Manager Watch: Praise, not pressure, for Andrews as unbeaten Brentford go sixth

There is no crisis at Brentford, and this week's Manager Watch is a study in credit rather than pressure.

According to the Premier League table, the Bees sit sixth after two matches: one win, one draw, four goals scored and only one conceded. FanTribe's results data shows how those points were collected — a 1-1 draw away at Leeds United followed by a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, a result which leaves Spurs 19th in the same table, pointless and goalless. Four points put Brentford level with Newcastle United and Everton, and two adrift of the early pacesetters on six, a group that includes Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Praise from the wire

The national coverage has been warm towards head coach Andrews. BBC Sport reported on Saturday that he was proud of his side's display, and that his team had played the “ugly side of the game” — a compliment to the industry behind the unbeaten start.

Opposition managers have been complimentary, too. BBC Sport carried reaction from Sunderland's Le Bris, who described his side's opening 45 minutes against Brentford as “one of our best first halves”, with the broadcaster's headline suggesting he was left pleased despite a draw between the two clubs. That fixture appears in FanTribe's results feed as finished but without a confirmed scoreline, so we are treating the result as unconfirmed.

The tests ahead

The fixture list sharpens quickly. According to FanTribe's fixture data:

• AFC Bournemouth v Brentford, 12 September — Bournemouth 2.6, draw 3.75, Brentford 2.88
• Brentford v Chelsea, 18 September — Brentford 2.62, draw 3.75, Chelsea 2.5

The markets make Brentford narrow underdogs on the south coast — against a Bournemouth side with a single point from two games, per the Premier League table — and near enough level with Chelsea at home.

On the opening evidence, that may be underselling them. Two matches, four points, one goal conceded and a Tottenham scalp — per the Premier League table and FanTribe's results data, Andrews' Brentford have made the quietest possible case for themselves. Whether the praise survives Chelsea's visit is the next question Manager Watch will ask.