Latest news with #SheffieldUnited
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
English Premier League club announces new manager
Former Irish international, Keith Andrews, announced as new manager for English Premier League club, Brentford. Photo: BEN WHITLEY English Premier League club Brentford has named former Ireland international Keith Andrews as its new manager. Andrews replaces Thomas Frank, continuing the West London side's trend of promoting from within. Frank, who left to take over at Tottenham Hotspur, stepped up from the assistant role at Brentford to take charge in 2018, and now Andrews has been handed his first managerial role having served as the club's set-piece coach for one season. According to media reports, Andrews has signed a three-year contract. "Keith is a very good fit," director of football Phil Giles said. "He gets on with everyone, he's very open and he's a learner. He understands the players in the building and the way we've played and trained under Thomas Frank. "Keith will bring his own evolution but isn't starting from scratch, so hopefully we can make some quick progress." Andrews, who made 35 appearances for Ireland, began his coaching career as assistant manager at MK Dons where he finished playing in 2015 before joining the Ireland Under-21 set-up as assistant coach to Stephen Kenny. Kenny became manager of Ireland's senior side in 2020, taking Andrews with him, where they both remained until Kenny's contract ended three years later, but Andrews found himself newly employed in a matter of weeks. Andrews joined Sheffield United's coaching staff when Chris Wilder took over in December 2023, with the Irishman leaving at the end of the season to take up his role at Brentford. "He is someone we have known for a while and always had in mind for a role at some point in the future," Giles said at the time of the appointment. While Frank took assistant first-team coach Justin Cochrane, head of athletic performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him to Spurs, Andrews remained at Brentford, a clue perhaps to his future at the club. Frank, who took Brentford into the top flight for the first time in 74 years and made them a competitive force in the Premier League, will be a hard act to follow for the inexperienced Andrews, but his predecessor also went into the job relatively unknown. "I'm very appreciative of the owner, the board and the staff that have supported this decision," Andrews said. "It's an opportunity I feel I'm very capable of doing and ready to do. I'm humbled to be the new head coach of an amazing football club that's touched me in a lot of ways." - Reuters
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Brentford chief explains why Frank successor was decided before he joined Spurs
Brentford have promoted Keith Andrews from set-piece coach to head coach after just a year at the club following the long-planned-for departure of Thomas Frank to Tottenham Brentford had long ago considered replacing Thomas Frank because they knew the Dane would be poached by a Premier League rival. The Bees have appointed Keith Andrews as Frank's successor after Tottenham came calling and the process has now been explained by the club's director of football Phil Giles. Frank was Brentford boss for nine years, playing a crucial role in helping to establish the west London club as a Premier League regular. He left earlier in June to replace Ange Postecoglou at Spurs, leaving Brentford with a decision to make. They have done so quickly, promoting Andrews from set-piece coach to head coach. The 44-year-old former Republic of Ireland midfielder will embark upon his first head coach position in the 2025/26 campaign and will have a major job on his hands. Filling Frank's shoes is hard enough, but Andrews, who joined Brentford last summer from Sheffield United, will also have to deal with the losses of key players. Winger Bryan Mbeumo is the subject of a £60million bid from Manchester United, while captain Christian Norgaard is heading to Arsenal for £9.3m. Brentford have developed a reputation for being a well-run club and Giles is sure Andrews will be able to build on Frank's work. 'With Keith being an internal appointment and promotion, the thought process about how to replace Thomas started many years ago,' he told the club website. 'When we replaced Dean Smith, we had Thomas lined up. While we never promised him the job, we had the idea that Thomas could potentially take over from Dean. It's the same principle here. When we appoint coaches, we always have an idea about whether they could potentially step up. 'When we became aware that Tottenham were interested in Thomas, we had a more detailed process, speaking to our staff but also arranging to speak with some people externally. That process started before Thomas had even formally left because we knew the direction of travel.' While this is his first head coaching position, Andrews has picked up a wealth of experience working as an assistant at Sheffield United, the Republic of Ireland and MK Dons. 'Keith is a very, very good person. He has good values and fits our culture well. He gets on with everyone, he's very open and he's a learner,' Giles added. 'He joined us a year ago as set-piece coach because he wanted a new experience. He wanted to be at our club and to learn. That says a lot about him. He's also covered many other parts of the game so he's well qualified to do the job.' Andrews said: 'It's an amazing place to be and I've felt that for 12 months now. That will remain. It's really important to me to have that vibe around the football club, that energy. 'There are a lot of words that are preached in sporting environments, like culture, and they're not lived, whereas they are lived here on a daily basis. I think it's really important to keep that humility that we have as a football club and continue to grow.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Blades live long and prosper?
