John Brewin's match report
Righto, that is us. Thanks all for your company and comments, sorry I couldn’t use them all. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, check bak either here or on -site for our match report, and peace out.
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“Spurs were fun to watch today, first time since Poch was in charge, reckons Ron Stack. “Much better than 90% boring, 10% Kane. Need a better striker, though. And tighter defence. Not sure about the keeper, either. But fun!”
I’d agree with that. I worry that, Maddison aside, there’s not much magic in the squad, but the proactive, aggressive style will make them interesting, at least.
“Spurs need a new striker,” reckons Yash Gupta. “While his off-field views have a place in my heart, Richarlison looks a headless chicken to me on it.”
I’m not sure. I’d give him a little while, but I worry he won’t score enough and no one out wide or in midfield will compensate even if he plays an important roll holding the ball up and occupying the opposing centre-backs.
And, of course, you should be joining the great Rob Smyth for the champagne game of this opening weekend.
Also going on this afternoon:
“On the subject of football rule changes,” tweets @foolhandy, “how about leaving well alone for a while rather than constantly looking to make changes? It’s a game and will never be ‘perfect’ anyway...”
No one needs it to be perfect, but the penalty law is, in my opinion, egregiously out of whack with how the game works, to its detriment. I’d never want to limit myself and adjust or not adjust as a matter of principle; either something needs changing or it doesn’t.
FULL TIME: Brentford 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
A fair result, and reasons to be cheerful for both sides.
90+3 min Yup, Bissouma is given player of the match. Fair enough.
90+3 min Neither manager will mind I draw, I don’t imagine. Brentford are still good, while Spurs have done alright having been dealt a tricky start. We can see the beginnings of a style settling, but Postecoglu will have to buy superbly to make his side competitive.
90+2 min Spurs have Brentford boxed, moving the ball from side to side as they seek a space. Brentford, though, defend well, Pinnock up to head away a hopeful cross.
90 min We’ll have four added minutes; I’m not expecting a winning goal.
89 min Nice from Spurs, Perisic curving a fine ball down the left for Maddison, who does similarly, another outside-of-the-footer – yes, that is a noun – squaring for Richarlison, who should really feint to work a shooting lane but instead lashes one directly into the nearest pair of shins. He’s not had a good afternoon, unable to force his way into the game.
86 min Jorgensen appears down the right and slings over a cross that bounces up; then, when Mbuemo leaps into a ball back in, does it hit Royal’s hand? I don’t think it does, then a ball in behind releases Schade, who tries a shot lofted over Vicario as he comes out; the ball goes over, the men collide, and again, no penalty is the correct call.
85 min Bissouma has had more touches than any other player and it feels like Alan Smith is preparing to name him man of the match. I don’t suppose I can argue with that, especially when a foul that gives Mbuemo a chance to stick a free-kick into the box is wasted.
Updated
84 min Final change for Brentford, Jorgensen replacing Ajer.
82 min Nice feet from Mbuemo, stepping over the ball and sliding Roerslev away down the right. But his cross is poor, which reminds me of how little we’ve seen Henry this half. I’ve not noticed anything Spurs have changed, they’ve just had more of the ball – I think – though I’m surprised Brentford haven’t found a way to find him at least a couple of times.
80 min “On the subject of penalising fouls in the box,: says Simon McMahon, “might a sin-bin be the answer? I’ve never understood why football doesn’t use one anyway, but maybe penalty-box fouls could result in a direct free-kick and 10 minutes on the sideline? And while we’re at it, red cards for serious foul play only, and not after a second booking for taking your shirt off/kicking the ball away.”
I like the second half of that, but I think we might see the first part abused in the closing stages of games, when the attacking side would prefer a shot not playing against a man fewer.
78 min Now then! A poor touch from Van de Ven sees Schade appear to nip in front as they pursue a looping bouncing ball … but the defender does really well to recover, getting body in road before a tangle sees both players fall. Schade wants a penalty, but that’s a good challenge.
