Despite defying expectations for their season and finishing in the championships play-off places the hierarchy at Brentford decided to go in a different direction, announcing they will be parting ways with manager Mark Warburton. The mainly unknown Marinus Dijkhuizen is his replacement, but what will he bring to Brentford explains Max Griffin.

After starting his managerial career VV Montfoort in the Eerste Klasse (Holland’s fifth tier) he guided the side to two successive promotions in the 2009-10 / 2010-11 seasons. Thus leading them to the Topklasse, one below the Jupiler League. He departed at the end of the 2011-12 season. His second job was with VV De Meern in the Dutch seventh tier, a major step back in what was looking to be a progressive career, he was now managing in the fifth tier of amateur football in Holland. He left the club in December 2013 after only 11 months in charge.

Two months after leaving VV De Meern, Dijkhuizen took up the role of manager at S.B.V Excelsior, a side in the Dutch third tierEerste Divisie, he took up the reins with the side in seventh, he started well – winning three of his first five games in charge.  He went on to win ten more games that season, drawing three and losing three. They were promoted to the Eredivisie after a 4-2 aggregate win over RKC Waalwijk – finishing third. While In charge he was commended for his attacking style, winning by fine margins in games such as the 4-1 against Den Bosch and the 5-2 win against FC Eindhoven.

Apart from an easy on the eye attacking style, what will Dijkhuizen bring to Brentford?

The club have said they want to be innovative. Managing the club on and off the field based on a numbers game, using stats for everything from buying players (scouting players statistically rather than watching them and determining their qualities in person) and even training their team, something they have said Dijkhuizen fits the bill with. He too wants to manage the football club using statistics . He is part of a club wide restructuring which has also seen Rasmus Ankersen and Phil Giles appointed co-directors of football.

Although a massive gamble with no experience outside of the Netherlands and only one job where he’s made it into the countries top two divisions (Struggling when he made it into the Eredivisie and only just managing to keep the club up finishing 15^th ,before leaving in the summer of 2015) he is an attacking, progressive coach who so far in his career has consistently improved and is always looking to better himself. A drop down from the Eredivisie to the Championship is a gamble for both Dijkhuizen and Brentford but he fits the job criteria and it could prove to be a smart move for both parties, only time will tell.

Lets hope Brentford do not regret letting go Mark Warburton, the man who got them promoted from League One to the championship and then finishing sixth, finishing in the play-offs at the first time of asking.

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