after all.
Thomas Frank isn’t the first possible future manager to fluff his audition, as his Brentford went down 3-1 giving Spurs their first consecutive victory since the beginning of March.
Ange wasn’t happy at the criticism he and his players have been on the end of as he told us all how great they’d been so far, after scraping past a team 14th in the Championship. While others have been missing the point that this isn’t a new season slump but something that’s been going on since the start of the year. A year that had only brought one victory that wasn’t against relegation fodder, up until this game.
With two wins, Frank’s Brentford were ahead of Spurs in the table prior to kick-off. They were ahead in the table and on the pitch. It did take them a whole second more to open the scoring against Spurs than the 22 seconds it took against City in their previous game.
Brentford crosser was outnumbered. The Brentford players in the box were outnumbered. But Mbeumo was free to score an excellently taken goal. Would say Romero was missing again. Not his last lollygagging act of the game.
Like the criticism this seemed to spark Ange’s, unchanged from the NLD, XI. Their best moments though were coming from Brentford’s gifts. I mean the visitors were going all Lord Alli, while Spurs were mimicking Keir Starmer. Well, trying to because they didn’t take every gift going. The first taken came just 8 minutes in. Solanke, finally in the right place at the right time and no dithering. Brentford doing a Spurs and being pressed after playing it out from the back, Maddison is through, his attempt is blocked by the keeper but the ball falls to Solanke’s feet, for a tap in.
Maddison was in full swing. He’d started the season better than most but this was more like the player signed, the one that shone in the first few weeks of last season. Ange got it right, dropping him a bit deeper. More room, without Son and Kulusevski getting in the way, and he’s looking, playing, forward more.
One player who isn’t back to where he was is Sonny. He played his part in Spurs’ second which came just before the half hour mark. Again it came from pressing and Maddison, Son started the initial press but Maddison cut out the Brentford pass, knocked it on to Son, who started a charge but decided to play the ball out right to Johnson. The winger worked it wider, rather than cutting inside and slammed the ball inside the far post for an excellent goal. Now, I’ve been one of the Johnson haters. I think he has it in him, when confident. Maybe the criticism from others hurt but did it spur him on?
Johnson had a similar attempt a little earlier but had been played a worse ball by Kulusevski, a slow dribbler again that stopped the winger in his flow. Son’s was better but the captain was dithering elsewhere. When bearing down on goal he seemed to have no confidence. A couple of chances went begging in the game, chances that previously he would have buried with aplomb. Done so with fast feet and an early shot, taking the keeper off guard but here he just played into the keeper’s hands.
It’s funny that at the break the possession was almost level, while Spurs had had 17 shots, a third on target, when in previous games they’ve had all the ball and done far less with it. But again they’d only scored the two. And Brentford had only two shots less on target. They were only one corner or on defensive howler away from an equaliser. It almost came when Vicario was dithering with the ball at his feet, in his own 6 yard box. Though he wasn’t getting much help with an out ball.
He had another moment in the second half, coming out for a high ball on the edge of the area, he didn’t take it, batted it with his arm a second time as he fell out of the area, then when for another pat of it when outside the area. It was handball, should have been a card and a free-kick, wasn’t a red because it wasn’t an obvious score scoring opportunity. But certainly got away with it.
But again, it was Vicario who had to save the day with a couple of excellent saves. He is a brilliant shot stopper. First from the Brentford goalscorer when Romero again switched off and let him run through free on goal. Second an even better save from a nod down from a cross. This was after Ange brought off Bentancur for Bissouma and Spurs lost their control. Again the possession was pretty much 50/50 at this point but Spurs looked in control.
Bissouma picking up a yellow only a couple of minutes after coming on didn’t help. He is the new Ben Davies, guaranteed money at the bookies for a booking. He did start the build up to Spurs’ third, an excellent challenge on the edge of the Spurs D, from where Romero wasn’t lollygagging but rushed to the free ball before playing an excellent through ball to Son, the captain’s cutback to Maddison was perfect but not as good as the Englishman’s finish. A delightful chip over the onrushing keeper.
Even with Ange going defensive, with his subs, Spurs didn’t manage to Dyche this two goal lead, late on. It’s the first back to back wins – if you’re counting the league cup – since March 10th, when they beat Villa, that only other team that wasn’t relegation fodder.
But maybe that criticism resulted in 22 shots, 10 of the on target…