76 min Damsgaard finds a bit of space down the right and Maddison, who’s been booked and now wears the armband, shoves him over. He needs to be careful, because that challenge was on a par with some we’ve seen garner bookings.
76 min “Have to disagree on Bissouma’s ceiling based on various games against the biggest teams in the league where he’s been the best player on the pitch, says Titan. “For me the only question is whether he can reach that ceiling on a consistent basis.”
That’s what I mean by ceiling; every player in the league is capable of being brilliant occasionally; I don’t think he’s got it in him to be brilliant regularly.
75 min Now two changes for Spurs: Son and Skipp off, Sarr and Perisic on.
74 min All those changes look like-for-like, which makes sense: Brentford have a system, and they’re sticking to it.
73 min A triple-change from Frank with Wissa, Hickey and Norgaard coming off; Roerslev, Baptiste and Schade replace them.
71 min Nice from Udogie who, isolated by Mbuemo, does everything he can to infringe the laws without inciting the ref, grabbing him by the waist on the blind side before coming away with the sphere.
70 min This has not been as fun a half as the first, or anything like it. Spurs are controlling the play fairly well without creating much, while Brentford are struggling to get the ball forward as quickly as before.
69 min “The Band,” says Mary Waltz. “Canadians and an American interpret classic Blues and Americana into an absolute beauty of a string of albums. In football terms they were a group of incredibly talented group of musicians that sacrificed their individual talents to the service of the song and the band. In the age of guitar heroes who sometimes wallowed in self indulgence Robertson was a brilliant writer and player who knew the song was the star. RIP.”
Agree.
67 min Meanwhile, join Rob Smyth for the buildup to our second game…
65 min Bissouma is also playing fairly well today, showing for the ball and using it sensibly. I don’t think his ceiling is as high as Spurs need it to be, but he’s certainly better than the few seconds allotted him by Conte.
63 min Maddison, who’s playing well, finds another pocket and slides in Richarlison at inside-right; Flekken parries the eventuating shot to safety.
62 min A punt up to Son sees Hickey decide to pull him back, at cost of a yellow card.
60 min Now it’s Spurs on the attack, Maddison’s corner cleared and picked up by Kulusevski, outside the box, right-hand side, and he smashes a low shot that makes its way through to Son on the opposite side; he allows the ball across his body then punches a low sidefooter seeking the near corner. But he’s not quite accurate enough, missing the gap just by the post and allowing Flekken to save with a foot.
58 min Again, Brentford attack down the left, Norgaard feeding Janelt, who lashes what I think is a cross that Vicario punches clear … but here comes Damsgaard, bursting onto the loose ball … only to half-hit a shot that skips wide. That was a chance!
Updated
56 min “Your argument doesn’t make sense,” says Andrew Champney. “You say you don’t think anyone will want to concede a direct free-kick when no goalscoring opportunity is imminent. Well they don’t want to concede penalties either, but they still do.”
That is true, but the question is whether, under my laws, we’d see more deliberate fouls in the box because a direct free-kick was the only sanction, to the extent the flow of the game was compromised. I think not.
55 min Royal crosses from the right and Richarlison’s touch is unadhesive … but so is Collinseseses, the ball getting stuck under his studs and forcing him to concede a corner. This time, Flekken comes and catches
54 min We see Ben Mee on the bench; he’s expected to be fit for next weekend.
53 min Meantime, though, they win a corner down the right – they’ve started the half well – but this time, Maddison’s delivery is less good, a defender’s header landing by Kulusevski, who drills wide of the near post.
51 min Already, you can see that Spurs will be a different proposition this season – which isn’t to say everything is sorted. Rather, they’ll be playing a modern, proactive style, but their lack of quality will take several windows and pounds sterling to resolve – along with no little managerial and talent-spotting skill.
49 min “Rico Henry has been the best player on the pitch,” says Alex Whitney. “Unbelievable pace, paired with control at speed.”
