Keith Andrews

[CPB]

He's done well but the real power at Brentford is not the coach, it's the infrastructure

On the money there.

Andrews has carried the job on well though but the common theme with them, Bournemouth, Brighton is that everything is set up fantastically well.

I'm not in the Wilder out brigade... But no manager can evade poor results forever etc.

But to become one of them above it's not Wilders fault. In fact how would he do at one of them clubs?

 

[Thrice]

Another important fact is Andrews is classed as Head Coach, not manager.
Just Google 'Brentford fc management structure' to see how we are light years behind them.

One thing that stood out to me in Rosen's interview he did recently was when he said even though he's not an expert in football he knows how to put processes in place.
So maybe he notices what's working in Brighton and Brentford and will act accordingly.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Finlay with all due respect do you know what a CEO role is? The CEO sets the overall strategy of the business, he decides how to spend the budget and control costs. Hes the day to day manager of the business and reports to the shareholders...ie the owners. He will need their approval for big decisions but its totally within his power to go to them and say I've looked at the budget and I believe we need a DoF, or I believe we need to beef up the recruitment team...and in many cases he wouldn't need their approval to do that. It depends how hands on the owners are and its pretty clear ours arent.

Hes been CEO for 10 years now under various owners and our infrastructure isnt fit for purpose. That is down to him as he has been running the business for a decade.

Don't disagree with what you say and the big decisions are made by the board, Wilder has always been against a dof and Hecki probably the same . Don't disagree it's probably the way forward in future.
I still think Bettis is an important part of the club and Wilders reluctance to have one maybe is the reason.
Is Wilder too old to change his ways? may not be necessary if Wilder is moved upstaires.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Don't disagree with what you say and the big decisions are made by the board, Wilder has always been against a dof and Hecki probably the same . Don't disagree it's probably the way forward in future.
I still think Bettis is an important part of the club and Wilders reluctance to have one maybe is the reason.
Is Wilder too old to change his ways? may not be necessary if Wilder is moved upstaires.

A new young coach under his wing and I don't mean Collins or Jones.

 

[Bartleby]

A new young coach under his wing and I don't mean Collins or Jones.

would be a recipe for disaster that IMO. I was recruited in a job once to work for a guy who had been promoted and I had his old job. Even though he had other areas he was responsible for in his new role he just couldn't resist meddling. It was absolute chaos until he fucked off about a year later.

 

[Balham]

But to become one of them above it's not Wilders fault. In fact how would he do at one of them [Brighton or Brentford] clubs?

Wilder would be appalling in a Brentford/Brighton type role. The expectation there is that the head coach improves players, is smart tactically and works within a rigid hierarchy with limited input into transfer decisions. That's pretty much the polar opposite of Wilder's modus operandi.

 

[KMC-1889]

would be a recipe for disaster that IMO. I was recruited in a job once to work for a guy who had been promoted and I had his old job. Even though he had other areas he was responsible for in his new role he just couldn't resist meddling. It was absolute chaos until he fucked off about a year later.

Same thing happens during mergers and acquisitions when the old founders are retained. Holds the entire organisation back until they've been paid off.

WIlder can't be part of what comes next because his finger prints are all over what's wrong with the club now. Bring him back in a year or two in a similar ambassadorial role to the one Currie does now.

 

[Bell4]

Jack Lester was at the Stoke game yesterday. Stood just across the aisle from me.

Did you get married ?

 

[JohnDenver]

One thing that stood out to me in Rosen's interview he did recently was when he said even though he's not an expert in football he knows how to put processes in place.
So maybe he notices what's working in Brighton and Brentford and will act accordingly.

That stood out to me too. Delegation to people with real expertise, plus organisational structure. That’s what he’s on about - it’s his thing.

I mean, unless he’s a complete dufus, Rosen must know he’s just expediently lobbed all the eggs into the Wilder basket. Which did get us out the cart last season, but it can’t last forever…

 

[bertieblade]

Same thing happens during mergers and acquisitions when the old founders are retained. Holds the entire organisation back until they've been paid off.

