HANDS up if you had Keith Andrews turning Brentford into a juggernaut on your bingo card?
Thought not.
It felt inevitable, after a summer of major upheaval in which four key pillars of the club were removed, they were destined for a fight for their Premier League lives.
How wrong we were.
By now, we are all familiar with Brentford’s way of doing things under owner Matthew Benham, whose mathematical and analytics-driven style of leadership has helped propel the club up through the leagues.
But appointing an unproven rookie — with a CV that made Les Reed look like Jose Mourinho — to succeed a club icon in Thomas Frank was a left-field choice, even for Moneyball Matt.
Andrews’ first coaching gig came at MK Dons shortly after he retired from playing, but he was among those given the tin-tack after one year as they were relegated from the Championship.
He was assistant to Stephen Kenny during his disastrous tenure as Ireland boss, when they won just six of 29 competitive games, before spending six months on the coaching staff at Sheffield United during their relegation season in 2023-24.
With a track record like that, there would have been fewer eyebrows raised had Brentford hired Keith Lemon.
Clearly, he had impressed the Brentford top brass as set-piece coach last season, and he always came across well as a pundit.
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But it was not a surprise when the bookies installed Andrews as 4-1 favourite in the Prem sack race before a ball had been kicked.
Yet here Brentford sit, in fifth place after another inspired managerial appointment.
Even the most hardcore fan must have started the season with a trepidation. When Frank was at the wheel, it never felt like they’d be dragged into a relegation scrap.
But with him out of the door, the situation suddenly felt more fraught.
Especially with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa — who netted 39 of their 66 Prem goals between them last season — heading to Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.
And when skipper and midfield linchpin Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal, the doomsters were falling over themselves to share their dire predictions for the club.
But under Andrews they remain a side nobody wants to play against and his expertise in the set-piece department has been clear for all to see this season.
He set out to Make Long Throws Great Again — and he’s done just that, with Michael Kayode, Kevin Schade and Co causing chaos in back fours across the league on a weekly basis.
It’s not all about getting it launched, mind. Just as they were during the peak Frank days, Brentford are still lethal on the break and play some attractive football.
And in goal machine Igor Thiago, now arguably the front-runner to be Brazil’s starting No 9 at the World Cup, they have unearthed yet another unlikely star.
Before Liverpool played Arsenal last night, Brentford were just a point off a Champions League spot.
The defending champions continue to be unpredictable, as do Newcastle, while Chelsea and Manchester United are both a mess and cannot get out of their own way.
Who is to say that a side like Brentford cannot do the unthinkable and break into the top four?
It’s been a remarkable start for Andrews — from favourite for the sack to in the mix for manager of the year.
BLUES AIN’T ALL ROSEY
TOXICITY levels are now officially off the scale at Stamford Bridge.
The majority of Chelsea fans are livid with results, the club’s owners — and the appointment of 41-year-old Liam Rosenior.
Fair or not, as Rosenior is clearly a promising young coach, the sense is that he’s been hired to be a yes-man to BlueCo and Chelsea’s squad of footballing directors.
He at least has an appealing run of fixtures to kick things off as he tries to get his feet under the table.
But, given the atmosphere around the Blues right now, if he gets off to a slow start peeved supporters will turn on him in double-quick time.
AXE BREN AND KEY
ENGLAND have had many horrendous Ashes tours in Australia over the decades — but this 4-1 mauling has to be the worst.
When we were thumped 5-0 in 2006-07 and 2013-14, it was clear from the outset the Aussies were in a different league.
On paper at least, this should have been a tight, intensely fought series.
We all know how it worked out — meek defeat after meek defeat.
So it was staggering that the ECB announced both head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key — for the time being at least — would keep their jobs.
If heads aren’t going to roll after an embarrassment like this, when will they?
NICKY HILL BOOST
HORSE racing fans have had very little to cheer about over the past seven days, with most meetings wiped out by icy weather.
But there have been one or two noises coming out of the Nicky Henderson yard recently that the mighty Constitution Hill might be back on a racecourse soon.
Having looked unbeatable for so long, the great hurdler’s confidence over jumps has completely gone to pot — and he has fallen on three of his last four starts.
Apparently, Hendo has been working his magic and he may well be given an all-weather run soon.
Now that will warm the cockles on a bleak, cold day.
