Andrews on Wissa, Mbeumo, and summer recruitment published at 14:57 BST 14 August
14:57 BST 14 August
Karan Vinod BBC Sport journalist
Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at City Ground (kick-off 14:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On whether Yoane Wissa will be available: "I have made a decision he is not. It has been a very disrupted pre-season, and the interest in Yoane is very clear. I want Yoane to be in the building and be a part of the first team and the squad but I am very understanding of his situation, I have a very good relationship with him and that will persist. But we have to focus on the players that are ready and I don't think Yoane is in that space."
Asked on whether Wissa has been training away from the first team, Andrews said: "What happens in the training ground will remain in the training ground."
On the future for Wissa: "It's very hard to know. I would like Wissa to be part of the first team squad. Where that will end, I'm not sure."
On the exit of last season's leading scorer Bryan Mbeumo: "Bryan is a success story for this club, considering where he has started and the numbers he has gone for. That replicates what we would like to see in the future.
On how the club is "continuing to look to grow" despite a number of high profile departures this summer.
He is happy with the summer recruitment, praising the signing of Jordan Henderson as replacement for last season's captain Christian Norgaard and new goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
He said his new players have integrated very well during pre-season.
On the shape of the squad: "Very good, especially the defensive options. Two centre-halves in Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins, who are one more year into their development. Full-back positions, we didn't have Aaron Hickey, and Rico Henry available for large periods of time, so they feel like new signings, and Henderson has been amazing with the influence he is having, especially on our younger players. At the top end, two that spring to mind are Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho, who are so talented and primed."
Where will Brentford finish this season?published at 12:01 BST 14 August
12:01 BST 14 August
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:
16) Brentford
Last season: 10th
For the first time in a long time, I genuinely fear for Brentford, who have been a superb Premier League presence with Thomas Frank - now departed for Spurs - at the helm.
I seriously believe their season could go to the wire, with new manager Keith Andrews untested at Premier League level, and with key departures such as main striker Bryan Mbuemo to Manchester United and vastly underrated midfielder Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, with gifted forward Yoane Wissa clearly casting longing glances towards Newcastle United.
They have, however, signed a proven high-class goalkeeper in Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool, while 35-year-old England midfielder Jordan Henderson will provide leadership, vast experience and an example.
The big question is whether Henderson can still cut it in the Premier League at this late stage of his career.
Andrews also believes 20-year-old Antoni Milambo can have influence in midfield after being brought in from Feyenoord.
What do you want to know about Brentford?published at 16:45 BST 13 August
16:45 BST 13 August
Have you got a question about Brentford or is there a topic you want more information on? Have you spotted a Bees theme or trend that needs further investigation?
Well, this season we're making it easier for you to get in touch and ask - and we will do our best to use our expertise here at BBC Sport to give you direct answers.
Our team can call upon a network of contacts - including our reporters, pundits and other experts - to find out everything you need to know.
No question is too big or too small, so fire away using the link below and we will answer the best of them throughout the campaign.
'Pre-season predictions will tip us for relegation - I think they are wrong'published at 13:34 BST 12 August
13:34 BST 12 August
Ian Westbrook Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
After the many key departures this summer, a lot of pre-season predictions will inevitably tip us for relegation.
But I think they are wrong.
Of course it was a massive blow to lose Thomas Frank, captain Christian Norgaard and Bryan Mbeumo, who was the only one expected to leave, while Yoane Wissa's absence has been disappointing.
My main hope for the campaign is that Keith Andrews' appointment as head coach proves to be a masterstroke and leaves the pundits feeling embarrassed.
As I said in my last column, nobody can know whether Andrews, a head coach for the first time, will prove to be good at his new job - only time will tell. However, the stats show that last term he was an excellent set piece coach - another role he had never done before.
While I doubt we will match last season's top-half finish, we have enough about us and enough good players to end up well clear of any trouble. In the circumstances, that would be an achievement.
My fear for the season though is that we may struggle to score goals and that could cost us some points.
Mbeumo and Wissa scored 39 between them last season and, while Kevin Schade will hopefully find the net as regularly as he did at times in 2024-25, it could take Igor Thiago, in effectively his first full campaign with us, a while to adjust and get up and running.
This and any potential glut of injuries could see us looking over our shoulders occasionally.
The defence, though, is stronger than last season with no departures and the full return of Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry, which is like having two new signings at the back.
Andrews 'in perfect position to do a really good job'published at 08:14 BST 12 August
08:14 BST 12 August
Media caption,
Brentford fan Daniel Topping from The Ealing Road Podcast says he remains excited for the new season despite there being some external worry around the Bees' summer activity.
