Brentford Next Manager Odds: Who will be the Bees Next Boss?

Brentford Next Manager Odds: Who will be the Bees Next Boss?

16.05.25

Well, that escalated quickly. One minute Thomas Frank was the darling of Brentford, the next he’s legged it to Tottenham Hotspur to try and steady the good ship Spurs – again. It seems Ange Postecoglou, despite ending a 17-year trophy drought and securing a spot in the Europa League, couldn’t survive a few stumbles in the league. Harsh? Probably. Surprising? Not remotely – this is modern football, after all, where patience lasts about as long as a boiled kettle.

So now Brentford find themselves without their affable Danish tactician and are wasting no time assembling their shortlist of potential replacements – or in this case, shortlist of people who might not abandon them for a shinier postcode the minute a bigger club bats its eyelashes.

And leading the charge, or rather curling in from a set-piece, is none other than Keith Andrews – former midfielder, current set-piece specialist, and, if reports are to be believed, the likely successor to Frank’s Gtech throne.

Keith Andrews: From the Touchline to the Top Job?

If you’ve been wondering what Keith Andrews has been up to lately, besides fine-tuning corners and free-kicks like a man possessed with the ghost of Beckham, he’s apparently been impressing Brentford’s hierarchy enough to be considered for the top job.

The 44-year-old has already given the thumbs-up to assembling his coaching team, which is usually a decent indicator that things are moving quickly behind the scenes. Brentford seem keen to avoid a drawn-out saga – no waiting for a marquee name or chasing unicorns. They want someone who gets the club, understands the project, and preferably won’t pack up at the first sign of a six-figure salary from Stamford Bridge.

Andrews, who kicked off his playing days at Wolves and ended them with a rather nomadic existence around the EFL, including stints at Blackburn Rovers and MK Dons, is very much a football man’s football man. Quietly respected, tactically astute, and unlikely to turn post-match interviews into Shakespearean monologues – which might be a bonus.

Contenders? Yes. Convincing? Well…

That’s not to say Andrews has been handed the keys to the club without competition. There’s been chatter, naturally, about Kieran McKenna, the much-admired Ipswich gaffer. But Brentford, stung by Frank’s exit and not keen on reliving abandonment issues, reportedly cooled their jets. Apparently, McKenna has his eye on something a bit more Premier League prestige, and who can blame him?

Still, you’ll find him priced up in the managerial markets at 5/1 – a reflection that nothing in football is ever truly off the table until someone’s signing a contract with a club scarf awkwardly draped around their shoulders.

Further down the odds list, the name Francesco Farioli crops up at 12/1. A name that sounds like it should come with a pasta dish and a bottle of Chianti, Farioli is nonetheless one of the rising tacticians on the continent. But whether Brentford are ready to roll the dice on a continental wildcard remains unclear.

Then there’s Kjetil Knutsen and Edin Terzic, both sitting at 18/1 – and presumably enjoying their footballing lives too much elsewhere to be that interested in a west London rebuilding job.

And of course, what would a managerial shortlist be without a smattering of ex-England internationals and footballing celebrities?

Roll Call of the Wildcards

Here’s where things take a turn for the slightly surreal. Because sitting at a neat and speculative 25/1 are the likes of Jack Wilshere and Brendan Rodgers. One is barely out of his boots, the other probably still has a Leicester loyalty card in his wallet. Long shots? Sure. But if there’s one thing we’ve learnt from recent managerial appointments, it’s that logic often goes out the window quicker than a VAR decision.

Lurking just behind on 33/1 are names that read like a “Where Are They Now?” segment on Match of the Day: John Terry, David Wagner, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Scott Parker, Des Buckingham, Nathan Jones, John O’Shea. If you threw them all into a five-a-side tournament, you’d sell out Wembley. But trusting any of them with Brentford’s long-term vision? A risk, to say the least.

Interestingly, Scott Parker is available as short as 6/1 with some operators, suggesting that someone, somewhere, sees him as a potential suitor. Perhaps someone’s still watching old footage of that brief-but-beautiful Fulham run in 2020.

And if all else fails, someone’s surely going to whisper Frank Lampard into the boardroom for the tenth time this decade – a man who’s been linked with more jobs than a bored teenager on Indeed.

The Bigger Picture: Free Bets and Frustration

For fans with an eye on the betting markets, it’s all about timing. The managerial odds boards are bouncing all over the place, and while Keith Andrews seems the most likely, a rogue appointment isn’t impossible. With many markets offering free bet bonuses, it’s tempting to back a 33/1 wildcard and hope the Brentford board do something characteristically quirky.

Of course, those free bets come in handy if your chosen saviour suddenly ends up taking an assistant role in Saudi Arabia instead. It’s not the most stable business, punting on next managers – but when you get it right, it’s gloriously smug.

Frank’s Farewell and the Need for Continuity

The departure of Thomas Frank, though painful, was hardly unforeseeable. His stock was always going to rise after the way he guided Brentford to mid-table stability and Premier League respectability. That Tottenham came calling isn’t exactly an insult – but Brentford now find themselves at a crossroads.

Do they go for familiarity and continuity, in the shape of Andrews? Or do they risk a bold, left-field appointment and hope for another miracle? Whichever direction they choose, they’ll want someone who believes in the club’s ethos, values progression, and – ideally – isn’t keeping one eye on the exit every time a top-six job becomes available.