WIlder can't be part of what comes next because his finger prints are all over what's wrong with the club now. Bring him back in a year or two in a similar ambassadorial role to the one Currie does now.

Why bring him back at all
We are trying to run a business not a jobs for the boys old boys network

 

[joe casey]

Was going to say similar. The structure at Brighton and moreso Brentford is incredible. How many managers have come in at Brighton and they just carry on regardless?
Andrews has gone on to Brentford and picked up what Thomas Frank left behind.

Tottenham are the exact opposite of these 2 clubs and they have taken managers previously at Brentford and Brighton... Thomas Frank flopped and De Zerbi is currently flopping there. Does this highlight the magnitude of the job at Spurs, or does it show that these aren't actually good managers outside of the solid models at B & B ? - I know De Zerbi also did well at Marseille (the biggest club in France historically)

Agreed.
Andrews may be an excellent coach - but Brentford are run so well I'd wager you could put half a dozen managers in there and get similar results.
They're the exact opposite of us.

 

[Nick Jansky]

But to become one of them above it's not Wilders fault. In fact how would he do at one of them clubs?

Very badly, given what he said last week about wanting British and Scandinavian players. He wouldn’t get their culture, which is progressive and very different to his.

 

[FriethBlade]

Don't disagree with what you say and the big decisions are made by the board, Wilder has always been against a dof and Hecki probably the same . Don't disagree it's probably the way forward in future.
I still think Bettis is an important part of the club and Wilders reluctance to have one maybe is the reason.
Is Wilder too old to change his ways? may not be necessary if Wilder is moved upstaires.

I originally eas of the opinion thst Wilder was an obvious DoF and link between the board and manger. However increasingly I think thst when he goes we need a complete break from tje past to move into the future.

Wilder is my age and Im guessing hes about as in touch with modern football methods as I am with crypto currency. When we change we need modern football people who are up with modern training techniques, nutrition etc not someone who surrounds himself with 'his ilk' and wants British players cus they get the culture

 

[Blade56]

Just Google 'Brentford fc management structure'

I did just that (Gemini) and asked for an evaluation….

Comparing the management structures of Brentford FC and Sheffield United FC highlights a stark contrast in modern football governance: a data-centric, process-oriented setup versus a traditional, owner-dependent operational framework.

1. Structural Breakdown

Brentford FC: The Integrated, Data-Driven Model

Ownership & Vision: Owned by Matthew Benham (a former hedge-fund manager and founder of Smartodds). Operational philosophy is rooted strictly in mathematical modeling, expected goals (xG), and quantitative analysis.

Executive Leadership: Jon Varney (CEO) oversees commercial/operational arms, while Phil Giles (Director of Football) handles all football decisions.

Recruitment & Analytics: The recruitment team operates directly alongside Smartodds analyst teams. Rather than relying solely on traditional scout intuition, they evaluate under-the-radar talent based on statistical projections.

Development Pipeline: Scrapped their traditional academy to create a B Team / Development setup, focusing on under-valued players released from major academies or overlooked foreign leagues to maximize financial efficiency.

Sheffield United FC: The Sovereign/Consortium-Driven Model

Ownership & Vision: Transitioned from singular ownership (Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud) to American private investment consortium 1919 Partners LLC / COH Sports led by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy.

Executive Leadership: Stephen Bettis serves as Chief Executive Officer, linking the executive board directly to football operations.

Recruitment & Analytics: Operates a conventional model heavily relying on the manager (Chris Wilder) alongside a standard recruitment staff. Decisions are predominantly manager-led and network-driven.

Development Pipeline: Retains a traditional Category 2 Academy setup focused on localized domestic talent development.


