There is always a moment in a game of Jenga when you step away from the creaking tower of blocks and place your faith in the remaining structure, while everyone expects it to fall.
That is where Brentford is located after a summer in which they have lost many crucial blocks.
The manager, Thomas Frank, to Tottenham. The captain, Christian Norgaard, to Arsenal. The goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, to Bayer Leverkusen. The top scorer, Bryan Mbeumo, to Manchester United, and soon their star -striker, Yoane Wissa, to Newcastle.
This is when we see whether one of the Premier League clubs announced the most for their foundations and decision-making, led by owner Matthew Benham, will remain standing or overthrow to the ground. Brentford is an unknown quantity for once.
Brighton, another club run by a goktycoon, has proven time and again that they can replace and supplement. Losing Graham Potter or Roberto de Zerbi? No effort, here is Fabian Hurzeler. Sell Moises Caicedo? Don't worry, here is Carlos Baleba.
Brentford has previously lost important players, such as Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, but never so much, not all at the same time, and never when entering a season without the talismatic, charismatic figure of Frank at the helm.
In his place, set-piece coach Keith Andrews, a former international republic of Ireland, begins his first management role. So it is little surprise that Brentford, outside the promoted clubs, are the favorites of the Bookmakers to be relegated next to wolves. Andrews is a favorite to be fired the first manager.
Insiders, however, told Daily Mail Sport that Benham will have done mathematics and has the costs to lose all those star names. If or when Wissa goes, he will not panic. He may be in the gambling industry, but he does not roll the dice.
He will take into account the risk of the unproven coach. He will have screamed the figures and have assessed all the likely and decided that it is all worthwhile.
One source added: “If they finish 16th and it turns out to be a season of reconstruction, they don't care.”
Andrews understands skepticism. He says that he is comfortable with it, has done things in the hard way, all his career, making Dublin 15 years old to become a member of the Wolves academy, to become a captain and then drop the divisions before he settled as a Premier League player at Blackburn.
He started coaching in Ewood Park and took the lead over the 14s when he was 29. After his retirement, he became an assistant to Karl Robinson at MK Dons, who were relegated to League One. He worked with the national side under Stephen Kenny.
Andrews joined Chris Wilder's Staff of Sheffield United, another relegation season in 2023, before he became Brentford's set coach last summer, a role in which he excelled. No side gave fewer goals from SET pieces than Brentford and only three teams scored anymore.
He managed the kick -off routines, often with the help of 6ft 5 immediately Kristoffer Ajer as a goalkeeper with teammates who buzz around him. Brentford scored in the first 40 seconds of three consecutive games.
Now 44, Andrews has finally earned his first shot in the hot chair. Brentford interviewed candidates, heavily connected with Kieran McKenna and the man who replaced Frank in Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou, also contacted, but eventually Benham obtained his PhD from the inside – as he had done with Frank in 2018 and Mark Warburton in 2013.
Andrews always called himself an obsessive football, but with the top track in his hands it went to a different level. He coordinated during dinner while ate the Fajitas of his wife. He was too busy thinking about the training of the next day.
Those who have viewed sessions have noticed how tactile Andrews is with his players. Many hugs, high five and knock on the head. If players are not sure about something, he gets his staff to show them videos.
During the training for the season in Portugal, Andrews asked Brentford ambassador Peter Gilham, the stadium broadcaster for more than 50 years, to give his presentation.
“It is important to understand the history and values of a club,” says Andrews. 'You have to identify with the club. I have been to clubs when players come in and they do not realize what it means for the local community and fans. '
Andrews spent time around Gaelic football teams to see how they have prepared players. He had 'deep discussions' with Lions -head coach Andy Farrell and consulted with NFL coaches, South Africa Rugby coaches and directors at Google, which he sees as mentors.
In recent weeks he has turned to those business people and also a familiar face in Frank. The couple enjoyed a few phone calls, including on the day that Tottenham lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup.
In his press conference prior to Sunday's game in Nottingham Forest, he referred to Keane Lewis-Potter as a 'Swiss pocket knife' and complained the younger coaches 'get lost in the beautiful game'. But for someone who is so inexperienced, he spoke with the confidence of a man who feels that he is ready.
He wants Brentford to 'play with a lead'. He spoke about the impact of managers he played – Roy Hodgson and his understanding of the positional side of the game, Sam Allardyce and how he would use data, Giovanni Trapattoni and the ruthless drilling to the base.
He also remembers a manager who would not look him in his eyes if he was not in the team, and that's why he continued to talk to Brentford players from the side.
Last season it was striker Igor Thiago and playmaker Fabio Carvalho. In the absence of Mbeumo and Wissa, which will not occur on Sunday, those two will be important figures this season.
Andrews thinks they have connected the gaps well. Jordan Henderson helped fill the leadership without losing their captain, Caoimhin Kelleher is a keeper he knows well. Bournemouth Forward Dango Ouattara has joined a club record £ 42.5 million. So, write them off as much as you want, because everyone gives everything.
“People have the right to their opinion,” he says. “I understand the nature of the company, certain people who leave and think the invalid people that leaves … it's a football club that knows what it does.”
If he is right, the tower may not fall.