Brentford’s fast targets: How ex-Sky Sports activities pundit Keith Andrews turned brains behind Bees’ lightning begins | Soccer Information

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

It’s remarkable – definitely a Premier League document – and their new kick-off ‘routine’ was dissected by Jamie Carragher on Monday Evening 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 fad as of late, however Brentford have had them for nearly 10 years. Sky Sports activities takes a better take a look at how the membership have led the way in which on this enviornment of teaching and the influence Andrews is already making…

Nicolas Jover and setting the pattern

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

Giovanni Vio was the primary introduced in after Brentford had the worst set-piece document within the Championship throughout 2014/15. Nonetheless, it’s Nicolas Jover who has develop into maybe essentially the most famend one because of his latest 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 facet, on Mikel Arteta’s suggestion whereas he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

Arteta then took him to Arsenal in 2021 and, since, they’ve been essentially the most profitable attacking set-piece crew 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 top of final season, beneath the tutelage of Bernardo Cueva, who was the subsequent progressive 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 crew – and he made an identical influence 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 concept to use 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 have been recognized as potential ploys. It’s value noting that Brentford’s xG from lengthy throws is presently greatest within the league.

Andrews needed 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 workers needed a kick-off that aligned with Brentford’s quick and aggressive model of play.

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

Towards West Ham, Frank, Andrews and the workers have been conscious Julen Lopetegui would have achieved his homework on the ploy at this level, in order 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 may 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 lots of the membership’s strategic belongings in a single play; progressive concepts, an open discussion board for teaching workers, gamers prepared purchase into plans, and the talents 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 Evening Soccer, he stated: “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 kind 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 nicely. There was a mistake by Dias (for Man Metropolis) and so they 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) and so they win the second ball. There’s a lot that comes after it (the beginning) however it’s focusing on a tall participant, and catching groups chilly.”