Keith Andrews
Keith Andrews
Kevin Palmer
Today at 14:14
Keith Andrews was installed as one of the bookies' favourites to be the first manager sacked in the Premier League this season, but the Brentford boss has insisted he is not listening to the negative noise around his appointment.
Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Andrews took on a huge challenge when he succeeded Thomas Frank at Brentford, as his first frontline management role came in the Premier League.
Now he has told Sky Sports that the critics keen to write him off have not affected him.
"I don't hear anything, if I'm being entirely honest. I don't need to hear anything. I don't need to read anything," said Andrews.
"I understand the narrative and even if I were someone externally not understanding what goes on in the building, I might be of the same opinion as some of these people who have that opinion of us.
"But I'm so confident in the way this club is wired, right from the top. There's a reason this club has got to where it's got to and that's through good people making very, very good decisions and not just based on the short term."
Andrews went on to admit he was surprised to get his first management job in the Premier League, as he insisted the new look squad he is building at Brentford can cause a few surprises this season.
"Did I expect this level of job to be my first? No, not realistically at all. But I feel very comfortable in it,” he continues.
"I've loved it. I've absolutely loved it. I've worked a long time to get to this point in my career.
"The reality is we've lost some key players. But I'm very, very confident in the players that we already have in the building.
"I think we're in a really good position and I just feel like most people don't know that.
"For me, there's not a lot of common sense in football. In a lot of environments, everybody wants short-term success.
"But our fans… they appreciate the journey this club has been on and is still on. They're not complacent about where we are and what we need to do collectively to stay at this level and continue to strive and not just survive."