Agree, he’s been excellent, and Brentford will, I’m certain, be looking to find him at every opportunity. I wonder, too, if Postecoglu has formulated a plan to help out Emerson Royal, who’s struggling to make any kind of defensive impression.
Updated
48 min Jensen stretches to clear a Maddison pass and jiggers a groin in the process; he’s replaced by Damsgaard.
47 min “‘Any infringement in the box that does not: direct free-kick’” begins Bill Ireland, quoting me back to myself. “It’s an appealing suggestion but what it would mean is that play in the box would be constant blocking and tactical fouls to break up play. It’s already very difficult for teams to score in the box but letting the defence kick, and pull and hold more seems unlikely to improve the quality of play.”
I don’t think anyone will want to concede a direct free-kick when no goalscoring opportunity is imminent.
46 min The pitch went unwatered at half-time; I fear our teams shall cope.
46 min We go again!
By the way, I’m really pleased to see Daniel Sturridge is now a permanent feature on Sky.
This is all good, but the silencing of Carragher is tremendous https://t.co/18zRdJ4LHI pic.twitter.com/y6BLxD94vP
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) April 5, 2023
“With Spurs scoring in added-on time,” tweets Craig Deeley, “why didn’t the ref add on time beyond the original 11 minutes? He blew up bang on it.”
That is a fair question; I guess it slipped his mind.
And elsewhere, peace has broken out.
Have you signed up? And if not, why not?
HALF-TIME: Brentford 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
That was a tremendous half of Premier League FootballTM. More more more more.
45+9 min Forget the toast, Henry has stuck Royal in the Breville! Another ball into the space, another screeching run … and a terrific cross, which skips off the turf just before reaching Mbuemo, who ankles a poor finish over the top! What a chance that was!
45+9 min “With all this added time for stoppages, snarks Niall Mullen, “are Newcastle’s games are going to be split into three 45 minute periods?”
I hope so; I’m buzzing for more oratory of this calibre.
⚫️⚪️ EXCLUSIVE CLIP ⚫️⚪️
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) August 3, 2023
Eddie Howe found extra motivation for his players when @NUFC faced Man Utd 5 weeks after their cup final clash 🔥
We Are Newcastle United, coming to Prime Video from 11 August 📺 pic.twitter.com/QvHLcfX9PK
45+7 min Neither side looks capable of repelling the other; both look committed to scoring goals.
GOAL! Brentford 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Royal 45+5)
Er maybe Spurs don’t need a new right-back! A clearance is headed up in the air and Bissouma wins the loose ball then Maddison, just outside the box, left of centre, does really well to gold up, turning inside and away from Jensen before sliding into the path of the advancing, inverting Royal, who drills a fine finish inside the near post! What a half this has been!
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45+3 min Maddison, just outside the box, swerves another nasty ball into the box and a flick off a defender’s heed takes it onto Son’s laces, at the far post. But despite a good look at it as it drops, he slices wide of the near post.
45+2 min “Speaking of The Band,” emails Kevin Wilson, “is there a case to say that Kane was merely the weight holding Spurs back and now that he’s been released they’ll possibly be a more liberated side? Or maybe it makes no difference?”
Er, I’d say it’s him being released, not them. I’ve no idea how they’ll compensate for the shortfall in goals.
45 min Just the 11 pints for me last night minutes added time and I’m so glad we’re getting to see proper-length matches now. I know players are overplayed, but that situation needs to be resolved a different way, not by short-changing supporters and making timewasting skills a serous part of the game.
45 min Jensen skirts around Skipp, who drags him down and is booked.
43 min Son pulls wide and goes at Hickey on the outside, breezing by easily. But his cross, aimed at Richarlison is headed away, and his team need to get more men in the box to offer options when those kind of balls come on.
42 min “What would you do rather than give a penalty?” asks Joe Pearson.
