Andrews unsurprised by Brentford’s encouraging start

Keith Andrews says he is unsurprised by Brentford’s decent start under him.

The Bees were widely tipped to struggle following the departure of boss Thomas Frank along with key players such as Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard.

They were poor on the opening day of the season, losing 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, but got their first Premier League win under Andrews when they beat Aston Villa – and Tuesday’s win on penalties against the same opponents took them through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Andrews appeared to take on a tough task after replacing Frank as head coach, but he can take encouragement from recent performances.

“Pleased but not surprised. We’re growing as a group,” he said.

“The relationships are forming and the understanding of what we are trying to achieve and the steps we are taking in the right direction.

“The energy in the building is really good and I’ve been pleased with the last two performances.”

Following last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Andrews will lead Brentford into another west London derby on Saturday, when they face Fulham.

“It’s going to be a good test for us, but I like where we’re at going into the game ,” he said.

“The local derby means a lot to us. It means a lot to the fans.”