Thomas Frank era ends, Keith Andrews takes reins
Longtime Brentford manager Thomas Frank had been linked to other clubs in recent years, and the move finally happened. Frank departs Brentford to take over at Tottenham. He leaves behind a great legacy that included our promotion to the top tier and two top-10 Premier League finishes during his seven-season managerial run. Frank wrote a letter to supporters, saying "For my family and I ... it's an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life. So, thank you."
Reports indicated the likes of Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and former Ajax manager Francesco Farioli were potential candidates, but Brentford ultimately stayed in-house with Andrews, who will be a manager for the first time. Director of football Phil Giles' interview about Andrews: "He's very clear in what he wants, he's detailed, and the players and staff like and respect him. He's a perfect fit for what we were looking for."
Will this move be a gamble, or will Andrews' familiarity within the club's framework pay dividends in this transition? It's a question that will linger throughout the offseason and the opening weeks of 2025-26.
More on NYC Bees:
Social: Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok | X
Media Hub: SlideTackles.com
Returning to NYC's Red Lion on Sunday, Aug. 17
The Premier League announced its 2025-26 schedule a couple weeks back, and that means a return for us at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St.! We'll have to wake up a little early as Brentford faces Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 9 a.m. ET. It has been confirmed that the pub will open early for us. Our season debut was originally scheduled for the date before, but Forest pushed this later to accommodate for cricket. Opta Analyst ranks Brentford's opening five-game schedule as one of the easier stretches among the PL. Following Forest, we host Aston Villa (Aug. 23), travel to recently promoted Sunderland (Aug. 30), host Chelsea (Sept. 13) and travel to Craven Cottage for Fulham (Sept. 20).
FanFest Live Brentford recap
On June 11, I joined FanFest Live and Shades of Blue for a special Brentford End of Season Report show. The live show took place a day before Thomas Frank's move to Spurs became official. We covered some season grades for elements of the club, and of course chatted about our offseason involvement. Shades of Blue uploaded a YouTube version of our chat, which is more ideal if you don't want to jump through some of the login hoops at FanFest!
Brentford News & Notes
Goalkeeper change: Kelleher in, Flekken out: Brentford opened the transfer window with a big change at goalkeeper. After leading the PL with 153 saves this past season, Mark Flekken left the club to join Bayer Leverkusen. Simultaneously, Brentford completed a deal to bring in Caoimhín Kelleher from Liverpool. The 26-year-old Irish footballer earned seven victories in 10 league appearances in 2024-25, including four clean sheets, en route to winning a Premier League trophy. Flekken's two-year stint brought out an array of supporter opinions -- some good, some tenacious! -- but you can't deny that he bailed us out on a number of occasions this past campaign. Good luck to him!
Reports: Mbeumo to Man U, Norgaard to Arsenal: Neither move is official yet, but there is a strong likelihood that Brentford will see two of its most important pieces bound for other clubs. It has been widely reported that Bryan Mbeumo is about to join Manchester United. Mbeumo, who's 25, garnered outside interest after a stellar 2024-25 season that included 20 goals and seven assists. Then there is Christian Norgaard, who is reportedly set to join Arsenal. The captain had recently reworked a contract extension with Brentford; he would have been a free agent otherwise this summer. The 31-year-old defensive midfielder tallied five goals and four assists this past season. Both players are obviously massive losses if these transactions come to fruition, so it will be interesting to see A) who can step up among our current roster and B) who the front office can bring in to replace their talent and expertise. They were key cogs during our final couple seasons in the Championship, too, so a big thank you to them for playing vital roles in getting Brentford to this level!
Brentford Women's Tier 5 opponents: Early in the month, The FA announced the club allocations for the Brentford Women, who earned promotion to the fifth tier of women's football. Brentford's division includes the likes of Ashford Town, Millwall and fellow promoted side Aylesford. The Brentford Women won 21 of 22 league games in 2024-25 to work their way up the pyramid!
New partnerships: Brentford announced several new brands and partnerships this past month. Indeed will be the official training wear partner, Cazoo is an official sleeve partner, and Cynergy Bank is -- you guessed it -- the club's banking partner. Still standing by for the new Joma kits, isn't that what we're really here for?
Quick hits: The preseason schedule is right around the corner, with Brentford confirming a couple fixtures: a road match against Queens Park Rangers on Aug. 2, followed by a home match against Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach on Aug. 8. ... The Athletic reported on June 24 that English filmmaker Matthew Vaughn and South African businessman Gary Lubner are in advanced talks with the club about a minority investment. ... Former Brentford coach Lee Carsley guided the U21 England national team to the 2025 UEFA European U21 Championship crown with a 3-2 victory over Germany on June 28. ... Brentford's 2025-26 memberships are on sale. If you have any questions on this process, click on Brentford's how to guide page.
Suggestions, Comments, Feedback
If you ever have any thoughts, feel free to email (brentfordnyc@gmail.com) or chat with me anytime! #COYB!
Charlie