Final Thoughts: Brentford Buzzing, but Cautiously

So here we are – Frank gone, Andrews nearly in, and a cast of former players and foreign managers all waiting in the wings with fresh notebooks and shiny new tactics.

If you’re a Brentford fan, you might be hoping the board settles this sooner rather than later – ideally before the club ends up being managed by someone from the pundit sofa on ITV4. But don’t be surprised if there’s a twist in the tale. These managerial markets are about as predictable as a Championship play-off final.

In the meantime, the free bets are flying, the speculation is swirling, and somewhere in London, Keith Andrews is probably watching set-piece footage with one eye and waiting for his phone to ring with the other.

Let’s just hope Brentford pick wisely – because the Premier League waits for no one, and the last thing they need is another managerial merry-go-round.

11.05.25

Well, it finally looks like the curtain’s coming down on Thomas Frank’s time in West London. After steering Brentford from Championship obscurity to flirting with European nights (yes, really), the bespectacled Danish wonder is off to sample life under the bright lights of North London, reportedly taking over at Tottenham. Good luck, Thomas — and may the gods of the Tottenham dugout be kinder to you than they were to the last… well, all of them.

Back at the Gtech Community Stadium, though, the mood is a little more serious. With Frank heading for pastures shinier, Brentford now face the unenviable task of replacing a man whose fingerprints are all over their tactical blueprint, recruitment policy, and even the half-time tea routine. It’s a big job. And the bookies, naturally, have their say on who’s likely to take it on.

The In-House Favourite: Justin Cochrane Leads the Charge

At this point, it’s almost tradition for football clubs to look within when replacing a much-loved manager. After all, when someone’s spent years building a project from the ground up, the thinking tends to be, “best not tear it all down now.” And that’s precisely where Brentford may be heading, with current Head of Coaching, Justin Cochrane, the odds-on favourite to step up.

Cochrane joined the club back in June 2022 and has reportedly become a key part of Brentford’s internal machinery — the tactical gears, so to speak. He knows the players, understands the system, and perhaps most importantly, won’t need a satnav to find the training ground.

Bookmakers have him at a short 4/7 to take the reins. Not exactly generous, but a fair reflection of how the winds are blowing. If you’re partial to a cheeky flutter and reckon Cochrane’s the man for the job, it might be the right time to hop on over to William Hill, where new customers can claim a Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets offer. Just think of the bragging rights if you call it right.

Kieran McKenna: From Ipswich to the Capital?

But wait — there’s another contender circling the vacancy. Step forward Kieran McKenna, currently in charge at Ipswich Town. The Northern Irishman has worked wonders in Suffolk, dragging the Tractor Boys up by their wellies, though they’ve had their fair share of bumps along the way.

At 2/1, McKenna is being touted as a very realistic alternative to Cochrane. The appeal is obvious: he’s tactically sharp, still relatively young in managerial terms, and crucially, might be tempted to remain in the Premier League if Ipswich’s brush with relegation proves fatal. A move to Brentford would be a step up in resources, squad quality and, dare we say it, facilities that don’t include sheds behind the main stand.

He’s clearly got admirers — not just at Brentford, but across the top-flight. So don’t be shocked if that price shortens. Another nice shout if you’re looking to take advantage of those free bet bonuses before the market shifts quicker than a winger on a counter-attack.

A Summer of Change – Again

As if losing Thomas Frank wasn’t enough of a shake-up, Brentford also appear destined to wave goodbye to star man Bryan Mbeumo this summer. After playing the role of talisman to perfection in recent seasons, the fleet-footed attacker now has Manchester United and a few other well-funded rivals sniffing around.

This would mark the second summer in a row the Bees lose a major attacking asset. Last year it was Ivan Toney. Now it’s Mbeumo. And as any Brentford fan will tell you, continuity is great until you’re faced with the reality of trying to replace 15 goals and six assists with a deadline day loan from Ligue 2.

The silver lining? A decent wedge of cash is expected from Mbeumo’s departure, and that could free up some serious room for manoeuvre in the transfer market. Whether it’s a big-name striker or a slightly overpriced wonderkid from Scandinavia, expect some movement. Whoever takes over as manager is likely to have both money and a mandate to spend it wisely.

Final Word: Can Brentford Keep Buzzing?

The Thomas Frank era may be drawing to a close, but Brentford remain one of the most intriguing clubs in the Premier League — well-run, tactically sound, and capable of punching above their weight with alarming regularity. Whether it’s Cochrane stepping up from within or McKenna arriving from Ipswich with a suitcase of playbooks, the challenge is clear: keep the project alive.

And for those looking to add a bit of spice to their managerial guesswork, the free bet offers on the market — especially the William Hill “Bet £10 Get £30” deal — might just provide the perfect excuse to get involved. Because let’s be honest, nothing adds drama to a managerial appointment quite like knowing your midweek pint money is riding on it.

So, who’s it going to be? The internal continuity of Cochrane? The promising nous of McKenna? Or a mystery candidate waiting in the wings, dramatically unveiled with a scarf and a carefully worded press release?

As ever with Brentford — expect the unexpected. But place your bets wisely.

Brentford Next Manager Odds