Keith Andrews: Brentford's Set-Piece Coach Turning Heads in the Premier League

Keith Andrews arrived at Brentford as the set-piece guy. Now he’s the man everyone else in the Premier League is starting to look at.

The former Blackburn and West Brom midfielder, who collected 35 caps for the Republic of Ireland, built his coaching career the hard way. He started out alongside Karl Robinson at MK Dons, learned the international game under Stephen Kenny with Ireland’s U21s and senior side, then dipped into the Premier League environment with Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. Brentford brought him in as a specialist in 2023. Nobody was tipping him as their next head coach.

Then came the summer of 2025. Thomas Frank left for Tottenham. Instead of scouring Europe, Brentford turned inwards and handed the reins to their set-piece coach. A bold move. Many thought reckless. The appointment raised eyebrows across the division.

Those doubts did not last long.

Andrews quickly dragged Brentford away from any hint of a relegation scrap and turned them into a top-half force. A ninth-place finish last season silenced the noise and rewrote expectations. Europe was just out of reach, agonisingly so, but it changed the conversation around the club. Brentford are no longer just punching above their weight; they’re aiming at the European places with intent for 2026-27.

He is tied down on a long-term deal through to 2032, a statement of faith from the Bees. The question now is whether that contract will ever be seen out. If his trajectory continues on this curve, the so-called big boys will not stay quiet for long.

One man who has no doubts about Andrews’ impact is former Brentford striker Clinton Morrison. Speaking to GOAL via Freebets.com, he could barely contain his admiration.

“Amazing, amazing, amazing,” Morrison said when asked to assess the job his close friend has done. “I think Brentford have a chance of, even this season, getting them outside spots of Europe. They missed out last season. And they could win a cup.”

Morrison had recently caught up with Andrews at Birmingham vs Brentford and came away even more convinced. What stands out to him is the depth and balance of the squad the Irishman has shaped.

“I just think Keith's done a fantastic job. He's got two players in every position,” Morrison said. “The boy who they signed, [Mamadou] Sangare, he could have easily gone to any of the top four teams. I think he's a special talent. He went to Brentford. He likes their project and they’ve got a good signing.”

That theme runs right through the side. Callum Wilson’s arrival has added proven Premier League nous up front and, crucially, real pressure on Thiago for the starting role. Out wide, Jaidon Anthony has come in from Burnley and hit the ground running, ramping up competition for Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade.

Even big-money signings are not guaranteed minutes. Brentford paid around £40 million to bring El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham, yet he cannot get into the team at the moment. Keane Lewis-Potter, meanwhile, has been outstanding, another symbol of a squad stacked with options.

“They have a lot of good players there at Brentford,” Morrison said. “And yeah, I think Keith Andrews, he’s done a brilliant job. Considering last season, the players that they lost and losing Thomas Frank, everyone thought Brentford might get relegated.”

Instead of sliding, they surged. Instead of firefighting, Andrews has built.

“This season, they started ever so well. Huge credit to Keith,” Morrison added. “And if he carries on going like that, there'll be a lot of other clubs higher up sniffing around him, for sure.”

Brentford backed the coach from within when others scoffed. Now the real test is coming: how long can they keep hold of the man who turned a supposed survival battle into a launchpad for Europe?