Any infringement anywhere on the park that prevents a goalscoring opportunity” penalty. Any infringement in the box that does not: direct free-kick. You can’t be handing over an 85% chance of a goal for minor offences.
40 min Both sides are playing well here, Spurs the more controlled in possession but Brentford with the sharper edge and defenders.
38 min Henry has Royal on absolute toast;Brentford need to hit him, Spurs need a better right-back.
Updated
GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Spurs (Wissa 36)
Again, Brentford find space down the left and behind Royal, Henry charging by him and his weak challenge, clipping back for Wissa to turn goalwards. Vicario, though, is poised to save a poor effort… until Van de Ven, desperately extending a go-go Gadget leg, diverts it past him!
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35 min Sanchez is booked for a foul on Wissa, Maddison is booked for protesting it. The game done changed, and about time.
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35 min Spurs are back passing it, Kulusevski coming in off the left to clip infield for Richarlison, whose first-time touch-off is perfect for Royal, whose square pass doesn’t quite find Son.
33 min “Now that Harry is gone and he has a manager giving him a fair shot to prove himself,” says Mary Waltz, “I feel Richarlison will blossom and look like the star he can be. I watched almost every match he played for Everton and he willed Everton to avoid relegation. Skilled, tough as nails, and can play box to box if necessary.”
I thought he’d be a fair bit better by now than he is. I wonder if it’s too late for him to become the one-man forward line I expected him to become, but he’s got a chance now – and while we’re enumerating his qualities, let’s not forget the most important one: vocally opposed Bolsonaro. The people who diss him for his on-pitch behaviour would do well to remember that.
31 min Brentford are in the ascendancy now, Royal’s poor touch when inverting allowing Mbuemo to set Wissa away at inside-left! But as he opens body to pass a finish into the far corner, a heavy touch allows Sanchez to slide in and block; excellent defending.
29 min “Loved the Life of Brian clip!: says Joe Pearson. “What a great movie. Some years ago I read an account of its making called Monty Python’s Tunisian Holiday by Kim Johnson. I recommend it. And to think, without George Harrison’s help, it never would have happened.”
One of my favourites. “It refers to any manufacturers of dairy products” nails centuries of biblical exegesis in eight words.
28 min It’s a really fun match, is this, and on the bench, Ryan Mason and one of Frank’s henchmen are booked for offering thoughts in Anglo-Saxon. From kick-off, some bright spark, we don’t see who, has a dig. Amazingly, the ball sails over the top.
GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Mbuemo pen 27)
Toney is absent but his style is not, Mbuemo hopping and Vicario, who was booked for delaying just prior to the kick, buys the feint, diving right as the ball rolls left!
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PENALTY TO BRENTFORD
Again: a penalty is too severe a punishment for nearly every offence that yields one.
Updated
24 min … but now he’s called to have a look and we see Son unable to stop himself going through Jensen as the ball is taken away from him. Welcome to the job skip! This is surely going to be a penalty.
23 min Not immediately…
23 min Now then! Jensen, down the right side of the Spurs box, ducks inside Son – back to help out – and Son clips him! That’s got to be a penalty, but the ref says no. Will VAR intervene?
22 min I meant to say before, the water is back. Phew!
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21 min Brentford look dangerous now, Pinnock curling in a nasty ball for which Viacario cant come lest someone impart a touch; no one does, so he collects, but it’s another warning.
20 min Brentford spread it left again, Henry cutting back a decent low cross … but Udogie doing brilliantly to nip in from left-back just as Mbuemo prepares to despatch the equaliser.
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19 min More Spurs possession and, at the end of it, an attempt at something definitive, Bissouma injecting pace and wriggling past a challenge before sliding another ball in behind that’s just too much on it for Richarlison.
17 min Then, from the corner, Hickey collects Sanchez’s headed clearance, dragging a shot wide from the edge … a shot which takes a deflection, but this time Spurs get the resultant corner away.
