This was Thomas Frank’s first time back at Brentford and the only real conclusion to take from an otherwise forgettable goalless draw is that he is far more loved by his old fans than his present ones.
“Boring, boring Tottenham”, came the damning chant from the far corner of the Gtech Community Stadium in the final minutes of a game painfully lacking in creativity and a second half in which Spurs had long looked the less likely side to find a winner. Frank’s team didn’t create a single big chance in what was the club’s first stalemate in 138 Premier League matches.
In fairness to those disgruntled Tottenham supporters, the chant was brief and followed by a string of more positive songs, but the connection, on and off the pitch, is clearly still missing. For long spells in the second half here, Spurs were camped in their own half, ten yellow shirts and a goalkeeper behind the ball, as if satisfied with a goalless draw. Guglielmo Vicario was even booked for time-wasting.
But the Tottenham fans are far from satisfied with what they are watching under Frank, as the boos at the end made clear. They booed again after the full-time whistle, seemingly when Frank walked over to applaud them.
The majority of Spurs fans were seemingly not in full voice at the Ctech Stadium
MATT IMPEY/SHUTTERSTOCK
In November Frank said those who jeered Vicario at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were “not true fans”, but this criticism cannot be so easily dismissed. This was the away section, still there at the end, on a freezing cold Thursday night in January. The worry for Frank is this is the hard core he really needs.
Frank pointed to the mitigating factors including key absentees due to injury and suspension — although Dominic Solanke, Frank confirmed, is now back in training — and the need to prioritise defensive solidity at this early stage of his tenure. He didn’t sugercoat the lack of creativity, either.
“We’re going off a few boos after the game, but I watched the game,” he said. “I’m very aware we are not where we want to be.” How confident is he that the Tottenham board share his perspective? “Very confident,” Frank said.
Henderson, left, tussles for the ball with Van de Ven
GLYN KIRD/AFP
Frank had been given a rapturous reception before kick-off from the Brentford supporters and he applauded them back, reunited with the club where he forged such a strong bond after seven years in charge, as he led Brentford to promotion and then two top-half finishes in the Premier League.
Without the suspended Xavi Simons and the injured Lucas Bergvall, Frank went with the more cautious midfield pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and João Palhinha, with Archie Gray in the more advanced role.
Brentford came here after defeating both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth, wins that sent them three places above Tottenham in the table. They deserved a point and might have taken all three if Igor Thiago had been more ruthless in the second half.
The first half was full of long balls, aerial tussles and honest chases down the line but low on quality. Brentford thought they had taken an early lead but Kevin Schade was well offside before poking in.
Vicario punches the ball clear while under pressure from Ajer
RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES
There was more intent after the restart as Mohammed Kudus almost wriggled through for Tottenham.
Cristian Romero tangled with Thiago on the break, taking the ball after scrambling his opponent to the ground. The Brentford head coach, Keith Andrews, felt Romero should have been sent off. Gray drove into the penalty area and was brought down by Schade, but VAR deemed it unworthy of a review.
The game was alive for a while and Brentford were having the better of it, as Thiago skied over the crossbar from close range after Michael Kayode outmuscled Djed Spence, with Tottenham hanging on in the final 15 minutes. Nobody really deserved a winner.
Brentford (4-3-3): C Kelleher — M Kayode, K Ajer, N Collins, R Henry — J Henderson, V Janelt, Yarmoliuk (M Jensen 80min) — K Lewis-Potter, I Thiago, K Schade (R Nelson 80). Booked Henderson.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): G Vicario — P Porro, C Romero, M van de Ven, D Spence — A Gray, J Palhinha (M Tel 80), R Bentancur — M Kudus, Richarlison, W Odobert (R Kolo Muani 67). Booked Palhinha, Vicario.
Referee A Madley. Attendance 17,141.