Brentford have scored inside the opening 40 seconds of their last three successive Premier League games.
It is unheard of – certainly a Premier League record – and their new kick-off ‘routine’ was dissected by Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football.
It is the work of Brentford’s latest set-piece guru – and former Sky Sports pundit – Keith Andrews, working alongside manager Thomas Frank.
Having a set-piece coach is all the rage these days, but Brentford have had them for almost 10 years. Sky Sports takes a closer look at how the club have led the way in this arena of coaching and the impact Andrews is already making…
Nicolas Jover and setting the trend
Brentford were the first ever English club to hire a designated set-piece coach, way back in 2015, and have since had several of them nabbed by bigger clubs.
Giovanni Vio was the first brought in after Brentford had the worst set-piece record in the Championship during 2014/15. However, it is Nicolas Jover who has become perhaps the most renowned one thanks to his recent exploits at Arsenal.
Jover was brought to Brentford in 2016 and was then pinched by Manchester City, after three successful years with the then Championship side, on Mikel Arteta’s recommendation while he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant.
Arteta then took him to Arsenal in 2021 and, since, they have been the most successful attacking set-piece team in the Premier League with 45 goals. Jover has continued to be credited this season as the brains behind some of their crucial set-piece winners against Tottenham and Leicester.
Yet Brentford are just behind the Gunners with 43 set-piece goals scored between 2021 and the end of last season, under the tutelage of Bernardo Cueva, who was the next innovative set-piece coach snapped up, this time by Chelsea in the summer.
Andrews is now the current Brentford set-piece coach, after working with Chris Wilder at Sheffield United and six years coaching in the Republic of Ireland national setup. There, he was involved with every age group from the U15s until becoming assistant manager of the senior team – and he made a similar impact on set-pieces.
Andrews’ novel idea
“Of course there is planning that goes into it,” manager Frank admitted after Bryan Mbuemo’s second goal this season inside 40 seconds against West Ham, and the third in as 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 goals to all that have bought into the plan, but was Andrews who instigated the idea to exploit a fast start from kick-offs and came up with the strategy.
After coming into Brentford and surveying where he could add to an already established set of ideas, kick-offs and throw-ins were identified as potential ploys. It is worth noting that Brentford’s xG from long throws is currently best in the league.
Andrews wanted to use Ajer as a target man from kick-off and then have four attacking players jump on the second ball, win possession, and try to create an opportunity.
The idea was to make it predictable for Brentford, but unpredictable for the opposition, and the coaching staff wanted a kick-off that aligned with Brentford’s fast and aggressive style of play.
There was analysis done and a tendency found that City and Spurs go to the right-hand side at kick-off. So – playing at right-back – Ajer pushed high up on Brentford’s right side. The attacking players followed, won the ball, got into a crossing position and created goals for Yoane Wissa at City and Mbeumo at Tottenham.
Against West Ham, Frank, Andrews and the staff were aware Julen Lopetegui would have done his homework on the ploy at this point, so they switched it up and went symmetrically in their push up the field.
The third of the three fast goals was therefore more about the pressure on the second ball and following phases, and Fabio Carvalho in particular can be seen winning it twice before it eventually lands to Mbeumo for another sweet finish.
Although it was Andrews’ idea, it appears Brentford are reaped the rewards for the coming together of many of the club’s strategic assets in one play; innovative ideas, an open forum for coaching staff, players ready buy into plans, and the skills available on the field to pull them off.
Carragher’s assessment
So, did Carragher get his analysis of the set-piece plan right? As he dissected their three goals on Monday Night Football, he said: “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 go back to the goalkeeper and kick it long, and with him being 6ft 5in, the ball is going to fall in this (attacking) area. Then they create a sort of cage (of players around 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 seem so much more alive than the other teams. Maybe there is something in the warmup as well. There was a mistake by Dias (for Man City) and they capitalised. They put a great cross in and you still need a wonderful finish (from Mbeumo against 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.
“But again they keep it alive (up the pitch) and they win the second ball. There is a lot that comes after it (the start) but it’s targeting a tall player, and catching teams cold.”