2. Evaluation: Which Model Is Best?

Winner: Brentford FC

While Sheffield United’s structure is familiar and capable of short-term success, Brentford’s management structure is objectively superior for sustainable modern football governance due to three key factors:

1. System-Over-Individual Design: Brentford's model ensures operational continuity. If manager Thomas Frank or key executives leave, the underlying mathematical framework and talent identification process remain intact. Sheffield United's traditional setup leaves them vulnerable to overhaul every time the managerial seat changes.

2. Financial Efficiency & Sustainability: Brentford turns structural limitations into strength by acquiring undervalued talent, developing them, and selling at significant profit to continuously fund premier-tier performances. Sheffield United’s model has historically oscillated between high-risk premier spending and severe financial tightening upon relegation.

3. Data Clarity: Brentford minimizes emotional bias in player evaluation and match analysis. While Sheffield United’s new investment group (1919 Partners) aims to modernize, Brentford has over a decade of proven execution operating at the absolute forefront of modern sporting governance.

AI’s rubbish, forgot pashuun

 

[bakeblade]

I did just that (Gemini) and asked for an evaluation….

Comparing the management structures of Brentford FC and Sheffield United FC highlights a stark contrast in modern football governance: a data-centric, process-oriented setup versus a traditional, owner-dependent operational framework.

1. Structural Breakdown

Brentford FC: The Integrated, Data-Driven Model

Ownership & Vision: Owned by Matthew Benham (a former hedge-fund manager and founder of Smartodds). Operational philosophy is rooted strictly in mathematical modeling, expected goals (xG), and quantitative analysis.

Executive Leadership: Jon Varney (CEO) oversees commercial/operational arms, while Phil Giles (Director of Football) handles all football decisions.

Recruitment & Analytics: The recruitment team operates directly alongside Smartodds analyst teams. Rather than relying solely on traditional scout intuition, they evaluate under-the-radar talent based on statistical projections.

Development Pipeline: Scrapped their traditional academy to create a B Team / Development setup, focusing on under-valued players released from major academies or overlooked foreign leagues to maximize financial efficiency.

Sheffield United FC: The Sovereign/Consortium-Driven Model

Ownership & Vision: Transitioned from singular ownership (Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud) to American private investment consortium 1919 Partners LLC / COH Sports led by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy.

Executive Leadership: Stephen Bettis serves as Chief Executive Officer, linking the executive board directly to football operations.

Recruitment & Analytics: Operates a conventional model heavily relying on the manager (Chris Wilder) alongside a standard recruitment staff. Decisions are predominantly manager-led and network-driven.

Development Pipeline: Retains a traditional Category 2 Academy setup focused on localized domestic talent development.


2. Evaluation: Which Model Is Best?

Winner: Brentford FC

While Sheffield United’s structure is familiar and capable of short-term success, Brentford’s management structure is objectively superior for sustainable modern football governance due to three key factors:

1. System-Over-Individual Design: Brentford's model ensures operational continuity. If manager Thomas Frank or key executives leave, the underlying mathematical framework and talent identification process remain intact. Sheffield United's traditional setup leaves them vulnerable to overhaul every time the managerial seat changes.

2. Financial Efficiency & Sustainability: Brentford turns structural limitations into strength by acquiring undervalued talent, developing them, and selling at significant profit to continuously fund premier-tier performances. Sheffield United’s model has historically oscillated between high-risk premier spending and severe financial tightening upon relegation.

3. Data Clarity: Brentford minimizes emotional bias in player evaluation and match analysis. While Sheffield United’s new investment group (1919 Partners) aims to modernize, Brentford has over a decade of proven execution operating at the absolute forefront of modern sporting governance.

AI’s rubbish, forgot pashuun

I'm not seeing much pashuun in any of the last few years signings

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

If people are interested I can ask Gemini what it thinks of us and to evaluate the pros and cons of Wilder? It's great because you then get my opinion which you've all heard countless times, then an irritatingly written load of horseshit from a large language model that obviously nobody could ever possibly care about or find interesting.

 

[Nick Jansky]

If people are interested I can ask Gemini what it thinks of us and to evaluate the pros and cons of Wilder? It's great because you then get my opinion which you've all heard countless times, then an irritatingly written load of horseshit from a large language model that obviously nobody could ever possibly care about or find interesting.

