Brentford analysis: Andrews faces testing times in rebuildpublished at 17:52 BST 17 August 2025
17:52 BST 17 August 2025
Emma Smith BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
It has been a summer of change for Brentford, most notably in Thomas Frank and assistant Justin Cochrane being poached by London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Keith Andrews was promoted to the top job, but has had to deal with the loss of key players Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and Mark Flekken - all sold in this transfer window.
Forward Yoane Wissa could soon be on his way too, with the Newcastle target left out of the Bees squad for the City Ground trip.
Andrews' first starting XI included debuts for keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, £17m Dutch attacking midfielder Antoni Milambo and right-back Michael Kayode, while Jordan Henderson made his Premier League return as a second-half substitute.
Former Republic of Ireland international Andrews has had to rebuild as he tries to maintain Brentford's impressive record of never having been in the relegation zone across the last four seasons.
That is a record they still maintain for now, but they are only out of the bottom three on goal difference.
All of Andrews' best-laid plans went out the window after the first meaningful attack of the match.
First, the corner was needless - captain Nathan Collins stepped in front of Kelleher and turned the ball behind, when the keeper was about to collect the ball under no pressure.
Boss Andrews, the club's former set-piece coach, could then only look on in dismay as three blue-shirted players around Chris Wood got in each others' way from the corner, allowing the New Zealander to turn home a loose ball for the opening goal.
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford: What Andrews saidpublished at 17:11 BST 17 August 2025
17:11 BST 17 August 2025
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Brentford lost 3-1 on the road at Nottingham Forest in their opening Premier League fixture and manager Keith Andrews believes his team need to get back to 'basics'.
"It was always going to be difficult but we made it harder for ourselves," Andrews told BBC Match of the Day.
"We knew their strengths and we knew the problems they would cause. Set pieces were always going to be a threat. I felt our structure was lacking. We didn't perform in the first half.
"Get back to basics. Basics in the game is a dirty word at times. You have to have an edge and do the ugly side of the game and compete as a team. I didn't think we did that. I saw it a lot in the first half today and it's something we need to address. The second half was a lot better on a lot of fronts.
"The second half performance had a lot of character. [Igor] Thiago, it was good for him to get off the mark."
On transfers and new players: "The club is always looking for what they need. You've seen today there are some players getting up to speed and they haven't had a fluid pre-season. I'm really happy with who we've signed so far."
On Yoane Wissa's future, speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "It is what it is. it's an ongoing issue. Ideally Wissa would have been available today and unless anything has happened in the last few hours then it's the same things. Hopefully it can resolve itself sooner rather than later.
"We're always looking and there's a clear plan at the club if a player leaves then we'll look."
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford: Did you know?published at 16:27 BST 17 August 2025
16:27 BST 17 August 2025
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Brentford suffered their first ever matchday one defeat in the Premier League (P5 W2 D2 L1), and conceded three+ goals in their season opener at any level for the first time since 2004-05 at Chesterfield in League One (3-1).
Nottingham Forest v Brentford: Team news published at 13:01 BST 17 August 2025
13:01 BST 17 August 2025
Dan Ndoye, Nottingham Forest's new £36 million winger signed from Bologna this summer, starts for Nuno's side at City Ground today.
New Brazilian arrivals Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha are on the bench, while Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee - announced by the club as new signings yesterday night - are not involved.
Morgan Gibbs-White, who signed a new three-year deal after being heavily linked with a move, captains Forest.
Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Brentfordpublished at 11:06 BST 17 August 2025
11:06 BST 17 August 2025
People are writing both of these teams off for different reasons and saying they won't be as good as last season.
As well as seeing their manager go to Spurs, Brentford have lost Bryan Mbeumo - and Yoane Wissa seems to want out too - so the worry with them is who will get their goals?
I still think the Bees have enough battle-hardened Premier League players to compete, but maybe Kevin Schade needs a bit of help up top.
It is also going to be difficult for Nottingham Forest to go again and be as good as they were last year. They have sold Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood turns 34 years old in December, but at least they kept hold of Morgan Gibbs-White.
I think this will be a very tight and quite scruffy game but as long as Forest win it, they won't care.
Nottingham Forest v Brentford: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:57 BST 16 August 2025
13:57 BST 16 August 2025
Tom McCoy BBC Sport journalist
Brentford ended only three places below Nottingham Forest last season but they face a difficult task at the City Ground on Sunday after losing key personnel over the summer.
