🚨 Brentford's European Dream Dies at Anfield, Now Comes the Rebound

📝 THE FULL PICTURE: Brentford came within one result of European football last season. A draw at Anfield on the final day, plus an inferior goal difference, dropped them to ninth when eighth was right there. Dango Ouattara's late headed miss will haunt the summer. Keith Andrews, Thomas Frank's replacement, now has to prove his rookie success wasn't beginners' luck. The squad lost Jordan Henderson's leadership to Chelsea, but added Callum Wilson on a free, Jaidon Anthony, and Mamadou Sangaré, a club-record £35m signing from Lens. Igor Thiago cooled off late, scoring once in his final six matches. 💭 MY TAKE: Missing Europe might actually help Brentford. Small clubs get stretched by extra fixtures, physically and financially. But the dream is still alive. Sangaré looks like a perfect fit for their high-pressing style, and Andrews is proving he's more than just a set-piece specialist. The real issue? They were the most set-piece reliant team in the league but scored just ten set-play goals, their joint-fewest. That balance has to shift, or the ceiling stays low.