On paper, losing your manager, captain and star player is a reason to panic, but Topping believes you "have to trust the club" and "the process".
"It is clearly a big job for Keith Andrews," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "We have never finished a Premier League weekend in the relegation zone over the past four years so it is important we start well this season.
"Andrews doesn't have the credit in the bank like other bigger-named managers might have done if they had come in, but I trust the club. I have to trust the process.
"The thing about Brentford, and what other coaches might start to see now, is that if you are a young coach at the top level, and want to progress, then Brentford is a good place to come and do that.
"Frank had a limited amount of coaching experience in Denmark before coming to us as assistant-coach but he helped drive the culture.
"The club want to keep that and Andrews is clearly respected by those at the club, so he is in the perfect position to do a really good job with the support he has around him."
'Excited about the Andrews chapter' or 'too many unknowns'?published at 11:39 BST 11 August
11:39 BST 11 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Brentford are ready for the new season after the Bees completed their pre-season campaign with a draw against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday.
Here are some of your comments:
Elizabeth: Not ready yet. Thiago is not up to the mark. Need to resolve the Wissa situation speedily and let him go. Need two new forwards.
Rob: I think the Bees are going to surprise a few people this season. Generally the so called experts are predicting gloom and doom, but I believe that the club was getting a bit comfortable and stale and so the shipping out of the manager and some players and the brilliant recruiting of replacements will see the Bees prosper. Top 10 again I predict.
Mark: I was at the friendly against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday. It was glaringly obvious that we urgently need replacements for Mbeumo and Wissa. Our build-up play was OK but we lacked any sort of penetration in the final third. Henderson played well when he came on and showed some quality. We really should have seen the game out. It's going to be a long, tough season.
Richard: People are writing us off before the first game has kicked off but after the pre-season games the nerves have vanished. Even without Bryan and Wissa we showed we can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Bring the season on.
Jason: I've been going to Brentford for nigh on 40 years and I'm excited about the Keith Andrews chapter. I'm taking my mate Jim to his first football game this season. He can't have a better introduction to the beautiful game.
Simon: It's Jekyll and Hyde time at Brentford. Just one week away from a new season we are buoyant with returns and additions, but anxiety is high with too many unknowns up-front and in the dugout.
Tim: Our defence and midfield looks a little stronger than last season with players returning from injury and new signings like Kelleher and Milambo. The concern is scoring goals with a largely untried forward line. More firepower required but I think we will survive - 15th.
'A pretty special evening' - Andrews on first Gtech experience as bosspublished at 14:34 BST 9 August
14:34 BST 9 August
Image source, Getty Images
Brentford boss Keith Andrews was pleased by an "outstanding" second half against Borussia Monchengladbach and described his first game as boss at the Gtech Community Stadium as "pretty special".
The Bees trailed 1-0 at half-time but quick-fire goals from Fabio Carvalho and Mikkel Damsgaard turned the game around after the break before the German visitors levelled late on.
"I feel a bit mixed," Andrews said. "We started the game pretty well, were dangerous and caused them problems, but we got a bit passive with and without the ball and then we lost some momentum.
"The pressure we worked on didn't really work after the first 12 minutes - they did well with some good movements - and we became slightly too passive.
"We struggled to get to grips with them at times in the first half.
"In the second half we were outstanding. We reacted really well and played with a lot of passion, character, resilience and personality, which I was really pleased with."
It was Andrews' first experience as Brentford manager at the Gtech Community Stadium after he moved from his role as set-piece coach to replace Thomas Frank as head coach in June.
"With the little tweaks we've made, there is naturally going to be teething problems," he added.
"I've loved it since being at this football club so to stand here in the technical area in front of the fans, friends, family - it was a pretty special evening and I really enjoyed it."
'My dad was sacked for watching an afternoon cup replay' - fan storiespublished at 15:54 BST 8 August
15:54 BST 8 August
You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Brentford.
Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:
Image caption,
Tony: This is a photo of my old man putting on my son's first Bees shirt having just bought it in the shop and then watching him walk through the turnstiles at Griffin Park for the first time. A very fond memory.
Ray: I inherited my love of the Bees from my father. He was once sacked from a grocery shop because he delayed his deliveries to watch an afternoon cup replay at Griffin Park.
He also saw 20 of the 21 home matches that the Bees won in 1929-30, missing the 21st to watch a cup semi final at Villa Park (the traitor!).
