Jack

UEFA Accredited Football Writer.

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Thomas Frank loves stats.

So I pitched him a few to highlight the 44 points Brentford have dropped from winning positions since August 2023.

One stood out to him and is now something he is keen to address.

@VAVEL

#BrentfordFC | #PL https://t.co/ToBsEt3jwM

[Jack @_JackBrace]

A return to 4-3-3 for Brentford this afternoon as Schade replaces Damsgaard in the line-up.

Henderson and van den Berg come in for Yarmoliuk and Ajer to face their former club alongside Kelleher.

#LIVBRE | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ KA: "As a person, just the added responsibility that I’ve purely had this year, the time commitments, the time management.

"I certainly don’t get as much time as I used to to spend time with loved ones, which requires a level of patience and understand from them, obviously, trying to find the balance with that as the season’s gone on.

"I got asked last week if I had changed much, I don’t think I have, but, again, my responsibilities are very different to what they were 12 months ago."

(3/3).

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ As Brentford's season draws to a close away at Liverpool this afternoon, it sees Keith Andrews' first year as a senior head coach come to an end.

From a set-piece role and an opening day disaster to PL Manager of the Year nominee and in contention for Europe, it has been a campaign far exceeding expectations.

19 wins and 10 draws have come from 44 matches (all comp.) as the Bees sit 9th in the league table on 52 points, having also reached a Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Rewarded with a new 6-and-a-half-year contract in February, the 45-year-old offered a professional and personal reflection after a season in his new position.

(1/3) | #BrentfordFC

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ KA: "As a coach, [you are] always learning and having to adapt; day-to-day, week-to-week, you’re always looking to fix things that aren’t quite right.

"How you can improve; always looking at the individuals and how you develop those and how you can support the individuals, the players.

"What’s the best way to go about beating the opposition because that’s ultimately it and how you prepare towards that.

"That’s a steep learning curve because of the level that we’re at because of how many top managers and phenomenal players we have in the league.

"That’s always tricky but we’ve done okay on that front as a whole.

(2/3).

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Great to see Ethan Laidlaw get the credit he deserves this week after an outstanding second half of the season and form that's caught Keith Andrews' eye.

"Ethan I think has been really, really good since January. He’s scored a lot of impressive goals," Andrews said during his press conference on Thursday.

He has contributed 13 goals and 4 assists in 14 matches for Brentford B in 2026 and was an influential figure in their U21 PDL title win.

Since returning from a dislocated shoulder in January, the 21-year-old has been the sharpest I've seen him be as he proved clinical from the left and at centre-forward.

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Brentford Academy @BrentfordFCPDP]

Our players' player 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ Keith Andrews on Brentford's incoming summer signing Jannik Schuster:

"We try to add the right type of player into the equation that will supplement the squad," he said.

"Make sure we have the right type of squad to be able to compete in the short-term, always with an eye on what the club looks like in the medium-to-long-term, and Jannik fits that really well.

"He's had a really good season at Salzburg. [He is] someone that I really like as a person, I can see the hunger in him to do really well.

"I have no doubt he'll prove to be a really good signing."

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Keith Andrews kept his cards close to his chest when I asked him about which Brentford B players have impressed him most this season, with a view of a first-team promotion.

"I think it would be wrong to give you names because the ones I don’t say will be a bit annoyed with that," he responded.

"Lots of them have been up training with us throughout the season and had an amazing experiences.

"I think that connection between first-team and B team is tight and we want to get it even tighter going forward."

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

I expected Andrews to say his Mourinho moment against Sunderland in January when he ran down the touchline to celebrate Igor Thiago's record-setting goal.

"I was very lucky to avoid a yellow card with that," Andrews responded.

"The fourth official that day was Rob Jones and he did me a huge favour, so I owe him one."

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ Keith Andrews on his favourite moment of the 2025/26 season:

"I think the Man United win was a big one.

"We’ve had some really big wins, important wins. We’ve had some unbelievable performances that have given us the wins as the season’s gone on.

"The manner of the Man United win and where we were at the stage of the season was a pretty important one for the group looking back."

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣️ Keith Andrews on his favourite moment of the 2025/26 season:

"I think the Man United win was a big one.

"We’ve had some really big wins, important wins. We’ve had some unbelievable performances that have given us the wins as the season’s gone on.

"The manner of the Man United win and where we were at the stage of the season was a pretty important one for the group looking back."

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Keith Andrews' press conference went on for almost 45 minutes so I'll start posting quotes once I've got some food in me and I'm on the train.

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Team News | Keith Andrews confirms there are no new injury concerns ahead on Sunday's trip to Liverpool.

"Injury-wise, it's the same as last week in terms of availability."

There was no further update on anyone's recovery.

#LIVBRE | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

📍 Jersey Road Training Ground

Keith Andrews is set to speak with the media at 17:30 (BST) ahead of Brentford's season-ending visit to Liverpool on Sunday.

A win could see the Bees secure a place in Europe for the first time in the club's history.

#LIVBRE | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Josh Stephenson has been named Brentford's U21s Player of the Year after a standout season as captain of a PDL title-winning team.

A commanding centre-back with eye-catching technical qualities, he has consistently impressed since making his B team debut in November 2024.

The 20-year-old has been around the first-team all season and has made Keith Andrews' squad 5 times in 2026 - albeit an unused substitute.

Stephenson talked about achieving his goals this campaign and the guidance he's recieved to further his development when I spoke with him on Monday night.

#BrentfordFC | #PL

[Jack @_JackBrace]

The defeat is the first Brentford B have suffered at the Gtech Community Stadium and it ends an unbeaten run of 9 wins and 2 draws.

[Jack @_JackBrace]

FULL-TIME: Brentford B 1-3 PSG U21s.

It's a first defeat in the Robert Rowan Invitational for Brentford as an Abo El Ray brace and a first-half Housni strike cancel out Morgan's effort to secure the win for the visitors.

#BrentfordB

[Jack @_JackBrace]

🗣 "We weren't as clinical as we have been this season, but that's a lesson we can take from it."

Brentford B captain Josh Stephenson reflected on their 3-1 Robert Rowan Invitational defeat to PSG U21s this evening.

#BrentfordB

[Jack @_JackBrace]

FULL-TIME: Brentford B 1-3 PSG U21s.

It's a first defeat in the Robert Rowan Invitational for Brentford as an Abo El Ray brace and a first-half Housni strike cancel out Morgan's effort to secure the win for the visitors.

#BrentfordB

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Goal. Rayan Abo El Nay.

PSG make it three.

It's another brilliant strike from the substitute who proceeds to go over to a section of Brentford's support to gloat after a previous interaction.

1-3.

[Jack @_JackBrace]

Goal. Rayan Abo El Nay.

PSG take the lead in the 90th minute with a sublime strike into the top corner. Wolfheimer got a hand into it but it wasn't enough.

1-2.

[Jack @_JackBrace]

GOAL! Iwan Morgan.

The 20-year-old does what he does best as he calmly slots the ball past Francillonne after Owen put him through on goal with a pass from deep.

1-1.