Long-serving head coach Thomas Frank has departed Brentford for pastures new, with the Dane taking over from Ange Postecoglou as new Tottenham Hotspur manager.
And betting sites have reacted by opening a next Brentford manager market as the west London side go on a head coach search for the first time since 2018.
Frank took over at Brentford when they were still in the Championship, guiding them to promotion before turning the Bees into a well-established Premier League side.
A 10th-placed finish last term has left the Bees in a good position, but with Frank leaving, alongside the potential departure of Bryan Mbeumo, the new boss will need to act quickly both on the pitch and in the market ahead of the season beginning on 16 August.
And reports over the weekend suggest that set-piece coach Keith Andrews is the favourite to take over the head job at the Gtech, with football betting sites having cut his odds to as short as 1/10 in places. Other sites make Andrews a 1/3 shot, suggesting the deal isn’t done yet.
Previous assistant manager Justin Cochrane was the leading candidate to take over – with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna also admired – though Cochrane has since joined Frank as part of the Spurs backroom staff.
So, with new reports emerging and plenty of movement possible before the new season starts, we’ve taken a look at the leading contenders for the Brentford job.
Next Brentford Manager Odds
Manager |
Odds |
Betting site |
|---|---|---|
Keith Andrews |
1/3 |
|
Kieran McKenna |
5/1 |
|
Francesco Farioli |
8/1 |
|
Kjetil Knutsen |
18/1 |
|
Edin Terzic |
18/1 |
|
Danny Rohl |
25/1 |
|
Brendan Rodgers |
25/1 |
Note that according to the terms on most betting sites, “caretaker and interim managers completing at least 10 consecutive competitive games will be deemed the permanent manager”.
Brentford’s current set-piece coach Keith Andrews is the leading candidate to take over from Frank, with the Irishman having joined the club in 2024.
The Independent understands that Andrews is already searching for coaches to fill out his backroom staff ahead of the new season, and he is as short as 1/10 on some betting apps to take over at the Gtech.
Andrews has never held a head coaching position before and the appointment would be seen as a gamble, albeit one by a team that has a history of promoting from within the club.
Current Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is an interesting proposition at around 5/1, with the Englishman having seen his side suffer relegation from the Premier League this season.
Nevertheless, McKenna has received plaudits for his performance while in charge of the Tractor Boys, and having also won promotion from the Championship the season before, he certainly has the edge in experience over Andrews.
Former Premier League and Champions League bosses in the running
Francesco Farioli is a new name on the list, offered as low as 8/1, with the Italian having left Ajax after a dramatic turnaround in the final two matches of the season that saw them lose out on the Eredivisie title to PSV. However, that sacking was widely seen as a silly decision from the Dutch giants, so could another team capitalise?
In a surprise twist, current Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen has seemingly entered the running, with the Norwegian priced at 10/1.
He guided Bodo/Glimt on an unprecedented run to the Europa League semi-finals last season, and it seems as though that run has attracted the interest of clubs abroad too.
An even bigger surprise would be were Ange Postecoglou to swap north for west London after recently leaving Tottenham.
The Australian’s chances of going straight back into management have divided opinion among Premier League betting sites with some pricing him at 10/1, while bet365 make him a 40/1 shot.
Former Dortmund boss Terzic guided Dortmund to the 2024 final but lost out to Real Madrid, and has been out of work since being sacked by the club not long after. He is also priced at 14/1 to take over.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl had been an 8/1 chance early in the process off the back of led his side to a 12th-placed finish in the Championship last season. However, it doesn’t seem as though that performance will be enough to tempt the Bees into discussions and he’s been pushed out to 25/1.
Ex-Gunner Still in The Running
There’s plenty of intrigue among the less-likely candidates to take over at the Gtech, too, including name such as Jack Wilshere, Brendan Rodgers and even Roberto de Zerbi.
However, Wilshere (25/1) left Norwich at the end of last season after being informed that he would not be considered for the full-time role, so it is unlikely Brentford would think he is ready.
Brendan Rodgers is also offered at 25/1, though it is unknown whether he would see a move to the Bees as a step in the right direction from Celtic.
And de Zerbi is a similar prospect – with the Italian having finished second in Ligue 1 with Marseille last season, it is unknown whether a return to the Premier League would tempt him.
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