Brentford’s fast targets: How ex-Sky Sports activities pundit Keith Andrews grew to become brains behind Bees’ lightning begins

Brentford have scored contained in the opening 40 seconds of their final three successive Premier League video games.

It’s extraordinary – actually a Premier League file – and their new kick-off ‘routine’ was dissected by Jamie Carragher on Monday Night time Soccer.

It’s the work of Brentford’s newest set-piece guru – and former Sky Sports activities pundit – Keith Andrews, working alongside supervisor Thomas Frank.

Having a set-piece coach is all the craze nowadays, however Brentford have had them for nearly 10 years. Sky Sports activities takes a better have a look at how the membership have led the best way on this area of teaching and the affect Andrews is already making…

Nicolas Jover and setting the development

Brentford had been the primary ever English membership to rent a chosen set-piece coach, manner again in 2015, and have since had a number of of them nabbed by larger golf equipment.

Giovanni Vio was the primary introduced in after Brentford had the worst set-piece file within the Championship throughout 2014/15. Nonetheless, it’s Nicolas Jover who has turn out to be maybe probably the most famend one because of his current exploits at Arsenal.

Jover was dropped at Brentford in 2016 and was then pinched by Manchester Metropolis, after three profitable years with the then Championship aspect, on Mikel Arteta’s advice whereas he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

Arteta then took him to Arsenal in 2021 and, since, they’ve been probably the most profitable attacking set-piece workforce within the Premier League with 45 targets. Jover has continued to be credited this season because the brains behind a few of their essential set-piece winners towards Tottenham and Leicester.

But Brentford are simply behind the Gunners with 43 set-piece targets scored between 2021 and the tip of final season, beneath the tutelage of Bernardo Cueva, who was the subsequent revolutionary set-piece coach snapped up, this time by Chelsea in the summertime.

Andrews is now the present Brentford set-piece coach, after working with Chris Wilder at Sheffield United and 6 years teaching within the Republic of Eire nationwide setup. There, he was concerned with all ages group from the U15s till turning into assistant supervisor of the senior workforce – and he made the same affect on set-pieces.

Andrews’ novel concept

“Of course there is planning that goes into it,” supervisor Frank admitted after Bryan Mbuemo’s second aim this season inside 40 seconds towards West Ham, and the third in as video games. “We have a kick-off strategy and we tweak it from game to game.

“As a mindset and philosophy, we like to get straight on the front foot and be positive. There are some margins going our way of course, but I want to give credit to the coaching staff and the players.”

That credit score targets to all which have purchased into the plan, however was Andrews who instigated the thought to take advantage of a quick begin from kick-offs and got here up with the technique.

After coming into Brentford and surveying the place he may add to an already established set of concepts, kick-offs and throw-ins had been recognized as potential ploys. It’s price noting that Brentford’s xG from lengthy throws is at present finest within the league.

Andrews wished to make use of Ajer as a goal man from kick-off after which have 4 attacking gamers soar on the second ball, win possession, and attempt to create a chance.

The concept was to make it predictable for Brentford, however unpredictable for the opposition, and the teaching employees wished a kick-off that aligned with Brentford’s quick and aggressive model of play.

There was evaluation carried out and a bent discovered that Metropolis and Spurs go to the right-hand aspect at kick-off. So – enjoying at right-back – Ajer pushed excessive up on Brentford’s proper aspect. The attacking gamers adopted, received the ball, received right into a crossing place and created targets for Yoane Wissa at Metropolis and Mbeumo at Tottenham.

Towards West Ham, Frank, Andrews and the employees had been conscious Julen Lopetegui would have carried out his homework on the ploy at this level, so that they switched it up and went symmetrically of their push up the sector.

The third of the three quick targets was subsequently extra in regards to the strain on the second ball and following phases, and Fabio Carvalho specifically will be seen profitable it twice earlier than it will definitely lands to Mbeumo for an additional candy end.

Though it was Andrews’ concept, it seems Brentford are reaped the rewards for the approaching collectively of most of the membership’s strategic property in a single play; revolutionary concepts, an open discussion board for teaching employees, gamers prepared purchase into plans, and the abilities out there on the sector to drag them off.

Carragher’s evaluation

So, did Carragher get his evaluation of the set-piece plan proper? As he dissected their three targets on Monday Night time Soccer, he mentioned: “I think a big part of this is (Kristoffer) Ajer. He’s 6ft 5in, playing as a full-back, getting up there, so he’s going to give you a chance to keep the ball alive.

“They return to the goalkeeper and kick it lengthy, and with him being 6ft 5in, the ball goes to fall on this (attacking) space. Then they create a form of cage (of gamers across the ball).

“There are seven or eight players around the ball. They keep it alive. They start really quick. Just by doing that it gives them the opportunity to keep the ball alive and get it in the box.

“They appear a lot extra alive than the opposite groups. Possibly there’s something within the warmup as effectively. There was a mistake by Dias (for Man Metropolis) they usually capitalised. They put a fantastic cross in and you continue to want an exquisite end (from Mbeumo towards Tottenham).

“What’s interesting (against West Ham) is they’re trying to do something different because they want West Ham to not be sure, when this ball goes back, whether it’s going to that way or that way.

“However once more they maintain it alive (up the pitch) they usually win the second ball. There’s a lot that comes after it (the beginning) however it’s concentrating on a tall participant, and catching groups chilly.”