I’m not sure we’ve ever heard your opinion as such. What we have heard, a lot, is you attacking the opinions of others without offering much by way of a counter argument.

 

[Upton_Blade]

If people are interested I can ask Gemini what it thinks of us and to evaluate the pros and cons of Wilder? It's great because you then get my opinion which you've all heard countless times, then an irritatingly written load of horseshit from a large language model that obviously nobody could ever possibly care about or find interesting.

Assuming that's a dig about what Blade56 has posted above so why don't you show us all your glorious wisdom and tell us why anything he posted is incorrect and not relevent?

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

I’m not sure we’ve ever heard your opinion as such. What we have heard, a lot, is you attacking the opinions of others without offering much by way of a counter argument.

If you read my posts you'd see very detailed counter arguments. Stuff you laugh at like an entire season and results from it.

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

Assuming that's a dig about what B56 has posted above so why you show us all your glorious wisdom and tell us why anything he posted is incorrect and not relevent?

Why don't you go get off over that video of "Danny Tommo" slashing a dinghy in the middle of the ocean with someone in it?

 

[Upton_Blade]

Why don't you go get off over that video of "Danny Tommo" slashing a dinghy in the middle of the ocean with someone in it?

So you agree you were talking, as usual, absolute drivel.

Glad we cleared that up

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

So you agree you were talking, as usual, absolute drivel.

Glad we cleared that up

Go celebrate people drowning. Again

 

[Upton_Blade]

If you read my posts you'd see very detailed counter arguments. Stuff you laugh at like an entire season and results from it.

You never put up any sort of detailed counter argument that gives us any reason to have another think about how we see things.

Your idea of "very detailed counter arguments" is basically shit like "We got 92 points that year so it must have been a great season".

It's utterly pathetic.

 

[Kenilworth]

Shows the value of proper succession planning.

Shows the value of money and a massive betting odds data company behind your recruitment. It’s not been done on the cheap.

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

You never put up any sort of detailed counter argument that gives us any reason to have another think about how we see things.

Your idea of "very detailed counter arguments" is basically shit like "We got 92 points that year so it must have been a great season".

It's utterly pathetic.

Certainly better than celebrating people drowning though isnt it.

 

[Kenilworth]

For this club to move forward Wilder needs to go completely, no moving up stairs or making the tea its a thanks Chirs and Good luck.

It’s not so much Wilder now as back to little or no money. That’s the crux of it. You get rid of Wilder and we plummet with this set if gnoshers at the helm.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Why don't you go get off over that video of "Danny Tommo" slashing a dinghy in the middle of the ocean with someone in it?

You’re going to get a bad reputation from quite a few of Wilder’s mates for this sort of thing.

 

[KMC-1889]

It’s not so much Wilder now as back to little or no money. That’s the crux of it. You get rid of Wilder and we plummet with this set if gnoshers at the helm.

Wilder has had money and we’re still here.

It’s not about how much we spend, it’s how inefficiently we spend what we have.

 

[Upton_Blade]

Certainly better than celebrating people drowning though isnt it.

Getting boring now George and yet again you fail to address the point put to you and just waffle on about stuff that didn't have an effect the 1st 20 times you said it.

To clear it up as well. I stand by my comment that I wasn't upset that during the invasion, and it was an invasion, of Cuerta that a few died trying to storm another country either via drowning or getting trampled. It was just another example of Fuck About Find Out.

I've never really commented on the boats coming across the English Channel. For the record as well Danny Tommo will, quite rightly, go to jail for his disgusting acts yesterday. Hopefully for a long time.

Anyway now that's cleared up do you fancy answering the topics posed to you on this thread?

 

[Davalon]

Doesn't take a lot for Jack to swear.

Often when people didn't mount the kerb around Broomhill and Upperthorpe to let his lordship through in a morning as his journey was clearly far more important than anyone else's.