'Old-school mentality with modern ideas' - Keith Treacy backs Keith Andrews for Brentford vacancy

RTÉ News​

4 hours ago

Keith Treacy believes his former Republic of Ireland and Blackburn Rovers team-mate Keith Andrews' "old-school mentality with modern ideas" will allow him to thrive as a head coach and has his fingers crossed that the Dubliner will get the Brentford job.
Following Thomas Frank's departure to take charge at Tottenham Hotspur, RTÉ Sport understands that Andrews, who is a set-piece coach at Brentford, is among the candidates for the vacant head coach role at the Premier League club. However, it is an ongoing process and there is not expected to be an imminent appointment at the west London outfit.
If it were to come to pass, it would mark a meteoric rise for the 44-year-old, whose previous coaching roles have included being Stephen Kenny's long-time assistant coach with Ireland and a spell at Sheffield United under Chris Wilder.
Speaking on Monday's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Treacy, who played alongside Andrews at club and international level, backed the former Wolves, Hull City, West Brom and MK Dons player for the vacancy at Brentford.
"I think it's a massive opportunity. To be 44-years-of age and to be thrown around to potentially be the next manager of Brentford would be a huge step forward," he said.
"Keith is a very realistic bloke, very clever bloke. I don't think he'd be underestimating the opportunity if it does come along.
"But the fact that he hasn't gone to Spurs with Thomas Frank, you're thinking has he been told something?
"But I believe there are meetings taking place in the background now."
Andrews has earned praise in some quarters for his impact at Brentford last season, with the Bees' statistical strenght at set-pieces drawing notice, as well as their propensity to make fast starts in matches.
"A lot of people have said to me, 'How can a set-piece coach become the coach or the manager of a club?' I wouldn't put too much weight behind the title 'set-piece coach'. I think he does an awful lot more than just drill them for when they're defending or attacking set-pieces," Treacy continued.
"He's learned under Stephen Kenny, he's learned under Chris Wilder. He will feel he's earned his stripes and from an Irish point of view, if he does get it, Irish coaching is in a brilliant place at the minute, domestically with Stephen Bradley, Damien Duff, Kevin Doherty as well should be thrown into the mix. He's turning up trees at Drogheda at the minute.
"And obviously across the water there's a couple of lads as well. Kieran McKenna has just dropped out of the Premier League, so it's in a good place and I really do hope Keith does get the job because I've been lucky enough to work with Keith.
"I was his room-mate for the Irish B team when we played (Nottingham) Forest in Dalymount, played with him at Blackburn and he's really old-school in his beliefs in that he won't take anything less than 100%.
"He will obviously have tactics and phases of play, and stuff that he will add to the mixer, but I think his underlying message will be out-work the opposition and then the talent will come to the forefront.
"So old-school mentality with modern ideas and I'm sitting here with my fingers crossed, hoping he gets the job. I'd love to see him get a crack at the whip."
Recalling Andrews' personality in the Blackburn dressing room, Treacy highlighted elements that stood out and could point to relevant attributes in management.
"There are certain senior players that would be very quick to give you an earful if you did something wrong in training and they wouldn't go after certain players because they might get a bit back," he said.
"But Keith would give me a bit when I did something wrong, he would go after Craig Bellamy, he would go after (Roque) Santa Cruz, whoever it was. Keith just has that mentality of you need to do better.
"I loved that he treated everybody the same in the way that he would dish out these earfuls."
While Andrews may be in the running for the Brentford job - at a time when defender Nathan Collins is on the books as well as the newly arrived Ireland number one Caoimhin Kelleher - other Irish coaches have been on the move this week.
Brian Barry-Murphy has just been appointed Cardiff City manager and Diarmuid O'Carroll has joined Sparta Prague's first-team staff from Newcastle United's youth ranks.
The latter, a former Ireland Under-21 international, is an ex-Celtic youth team-mate of former Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Richie Towell, who was also on this week's podcast, describing him as a good player and "good fella" to boot.