The west London side will be without both of last season's joint top scorers for their opening game, with Bryan Mbeumo sold to Manchester United and Yoane Wissa not currently considered for selection amidst interest from Newcastle.
Former captain Christian Norgaard has also departed to Arsenal, while goalkeeper Mark Flekken has joined Bayer Leverkusen.
That would be a testing scenario for most experienced Premier League managers, but the Bees will have rookie Keith Andrews in charge. Thomas Frank's successful seven-year reign ended in June when he moved to Tottenham and the Dane could prove a tough act to follow.
This will be Andrews' first managerial role, though he does have experience working as an assistant and served as the Bees' set-piece coach last season.
Perhaps surprisingly, the 44-year-old will become only the seventh permanent Premier League manager from the Republic of Ireland, as classified by Opta, and the first since Chris Hughton left Brighton in 2019.
Last season's seventh-place finish earned Forest European qualification for the first time in 30 years, while their tally of 19 Premier League wins was one more than their combined tally in the previous two years.
The end of the campaign was tinged by disappointment, with defeat by Chelsea on the final day ending hopes of Champions League qualification, but there is nonetheless plenty of reason for optimism going into their first game.
Forest are the beneficiaries of Crystal Palace's demotion to the Conference League for breaching multi-club ownership rules. As a result they have been elevated to the Europa League and won't face a two-legged qualifying play-off later this month.
The Reds have also been buoyed by the decision of captain Morgan Gibbs-White to sign a new three-year contract, despite appearing on the verge of joining Tottenham only a few days earlier.
They have lost winger Anthony Elanga to Newcastle but Switzerland international Dan Ndoye has arrived from Bologna as a replacement, while Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus have been recruited from Brazil.
The club have also agreed fees for Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson and Manchester City midfielder James McAtee, both of whom impressed as England won this summer's European Under-21 Championship.
Forest used just 23 players in last season's Premier League, fewer than any other side, but need increased squad depth to cope with European football.
'Andrews the manager to watch this season'published at 12:05 BST 16 August 2025
12:05 BST 16 August 2025
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BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators were asked to pick 21 players who will be worth watching out for in the next few months. While he isn't a player, a manager made the cut, too.
Keith Andrews
Conor McNamara: Obviously, no longer a player, but I would still put Keith in the 'wildcard' category.
Sure, his appointment has raised plenty of eyebrows, but I have worked regularly with him as a co-commentator in the past for Irish TV.
His enthusiasm and way with words really impresses me. Because I know him from work, in recent seasons my eye would be drawn towards him before games when Sheffield United or Brentford were warming up, and, although an assistant at the time, he always seemed to be at the heart of everything and constantly communicating with the players.
The owners at Brentford have earned a reputation for making good decisions, and they will not have made this one rashly. They have seen him up close and will have heard the feedback of a squad who enjoy his methods.
So many high-profile managers have crashed out in their first Premier League job, so it certainly is not easy. But I'll be hoping that Andrews gets off to a really good start.
'Bournemouth laughing all the way to the bank' - is Ouattara wise business?published at 12:50 BST 15 August 2025
12:50 BST 15 August 2025
We asked for your views on Brentford agreeing a record deal of up to £42.5m for Bournemouth forward Dango Ouattara.
Do you think the Burkina Faso international will improve Keith Andrews' team or are the Bees being overcharged?
Here are some of your comments:
George: A great acquisition, as always, from Brentford. A skilful and rapid carrier of the ball who knows how to cross into the box, which will pair well with Schade's great heading ability and Thiago's hold-up play.
Ben: Quite an elegant solution to our problems. It looks like he would be more of a Mbeumo replacement, but the fact he can play through the middle also means that he can provide cover for losing Wissa. He seems to be an adaptable player that we will be able to develop in either role. The fee is excessive but that is what you pay for young players who are Premier League proven these days, I suppose.
Kevin: Nine goals, you're having a laugh! Bournemouth are laughing all the way to the bank.
Nick: If you strip it all back, the recruitment team are looking at a very small pool of players. They need someone of the right age who has Premier League experience and has a proven track record of goals. They don't come cheap and Ouattara ticks a lot of those boxes.
Gary: A great purchase and a great replacement for Wissa. He can now go to Newcastle for around the same money, while we get a player who is proven and has a great future.
Jake: His expected goals and assists per 90 minutes is high. You have to trust the club here. His flexibility across the frontline is great. Looking at the club's past business, it is hard to question the move without insider knowledge.