Why It Was Vital For Dean Brennan To Stay At Barnet – Opinion

There was relief in Harrow on Saturday afternoon as Barnet FC announced Dean Brennan would staying at the club amid rumours of an approach from League Two’s Swindon Town.

Speculation was rife on Friday that the popular Irishman was a top target for the Wiltshire club and had allegedly triggered the compensation figure for Brennan’s contract, which has two years left to run.

Despite sources around Swindon seemingly certain all was well, Barnet are heading into the summer months with their management team currently intact and no doubt plotting to go one better than last season’s second place finish.

The fact the Robins were unable to lure a very good candidate away from his current club says as much about their struggles as it does the progress the Bees have made under Brennan’s tenure, For that, credit has to be paid to chairman Tony Kleanthous.

Not known for decisive moments and being more reactive than proactive, it appears both at The Hive are singing off the same song sheet and anticipation is high that the club mean business in attempts to get out of the National League. That’s not to say silly money will be spent. Barnet are a well run club despite the chairman’s well known wealth, and a facility that is able to support it’s football club above and beyond.

Brennan will expect to be backed having shown his loyalty to stay. In fairness, Kleanthous has given his man what he needs so far to get the Bees from 18th to second in just two seasons.

So far, his recruitment plan over the last two years has seen him identify earlier what is needed to push Barnet onto the next level and this summer will be no different as Brennan seeks to address the goalkeeping situation and plugging a defensive hole whilst not losing any attacking prowess.

The speculation did raise the question however of who and where the club should be looking for as his eventual successor. With a certain style of play that supporters have become accustomed to, front foot attacking and possession based football, it would be expected for that to continue ruling out some of those managers currently out of work but with good track records.

The club have been down the route of appointing a name quite often. The likes of Tony Cottee, Lawrie Sanchez, Edgar Davids and Harry Kewell to name a few that didn’t work out.

For now Brennan remains a Bee. A third successive play-off campaign will only have more clubs sitting up and taking notice, a fourth National League title for Barnet will justify his decision to stay.

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