Dean Smith has the credentials to get Brentford promoted to the Premier League, according to the Championship outfit's co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen.
Smith, 44, took charge of Walsall in 2011 and, having kept the club in League One during his first season at the helm, since then gradual progress has been made.
His work at the Bescot Stadium did not go unnoticed by the 11th-placed Bees, who announced earlier today that the former Leyton Orient centre-back had agreed to replace interim boss Lee Carsley.
Speaking about what made Smith the right man to fill the Griffin Park hotseat, Ankersen insisted that the similarities between Brentford and Walsall were a major contributing factor.
"We believe Dean is exactly the authentic and strong leader we need to take Brentford forward and ultimately into the Premier League. We have been hugely impressed by Dean's work at Walsall and especially how he has managed to turn a club with such a low budget into one pushing for promotion," he told the club's official website.
"It is a similar challenge to the one Brentford face. We can't win by spending more money than our competitors so we have to identify competitive edges which will allow us to compete with clubs who enjoy much bigger budgets.
"In that respect Dean is a great fit to Brentford. The job is not just about being an experienced and intelligent football coach. More than anything, it is about being able to lead the staff and bring the best out of highly qualified experts as well as the players."
Brentford also confirmed that Carsley will remain at the club initially as part of the transitional period, but he will then leave at some stage next month.
Liam Apicella
