively undervalued by larger clubs, despite ranking among Serie A’s most reliable defenders in one-on-one duels. Brentford sees not just a defender but a ball-progressor who can support possession, break presses with intelligent passing, and bring an extra dimension to the over or underlap. Beyond that, his trademark long throws add another weapon to an already dangerous set-piece arsenal, making Brentford even more difficult to defend in dead-ball situations.

The frontline remains a question mark, but one with intriguing answers. Igor Thiago, last season’s record signing, returns from a knee injury. Fábio Carvalho, once a bright hope at Fulham, is back from shoulder surgery and could feel like a new signing. Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen, and Yehor Yarmoliuk provide creativity in midfield, while Kevin Schade and Keane Lewis-Potter stretch defenses with pace and dribbling ability. Beyond them lie younger prospects like Yunus Konak and Jayden Meghoma, who may see more minutes under Andrews than they did under Frank. The pieces are there for a balanced side, even if goals may dry up in spells.

Fans themselves reflect the split narratives. Some fear the loss of Frank and Mbeumo spells doom, echoing national predictions of relegation. Others argue the late stages of last season already showed stagnation with safe patterns, same substitutions, tenth place, but little spark, and that a change was necessary before the squad aged out. Realistically, both are right. There will be tough stretches. The loss of Frank’s proven tactical pragmatism and Mbeumo’s goals cannot be sugarcoated. But Brentford’s foundation has always been about more than one man or one player. A club that turned data analysis into a Premier League survival strategy has earned the benefit of the doubt.