If it is any consolation for Keith Andrews, things should only get better after Brentford were brushed aside by Nottingham Forest in his first game in charge. It was an eye-opening lesson for the new head coach, as Nuno Espírito Santo and his players showed they are ready to build on last season’s success story.
Chris Wood scored twice and Dan Ndoye netted on his debut to finish the match as a contest before 45 minutes had elapsed. Brentford could not cope with the hosts, who dictated the game from the start, while the visitors offered little indication of what style they plan to play under Andrews, who could take no enjoyment from Igor Thiago’s late penalty.
“We will learn a lot from that 45 minutes, especially me,” Andrews said. “[It was] very disappointing in terms of your preparation, how you envisage it, looking from a tactical perspective, not too different really. I felt, I’ve kind of stressed this most of the week, I felt it would be a game of structure that was needed to be very respectful of what Forest have, how they play the game. Basics is a word in football and sport that is seen sometimes as a dirty word. I’m big on it – unless you do the basics, you don’t give yourself an opportunity to play the game that you want to play.”
Nuno complained in the buildup about the lack of summer transfer activity. He has since been appeased by the arrivals of Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee, who were paraded in front of the supporters before kick-off.
Forest scored once in seven pre‑season matches, producing five goalless draws. Those statistics were rendered irrelevant within five minutes when Wood reacted quickest to a bouncing ball in the box from a corner, after Brentford failed to clear, to direct it home. Nuno looks poised to get a new striker in the coming days in the form of, Arnaud Kalimuendo from Rennes but the New Zealander Wood offered a reminder that his 20 Premier League goals last season were not a fluke.
What Andrews would have done for the talismanic forwards of 2024-25 but Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo were not available. The latter is at Manchester United and the former has at least one foot out of the door. It was a less than ideal situation for his first game in senior management and his team sat too deep, ceding control to Forest. Considering Andrews’ previous role as set-piece coach, the manner in which the goal was conceded will have greatly irritated him.
Nuno wants his team to dominate possession more often and Brentford were willing to allow Forest to settle into this new style. Morgan Gibbs‑White was given space in which to receive the ball, further emphasising why Forest did everything in their power to stop him departing for Tottenham. Gibbs-White drifted into the areas he felt he could do most damage, picking up the ball and finding a forward pass to keep Brentford on the back foot.
Andrews was constantly tested by Nuno, to see how quickly he could adapt his team. Forest’s wingers swapped positions, Gibbs‑White moved out wide and Ndoye spent time playing as a second central striker. If Andrews was under pressure before the start, Nuno was putting his tactical acumen in a vice.
Forest had their own new era with Ndoye giving their fans more than a glimpse of what to expect after a summer move from Bologna. The Swiss attacker showed trickery on the wing but provided more than anticipated with a smart run to meet a Gibbs‑White cross into the box and head beyond Caoimhín Kelleher.
The debutant goalkeeper picked the ball out of the net for a third occasion in first-half injury-time when Wood latched on to a through-ball from the superb Elliot Anderson. The striker was not tracked and calmly rounded the goalkeeper before tapping into the empty net and wheeling away in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
“I just want to go home and celebrate, because it’s a beautiful start,” said Nuno, who wants the club to be busy in the market this week. “I’m delighted. I think the way we started the game was amazing. We dominated, controlled, [and had] good combinations.”
Knowing the game was done, despite Thiago’s calm penalty after Ibrahim Sangaré handballed, the tempo in the second half dropped, giving Andrews some time to ponder what he will need to change.
Jordan Henderson was given a debut off the bench and his experience will be vital because it is apparent that Andrews is learning on the job, while Nuno’s methods once again look assured. Life will become more difficult once the Europa League starts but Forest do not give the impression of being worried.