I started going regularly during the 1954-55 season with my heroes being Kenny Coote and Jim Towers. Highlights include promotion in 1962-63 while the worst time was watching the Bees playing when they were 92nd in the league.
Image caption,
Christy: I love Brentford because it's part of who I am. My grandad moved from Ireland and searched for a club that felt like home—he found that in Brentford.
My first game was Boreham Wood away, when I was just six months old, and I wear that like a badge of honour.
Ever since, it's been a family thing - me, my dad, brother, uncle, and cousins following the Bees through everything. It's not just football - it's a bond that connects generations.
Seeing us reach the Premier League together was unforgettable. The play-off final was the best day of my life, no question.
'A thing we share across generations' - fan storiespublished at 16:33 BST 7 August
16:33 BST 7 August
This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with Brentford.
Here is a selection of your submissions:
Image caption,
Phil: I love Brentford because it is a thing we share across generations, because we have a history of following them through thick and thin, and because the club welcomes all to join. The photo shows three generations of Brentford fans outside Villa Park.
Marc: Brentford is the first place my dad took me to watch football as it's where he grew up. It hooked me as a child and it became a father/son ritual that, now he's no longer here, I am eternally grateful for. Brentford have been a part of my life for 30 years and I now have the chance to carry on the father/son ritual of going to football with my own sons. Couldn't imagine this football journey supporting any other club.
Image caption,
Laurence: My 10th birthday present in 1961 from my grandma, Lillian Bohee. She was the wife of the printer HR Bohee, who printed all the tickets for Brentford at that time.
'About getting the best from the players we have' - Andrewspublished at 14:07 BST 7 August
14:07 BST 7 August
Image source, Getty Images
Keith Andrews says his footballing philosophy is to "get the best out of the players we have" as he prepares for his first season in charge at Brentford.
Speaking to BBC Radio London, the Bees boss explained his team will execute a high-intensity gameplan rather than a rigid tactical system.
In or out of possession, Andrews will wants full commitment from his players, and the ability to press purposefully and defend with grit.
"You need to be fit to be able to do that, along with concentration," Andrews said. BBC Radio London. "What it looks like in possession is a relentless desire to put the opposition under pressure from different ways and be unpredictable in the way we do it, which I think this team has had in the few years I have been watching them.
"You have to play to the players' attributes and strengths, which I am a big fan of. It's not about me and the way I see the game, per se; it's about the players we have in the building and getting the best out of them.
"Without the ball, it is just the absolute desire to get the ball back from the opposition, to keep the ball out of the back of the net and to keep the opposition away from our goal.
"It's about having that in your DNA to be better than the day you were before."
'It becomes really hard to separate yourself from it'published at 11:44 BST 7 August
11:44 BST 7 August
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs
When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.
In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.
And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.
"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.
"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.
"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.
"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.
"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."
A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.
But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.
"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.
"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."
As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?
"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.
"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.
"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."
Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.
'Floodlit Griffin Park hooked me' - fan storiespublished at 16:29 BST 6 August
16:29 BST 6 August
This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Brentford.
Here is a selection of your submissions:
Image caption,
Brian: Dad first took me to see Brentford v Port Vale in 1963. I was only five years old but the floodlit Griffin Park and the famous red and white stripes had me hooked. I was raised on tales of when Brentford was a top flight club before World War Two. Dreams of a resurgence to the top tiers kept my generation's faith alive and we have now lived to see the Bees restored to their rightful position thanks to all those who kept the club alive through hard times and thanks to our genius owner, Matthew Benham.
George: As a kid, I was in and out of hospital for daunting weekly appointments. Keeping me calm on the way in every Saturday was an old-school cabbie with more Brentford memorabilia in his cab than you could shake a stick at. The way he talked with such passion about this little team of his I'd never even heard of was so captivating and put me completely at ease.
When I was old enough to go to games and pick a local team, I wanted to 'pay him back' by supporting Brentford over something more glamorous. Fourteen glorious years later...
Image caption,
Christy: I've supported Brentford since I was six months old and I went to Boreham Wood away, carried by my dad. My grandad, fresh from Ireland, picked Brentford because it reminded him of home: real, humble, nothing flashy. Three generations later, we still go together. It's not just about the football: it's the family, the memories and the loyalty. We've seen it all, from cold Tuesday nights to heartbreaks, and that unforgettable play-off win. Watching our club reach the Premier League with my dad by my side was the best day of my life. Brentford's in my blood. Win or lose - we live it as a family.
Image source, Getty Images