16 min Spurs, by the way, earned that goes, not just with the delivery and connection but by the way they played in the few minutes leading up to it. But now here come Brentford, Norgaard winning a big tackle outside the Spurs box and Wissa sliding in Henry outside him; his leathered shot is beaten away at the near post by Vicario.
15 min In other news:
13 min But this is no good – Romero seems to be departing with the head injury sustained when challenging Mbuemo, and he’s every bit as disappointed as you’d expect – but this is good – a player being saved from himself. That, my friends, is progress, and Davinson Sanchez comes on.
Updated
There was!
Spurs lead!
But was Romero offside?
I think there’s a foot playing him on….
GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Romero 11)
One vice-captain to the other, and Spurs have the first goal of the Big Ange era! Maddison’s ball in is a brute, hit flat and hard and, in the middle of the phalanx of men attacking it, Romero does really well to contort neck and head underneath it, punishing a flashing effort with which Flekken has no chance!
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10 min Maddison cuts across Jensen, wearing the inevitable lunge, and Spurs have a free-kick on the left corner of the box. Maddison will fancy this…
9 min Eesh, Flekken comes for Maddison’s inswinger, gets nowhere near, and does well to see the ball drop away from prowling attackers.
8 min Nice from Spurs, Bissouma snapping a ball into Maddison, operating in pockets, and he slides a clever pass down the side of the centre-backs that’s a little too strong for Richarlison. But it’s precisely the kind of service he’s there to provide, and shortly afterwards, his team win a corner.
7 min
Please be aware that we are currently dealing with an issue in relation to the water supply into the stadium which is affecting all related facilities
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 13, 2023
We will provide a further update in due course.
6 min First bit of concerted Spurs possession, but it’s all side-to-side, Brentford pushing them back, then both Romero and Viacrio narrowly avoid being caught in possession. This has been a lively start, both sides looking to speed the game up.
4 min There’s still no water able to get into the ground, but it’s been decided that the game should begin anyway, now we’ve all absorbed the resonance of the broken Britain metaphor.
3 min “He left coz you’re shit, Harry Kane, he left coz you’re shit,” sing the home fans. Then “Where’s your Harry gone.”
Updated
3 min Mbuemo and Romero head one another, but both should be fine.
2 min Thinking about footballing terminology – Alan Smith says Udogie is “sharp” – is that slower than “rapid”, which itself is slower than “lightening"?
1 min Immediately, we can see that Spurs are pressing high, men around the ball. But Brentford are doing likewise, winning the ball inside the final third and Norgaard’s low cross forcing Romero to kick away.
1 min And away we go!
The teams take the knee. Black lives matter.
The ref calls the captains together and will toss whatever trinket has replaced a good, honest, old-fashioned coin. The teams switch ends, I’m guessing because Son, who called correctly, wants to play with the sun behind his keeper.
“I’m not sure who I’m more surprised to see on stage with all those other stars,” writes Charles Antaki. “Grumpy old Van Morrison, or (surely not?) Radio 1’s own Hairy Monster, Dave Lee Travis.”
Kick-off delayed to an indeterminate time
There’s a sanitation situation, with no water able to get into the ground. What have the Bees ever done for us?
The Spurs go over to the away corner, then huddle; a little change, but part of the rabble-rousing I mentioned.
“Mike Dean’s also working for Paddy Power,” notes Alan Pugh.
Football is the winner.
For the first time in 27 years, Mike Dean won’t be a referee or on VAR.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) August 11, 2023
But now it's time to move on...
18+ BeGambleAware pic.twitter.com/NmpgIFSFV9
And here come our teams!
So where is this game? Spurs will, I imagine, look to gang up on and attack the spaces behind the Brentford wing-backs, sending Royal and Udogie forward to support Kulusevski and Son. Brentford, meanwhile, will look to hit their strikers and get close to them in support, while also looking to the aforementioned wing-backs to sling in crosses.
