Bees Rise Above Elitism as Awkward, High-Energy Opponents

The Bees offer a fascinating example of the outcome when a well-run club loses its long-term manager and star personnel. Will the systems that drove the club so far withstand such transition? Can a much-admired data-driven scouting system identify workable new talent? Hiring a manager with limited top-level background, Keith Andrews, additionally challenges the resilience of the club's structure.

Mixed Indications but Encouraging Outlook

Early indicators so far are mixed but optimistic on balance. As sainted as Thomas Frank is in the club's legacy, his departure to join another club showed that development was never linear or a consistently rising curve. The team with a reported salary expenditure of fifty million pounds a season, one of the lowest in the top flight, has heavy tides to overcome. That last season’s tenth position was coupled with disappointment in missing out on continental competition indicates how far expectations had climbed.

Testing Periods and Significant Wins

On Sunday, the reigning champions visit a side kicking off in the moderate security of 13th place, despite oscillations from losing 3-1 at Craven Cottage a two weeks ago to a deserved 3-1 at their ground victory over the Red Devils last Saturday. With the caveat that several consider them a soft touch, and among the previous manager's last matches was a four-three win against the Portuguese manager's team, beating them nonetheless carried cachet for the new head coach. No club have beaten United and City in consecutive fixtures since Spurs in January 1996.

Familiar Figure in a Fresh Position

Andrews was well-acquainted to the club. Last season, he occupied the dugout as the manager's dead-ball expert. The Tractor Boys' Kieran McKenna, the Norwegian side's Kjetil Knutsen and Danny Röhl were considered. The most probable in-house option was number two the former coach, but he joined the ex-manager to North London.

Shifts Both On and Off the Field

The summer was a period of change on and off the pitch. The owner, whose data-focused strategy follows his success in the sports betting industry, divested a minority share to former Autoglass chief executive and Labour party supporter an investor and the film-maker Sir Matthew Vaughn, whose wife, a supermodel, has been attracting photographers to the directors’ box.

Continuity and Leadership

The continuity at the club is maintained by Jon Varney, and Phil Giles. Giles, who has been at the club for a decade, gave an interview last week, stating the Bees can not rest on laurels with the leadership patting itself on the back for jobs well done. “There is no such thing as established,” he said. “It’s not even a football word. At what point are we established? Almost certainly never. For a club of our stature, it's unlikely you can truly become comfortable.”

Rebuilding and Fresh Players

The team kicked off versus Manchester United in 17th place, the survival spot. Parting with Frank, and key stars such as the forwards the Cameroonian winger and Yoane Wissa, the engine-room and skipper the Danish international plus goalkeeper the Dutchman, seemed as if a team’s core was being ripped out. Benham, the CEO and the sporting director had a strategy; Andrews took over talent to utilize. Igor Thiago was at the team, the previous summer’s major acquisition unavailable to Frank through fitness issues. His four goals from 10 shots have come at the highest conversion rate of any top-flight attacker this season.

Squad Assets and Tools

The speedy Kevin Schade was established in the attack; he joined Wissa and Mbeumo in netting double figures in the previous campaign. The experienced midfielder brings elite know-how in the center of the park where statistics indicate the Ukrainian, twenty-one, as among the top pressers in the division. The Ukrainian can distribute the ball, as well. The Danish playmaker's unorthodox style masks serious creativity and the full-back is a attacking defender who delivers the set-pieces that are vital components of the weaponry. The goalkeeper, who made a spot-kick stop from United’s the playmaker, is enjoying being a No 1 goalkeeper and Dango Ouattara, the departed star's replacement on the right, netted the goal versus the Midlands club in August that earned the manager's first victory at their stadium.

Approach and Mindset

With the new boss, Brentford continue to be all-action, flinty, difficult to face. Although a slightly reserved in interviews than his predecessor, Andrews – a former broadcaster on the Irish Newstalk station who also had a longstanding role as among Sky’s Championship analysts – plays the media game well. Following his team snatched a point from Chelsea after a Schade's set-piece that raised chaos, he reflected on the set-piece specialism, and the “disruption” it causes, that is now incorporated into most sides' makeup. “I believe there is a little bit of elitism in the game around scenarios such as that, but if the top teams employ it then it seems to be accepted,” the coach said.

Motivational Personalities and Criticism

The head coach has sought to refresh the squad by bringing in two from Ireland athletic heroes, the rugby union player Johnny Sexton and successful golf leader Paul McGinley, to speak to his team. However, not all in his homeland is willing on Ireland’s initial top-flight manager since Chris Hughton. The head coach questioned the international regime of the former manager and Roy Keane during his media career. The former boss has been highly critical; Keane a somewhat conciliatory towards a person he confronted aggressively in recent years. “I’ve heard a lot of unreliable talkers over the last decade and Keith Andrews is up there with the top ones,” were the pundit's words. The manager accepting the club's challenge is the most accurate evaluation of that and the robustness of his club’s foundations.