Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says his Spurs side showed 'hope and belief' in their 2-2 draw at Brentford on Sunday following the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich on the eve of the new season.
Kane joined Bayern in a £100 millon transfer on Saturday and it was a new-look Tottenham which took to the field against Brentford in Sunday's early game.
Four Spurs players – goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, left-back Destiny Udogie, central defender Micky van de Ven and midfielder James Maddison – made their debuts and the north Londoners had 67% of the possession in a promising performance.
Cristian Romero headed Tottenham into the lead from a James Maddison free-kick early on and the former Leicester midfielder set up Emerson Royal for an equaliser late in the first half after Brentford scored twice themselves to turn the game around.
"It is either an impediment to you or an opportunity. Harry Kane was a massive figure for this club for a long time and will continue to be whether he is in the building or not," Postecoglou told BBC Match of the Day.
"We wanted to go out and give our supporters some hope and belief in the team. I thought they did that today. Considering the events of the day I thought we handled ourselves pretty well. In terms of effort I couldn't ask any more."
Romero was taken off shortly after his goal – and against his will – due to a head injury and Davinson Sanchez came on in his place.
"Romero had a head knock and the medical team were watching him the whole time," Postecoglou said.
"Their information was that he wasn’t that steady and with his head after scoring, I’m not taking any risks in that scenario in this day and age and what we know of head injuries."
Overall, Postecoglou was pleased with his first competitive match in charge.
“We had a lot of the ball and it was important we kept things ticking over," he said. "Our progression of the ball was really good, we just lacked a cutting edge. It is the stage we are at.
"We are trying to change the way the team plays and they are taking on a lot of information."
More Tottenham news
Spurs have been linked with a move for Chelsea misfit Romelu Lukaku this summer as a replacement for Harry Kane.
Tottenham are also reportedly interested in 'the next Thierry Henry' to fill the gap left by their all-time record goalscorer.
Meanwhile, Djed Spence has been linked with an exit this summer after making just four appearances since signing last summer.