“Once again the MBM has inexplicably ignored the crucial issue at stake in today’s games,” chides Richard Hirst. “Will Fulham end the day top of the West London League? All else is incidental. PS Knowing you are a Dylan lover, I’m sure you can be relied upon to post a suitable tribute to the almost as legendary Robbie Robertson.”
This is one of my very favourite things: amazing artists getting together to sing. It’s a shame we’ve lost that, though UK grime acts and West African Afrobeats acts have recaptured the spirit in recent years.
“I wonder if Robert Jones (Merseyside) is the new Mike Dean (Wirral),” wonders Ian Copestake.
Lil Mikey has a new job!
“Football fans know I gave out my fair share of red cards in my career. But this one is less about early baths and instead about helping friends and families get a better deal on their rail tickets” — celebrity ref Mike Dean joins with Railcard.co.uk to promote ‘the fairest red card around; the Family & Friends Railcard’. “Remember to always carry your red card on match day … and you’re off!” he added.
Oh clever, clever.
I really fancy Brentford’s midfield here. Janelt, Norgaard and Jensen give them a bit of everything, and I’m not sure Bissouma and Skipp are equipped to stop them. It may be that Maddison’s class makes the difference in that area, but it feels like Spurs will need to rely on moments, rather than their ability to dominate and work opportunities that way.
I hate myself for saying this, but I do wonder if we’ve seen the best of Son. I can’t help but fear he’s lost his burst though, with the brutal Kulusevski down the other flank, if there are balls coming into the box, he should get enough opportunities to exercise his still-tidy finishing.
“Fairly uneventful” deadpans Postecoglu when asked about the last few days’ activity. But his team are focused for a tough game against a good opponent and he’s not putting too much on his four debutants – they’ve all been working hard in pre-season and want to show the kind of football team they want to be. He’s known Son, his new captain, for a while now, and thinks he fits in well with the group. When looking for a leadership role you want someone who embodies the team you want to be and he does that, so that’s why he was awarded the armband.
Bit of Big Ange action:
ANGE POSTECOGLOU 2015 TEAM TALK 🇦🇺❤️
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 5, 2023
In epic—almost cinematic—locker-room speech, then-Australia manager addresses Socceroos before World Cup Qualifier in Kyrgyzstan. Amazing orator & motivator. Clear why he's loved at Celtic, and being pursued by Spurs.pic.twitter.com/jEwp2KRNWT
“He gets it” is once of my worst footballing cliches – it’s not hard, there’s not much to get – but he gets it.
“Looking forward to new season,” chirps Yash Gupta. “Ange’s principles have been clear to see every time Spurs have played in friendly matches. Today’s match against Brentford is as tough as it gets since Brentford play their own way of football which has unsettled every team in the past. But I’m confident Spurs will win this. Thoughts on Udogie? Only played in friendly matches but looks like a real deal. A perfect combination of Ben Davies, Reguilon and Sessegnon.”
“How much was Udogie in the window” sounds like the start of a decent terrace tune, but I’m afraid I’m yet to see him play. Given Son will want to cut infield, he’ll have to be a one-man flank, but the inclusion of two defensively-minded midfielders should give him scope to do that.
They’ll find Wissa and Mbuemo a tricky proposition, but. It’s not that often centre-backs face two strikers, and handling a man each – a bristling, bustling man each – is very different to one between two. I’m certain Brentford want to get the ball forward quickly then get the centre-backs turned before they’ve settled.
Playing next to Van de Ven should help. I’ve not seen loads of him, but his, er, profile suggests the two can be a really good combination, each able to go in or sit off, build the play and dominate aerially.
I’m really interested to see what Postecoglu does with Cristian Romero, who has a lot of talent but, by 25, ought to have binned the hilarious but self-defeating wildness. If he can reduce the murderous scythes and ill-advised romps, he can be one of the best around – but that if is seriously sizeable.
This is tremendous. JAG is as woven into the fabric of football as any player.