It's Sheffield United, Jim, but not as we know it. The red and white half of the Steel City is set for a fascinating 43 days between now and kick-off in the new Championship season. When the Blades face Bristol City at Bramall Lane on 9 August, a new chapter – heralded by the club's American owners – will begin in earnest. Advertisement For now the dust is beginning to settle on a seismic change for which tremors will undoubtedly be felt for weeks, months and years to come. It's been a busy and dramatic six months since COH Sports acquired Sheffield United. Chris Wilder was quickly given a new three-and-a-half-year contract. United claimed a club record 92 points but missed out on automatic promotion in the final few games. They then lost the Championship play-off final having led with 15 minutes to go before Wilder eventually departed by mutual consent, being replaced by Spaniard Ruben Selles. That decision has split the Blades fanbase, with social media exposing extreme opinions on both sides of the argument for and against change. Boyhood fan and former player Wilder will always be a legendary figure at Bramall Lane. He achieved this status in his first spell when he took the club from League One obscurity to ninth in the Premier League, but he deserves more credit than he has received for his second spell, including last summer's rebuild in the wake of relegation from the top-flight, with a significant turnaround of players, and the protracted takeover which continued until late December. Advertisement At Wembley in May he stood on the brink of achieving something no other manager in the club's history had achieved: three promotions. It will always sting that he came so close for Wilder, his players and the club's supporters. But a significant number of Blades fans took issue with performances last season and the club's style of play, while questioning the success of recruitment in January and the near £450,000 in fines paid over player and staff conduct. Whatever motivated the decision to act, the Blades board has acted, and in doing so, they have thrown their full weight behind former Hull City and Reading boss Selles. Their claim that he "can employ innovative recruitment and analytic strategies" is key - relating to the owners' eagerness to use data and artificial intelligence to "recruit the best and brightest talent", which is central to the intrigue about how the Blades squad will take shape under Selles, who says he will have the final say on transfers. Advertisement How many existing players will be able to deliver the intensity that the Spaniard demands? Will some Wilder regulars find themselves sidelined? Will data-driven arrivals be in the majority or minority, as opposed to "seen it, done it" Championship players? United's new board is seeking "sustainable success" and says "the road ahead may require patience", but having come so close to a Premier League return last season, patience may be in short supply if the Blades aren't in the mix for automatic promotion from an early stage. It's a brave new enterprise at Bramall Lane, with Selles tasked to boldly go and establish the Blades as a regular top-flight club.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Will Blades live long and prosper?
It's Sheffield United, Jim, but not as we know red and white half of the Steel City is set for a fascinating 43 days between now and kick-off in the new Championship the Blades face Bristol City at Bramall Lane on 9 August, a new chapter – heralded by the club's American owners – will begin in now the dust is beginning to settle on a seismic change for which tremors will undoubtedly be felt for weeks, months and years to been a busy and dramatic six months since COH Sports acquired Sheffield United. Chris Wilder was quickly given a new three-and-a-half-year contract. United claimed a club record 92 points but missed out on automatic promotion in the final few games. They then lost the Championship play-off final having led with 15 minutes to go before Wilder eventually departed by mutual consent, being replaced by Spaniard Ruben decision has split the Blades fanbase, with social media exposing extreme opinions on both sides of the argument for and against fan and former player Wilder will always be a legendary figure at Bramall Lane. He achieved this status in his first spell when he took the club from League One obscurity to ninth in the Premier League, but he deserves more credit than he has received for his second spell, including last summer's rebuild in the wake of relegation from the top-flight, with a significant turnaround of players, and the protracted takeover which continued until late Wembley in May he stood on the brink of achieving something no other manager in the club's history had achieved: three promotions. It will always sting that he came so close for Wilder, his players and the club's a significant number of Blades fans took issue with performances last season and the club's style of play, while questioning the success of recruitment in January and the near £450,000 in fines paid over player and staff motivated the decision to act, the Blades board has acted, and in doing so, they have thrown their full weight behind former Hull City and Reading boss claim that he "can employ innovative recruitment and analytic strategies" is key - relating to the owners' eagerness to use data and artificial intelligence to "recruit the best and brightest talent", which is central to the intrigue about how the Blades squad will take shape under Selles, who says he will have the final say on many existing players will be able to deliver the intensity that the Spaniard demands? Will some Wilder regulars find themselves sidelined? Will data-driven arrivals be in the majority or minority, as opposed to "seen it, done it" Championship players?United's new board is seeking "sustainable success" and says "the road ahead may require patience", but having come so close to a Premier League return last season, patience may be in short supply if the Blades aren't in the mix for automatic promotion from an early a brave new enterprise at Bramall Lane, with Selles tasked to boldly go and establish the Blades as a regular top-flight club.
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Brentford promotes Keith Andrews to replace former manager Thomas Frank
LONDON (AP) — Keith Andrews has been appointed the manager of Brentford, succeeding Thomas Frank at the Premier League club. Andrews steps up after being hired as the set-piece coach under Frank and following roles with Sheffield United and Ireland. Frank took over at Tottenham this month. 'Keith is clear in what he wants, he's detailed, and the players and staff like and respect him,' Brentford director of football Phil Giles said. 'He understands the players in the building and the way we've played and trained under Thomas Frank." Brentford has become an established club in England's top flight since being promoted in 2021, and produced upsets against some of the biggest teams. Andrews faces a challenge to preserve the club's place in the division following Frank's departure and the sale of numerous first team players. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has left for Bayer Leverkusen and forward Bryan Mbeumo is a target for Manchester United. Midfielder Christian Norgaard is also a reported target for Arsenal. 'Keith will bring his own evolution but isn't starting from scratch, so hopefully we can make some quick progress,' Giles said. 'We were looking for somebody not just to maintain what we've been doing but actually try and get better.' ___
