Sunday 13th August 2023: Gtech Community Stadium: Premier League: Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
My 2023/24 football season began where everything good always does, back home. Returning to church for the third season, after taking an extended summer break away from all things football (Women’s World Cup excepted), felt unsettling though as so much has changed since May.
My break has coincided with a serious drop in my passion for the game. All the drama around the newly minted Saudi league has added to my push to find a new angle to take this blog to reignite my passion for the game.
It seems that a lot of players at both Spurs and my beloved Bees have had similar summer struggles pulling them to pastures new.
Obviously Kane’s move to Bavaria is the big one that springs immediately to mind, but since their last showdown, in their penultimate match of last season, both teams have also had enforced changes between the sticks.
Lloris’ departure had been telegraphed for months beforehand, but Raya’s move was still mid saga as this game kicked off (he has since completed a season long loan to Arsenal). Without these stalwarts both teams would have to adapt and improvise, which is never the best way to start a season, and the team that could adapt quickest would win today’s showdown.
Both managers will have taken a lot of positives from an enthralling first-half, during which both teams adapted well to their new realities. Flowing attacking play was the order of the day in the first half and this meant goals for the fans to enjoy, once play finally got underway.
Yeah, kick-off was delayed by around 10 minutes without any explanation (at half-time a water flow issue would be announced over the tannoy), but this delay failed to unsettle either team.
Honours even at 2-2 as the teams sprinted in for the break was a fair reflection of a half where neither team could be said to have gained a decisive upper hand. Though Thomas Frank, in the home dugout, has reason to be slightly unhappy at half-time though as the free-kick James Maddison won that lead to Spurs’ opener was unbelievably soft.
Once it was whipped into the back post Christian Romero made no mistake smashing it home to fire Spurs ahead, after an indeterminately long VAR check to confirm he wasn’t offside.
What happened in the aftermath was a clear sign of progress made over the summer. Romero was summarily whipped off the pitch as a precaution against a presumed concussion he picked up whilst scoring. He was apoplectic to be hooked in the midst of his crowning moment, but it’s great to see Ange Postecoglou setting out his store early as the new Spurs boss. He will not take chances with player’s health.
Brentford adapted well to going behind and after Bryan Mbeumo equalised from the penalty spot, Mathias Jensen having been felled by Heung-Min-Son, Yoane Wissa fired the Bees into the lead 8 minutes before the break.
All the VAR checks had added up to a ridiculous eleven minutes of added time at the end of the half Emerson Royal drew the visitors level with a delicious finish from 20 yards out.
Having conceded so late at the end of the half the Bees utterly failed to adapt to this body blow and came out for the second half as shells of their first half buzzing selves.
Throughout the second half they dropped deeper and deeper into their defensive third and invited the expansive attacking Spurs to crash in a 3rd goal that would have secured the full 3 points for the North Londoners.
Thankfully for the hosts and their multitude of devoted fans Spurs had also failed to adapt to their new circumstances. They created a glut of incredible chances, helped by a Bees back line missing the calming forces of both the departed Pontus Jansson and injured Ben Mee, but had no-one with the capability to finish them off.
Son was stuck out wide creating a heaping helping of the chances and with the creation of new boy James Maddison in midfield they served up plenty on a plate for ex-toffee Richarlison, now charged with filling Kane’s huge boots, but he lacked the quality and composure to gobble up the gifts.
If Spurs had held onto Kane they would have run riot in the second half against their extremely lacklustre hosts and I could have seen the final score running up to easily 7 or 8-2. As it was though I was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief at the full time whistle as Spurs ineptitude in the final third without their record Premier League goal-scorer eclipsed Brentford’s inability to adapt to the gaping hole left in their defence without three of last season’s stalwarts.
Both managers will have left this match knowing they have a lot to work on to ensure their team has a successful season. Thomas Frank will hope both new keeper Mark Flekken and new defender Nathan Collins can adapt quickly to life in the Premier League and that Ben Mee is fit to return to first team duty as soon as possible. He also has to find a way to keep his team mentally focused on the task at hand no matter what body blows come their way.
For new Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou the task is even simpler, just find a new 20 to 30 goal a season forward to replace the world class attacker who now plays his domestic football in Bavaria…easy
Success for both teams this season will hinge on how quick the answers to these problems can be found.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to get moving to South London for a midweek game between two League One teams adapting to life under new ownership.
The Football tourist 