Today's football results read by the recreated voice of James Alexander Gordon using AI. Please like and re-post to help us spread the word. pic.twitter.com/CRWtX8OAhV
— The Classified Football Results (@JAGresults) August 12, 2023
“Thought I’d chip in as a Spurs fan,” writes my colleague Tom Meltzer. I’m pretty sure we’re playing a 4-3-3 (and will be all season) rather than a 4-2-3-1, based on what we’ve seen so far and Ange’s history. Maddison is the more attacking of two 8s, on either side of Bissouma as the 6. Make of that what you will!”
Yes, I can see that. But if Skipp’s a defensive 8 and Maddison allowed to roam, the end result will probably be fairly similar.
Talking of whom, he gives debuts to Guglielmo Vicario in net, Destiny Udogie at left-back, and Micky van de Ven at centre-back. Then, in front of them, it’s Yves Bissouma – who barely featured last term and Oliver Skipp, a muscular and aggressive, if limited pairing, while Richarlison gets a go up front with new captain, Son, operating from the left.
Ah, and here’s Frank, curtains and all, on Sky. He’s excited to get going at home – “hopefully we can make it rock and roll again” – and he’s glad to be an optimist, having lost Raya and Toney. But their replacements are very good, around them their teammates are growing, and though it’ll be hard to beat least season’s ninth position, you have to dream. As for Spurs, he notes they’ve replaced England’s no9 with Brazil’s, so they’ve made a couple of minor tweaks but not much has changed, and he’s been watching Postecoglu’s Celtic to get an idea of what he’s likely to face.
Frank gives a debut to Mark Flekken, who replaces the Arsenal-bound David Raya having arrived from Freiburg. Otherwise, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo are paired in Toney’s stead, and will look to get up against and in behind Spurs’ centre-backs.
I’ll write these down, then we’ll have a think about what they mean.
Teams!
Brentford (a nails 5-3-2): Flekken; Hickey, Collins, Ajer, Pinnock, Henry; Janelt, Norgaard, Jensen; Wissa, Mbeumo. Subs: Strakosha, Schade, Dasilva, Zanka, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Roerslev, Yarmolyuk.
Tottenham Hotspur (a flexible 4-2-3-1): Vicario; Royal, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Skipp, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison. Subs: Austin, Sanchez, Davies, Perisic, Porro, Hojbjerg, Sarr, Lo Celso, Solomon.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside)
Updated
Preamble
If there was a dictionary of football – in fact, why isn’t there? – under “Brentford”, the given antonym would surely be “Tottenham Hotspur”.
That’s because Brentford are the very model of a modern major football club. The manager, aided by staff who share and support his vision, is secure in his job and doing it superbly, building a coherent, confident outfit whose output is far greater than the apparent sum of its parts; playing them is physical, demanding and extremely unpleasant.So, though in the absence of Ivan Toney, Thomas Frank needs to find another way, there’s no reason to think he hasn’t already boxed it.
Spurs, on the other hand; oh Spurs. Ange Postecoglu inherited a squad that is a quite stupendous mess, weak in every department and with its morale devastated by the tough hate of José Mourinho and Antonio Conte – foolishly appointed by Daniel Levy following his questionable-at-best sacking of Mauricio Pochettino. Who, of course, avenged the shame of it all by joining Chelsea and – in case you missed it – his big buddy Harry Kane has now also departed
However, there’s a however. Big Ange is precisely the personality Spurs – and, indeed, any football club – need. A inspirational, rabble-rousing dad you never had, his grasp of football’s emotional power and purpose allows him to envelop individuals and collective in a protective but challenging buzz, the way his teams play an expression of Aussie aggression and progression. If anyone can redeem the situation, he can – provided he’s given time to work – and James Maddison might just be the Dude’s rug he needs, tying the team together as things get going.
All of which is to say this has the makings of a terrific opening-weekend ruckus, so all we have to do is dive in and enjoy.
Kick-off: 2pm BST
