Former Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill questions Brentford manager Keith Andrews’ “buzzwords” despite praising his side’s win over Aston Villa

Former Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill has aimed a few subtle digs at Brentford manager Keith Andrews after watching the Irishman claim his first Premier League win, with O’Neill on punditry duty ahead of Brentford’s upcoming clash with Sunderland.

Andrews secured his first victory as Brentford boss as his side bounced back from a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Dango Ouattara’s 12th-minute strike sealed the points, with Brentford producing a resolute defensive display despite Villa dominating possession.

Captain Nathan Collins impressed at the heart of the backline, while summer signing Caoimhín Kelleher claimed his first clean sheet since joining from Liverpool, ensuring Andrews’ side held firm. Speaking after the game, Andrews praised his squad’s response and resilience.

He said: “I feel after last weekend’s game, it didn’t really represent who we are as a group, what this club is about. And I thought we showed that in abundance today. I thought we showed some real character, resilience and identity in the game, and togetherness that we constantly need to show, week to week, to be able to get results.”

O’Neill, however, couldn’t resist a subtle jab at his fellow Irishman. Reflecting on Brentford’s 3-1 defeat to Forest, where they conceded from a corner after just three minutes, O’Neill pointed out the irony, given Andrews’ past role as Brentford’s set-piece coach.

Brentford faced seven corners in the first half against Villa, but Andrews was quick to praise his side’s response: “[I was delighted with] the resolve, the resilience, the character, the togetherness they showed from all facets of play. We defended high, really well, aggressively. I thought how we dealt with that was really, really well, [we] nullified a lot of their threats. I thought we stood up to them amazingly well.”

However, O’Neill, who managed Sunderland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest during his career as well as the Republic of Ireland, raised eyebrows when Andrews spoke about Brentford’s “identity”, dismissing some of his comments as “buzzwords”...

He said: “A lot of buzzwords have come into the game in the last eight or ten years, and you kind of expect it now. The game has changed; there’s no doubt at all about it. It hasn’t changed that much in 50 years, but if you start rowing against that, you’re considered a bit of a dinosaur.”

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Despite the playful digs, O’Neill also praised Andrews’ start at Brentford and the importance of the result: “The most important thing is that he’s won the game, and he’ll be absolutely delighted. I’m not exactly sure, maybe Kenny [Cunningham] will explain to me what ‘identity’ means in football, but overall, you’ve won the game. It’s a big win for them, a great win, a really great win for them. Three points on the board, second game into the season, they’re off and running.”

Brentford are next in action on Saturday, when they face newly-promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, a fixture that will carry added intrigue after O’Neill’s comments.

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