4 hours ago
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25 min Moore makes space down the left and whips in a decent cross, but Brentford get it away. Their centre-backs are excellent box defenders.
24 min Thinking about Postecoglou, it seems to me he’s suffering from the same ailment which afflicted Erik ten Hag at Man United. Discovering that what worked with the best players and most money in a less good league doesn’t work in the Prem, where Ten Hag was unable to find a compromise or alternative, he’s unwilling – though he was given a hint that he’d need to in advance by how poorly Celtic performed in Europe under him.
22 min Now pressure from Brentford, last-ditch defending from Spurs repelling a ball into the box, then Janelt swings in a terrific cross that Wissa heads over.
2o min Talking of Gray, he’s done so well to adapt to a roll for which he’s not obviously suited, but again I need to interrupt myself because Spurs attack down the left, Spence crossing well … only to find Richarlison on his heels, reacting once the ball has been delivered. Moore, though, intelligently works it back to Kulusevski, who shoots low and hard … but Collins blocks well.
19 min We’ve barely seen Spurs front three, the first time I’ve mentioned Son to mention he’s not been mentioned. Meantime, Schade wriggles between weak challenges from Kulusevski and Davies, left side of the box, shooting directly into Gray’s shin.
17 min Porro and Kulusevski combine to find Bissouma, who feeds one into the box seeking Richarlison, but Lewis-Potter blocks.
15 min Brentford won’t mind that and they’re winning it higher now; Spurs are looking to take heat and pace out of the game.
14 min It’s a bit messy now.
12 min Kinsky is caught in possession, tries to pass when he needs to launch, and Brentford pounce, finding Mbuemo out on the right. He slows Spence down then nips by on the outside, crossing, and the ball ends up behind when Porro does enough at the back post. Brentford want a corner, but ref says goalkick.
11 min There’s not been much midfield action so far; rather, there’s a bit of messing at the back before whichever side look to get it froward quickly. I’d be staggered if this game ended goalless.
9 min Valdimarrson picks a long pass in behind, Spurs’ line higher than the sun, and Schade, on the half-turn, takes the ball nicely, pulling it into stride and winning a corner … which comes to nowt.
7 mim Spurs keep it in midfield, but then Wissa menaces Gray, who does enough to win the throw. That’s a warning, though – Brentford aren’t going to just allow that.
6 min Better from Spurs, a clever from Bentancur taking men away as Kulusevski again marauds forward at inside-right, swivelling into a shot that Richarlison isn’t far off sticking in at the back post.
5 min Spurs knock it about at the back before Gray brings them away and finds Porro, who curls a ball into the channel; a decent sliding interception from Collins stops Kulusevski latching on.
4 min Already, there’s greater snap and aggression about the home side.
2 min Almost immediately, Brentford attack down the right and win a throw, loading the box. Is one of their signature early goals coming? Er, not immediately: they go short, then square, but do eventually pump one in, Damsgaard having a shot blocked.
1 min “…this Spurs defence, if they can keep a clean sheet,” intones Alan Smith without laughing even once. Kudos!
1 min Brentford kick off and we’re away!
Here come our teams…
On the other hand, Bryan Mbuemo, two years younger, couldn’t be loving life more. He’s scored 14 times this season, and keeping him quiet today won’t be easy.
Dominic Solanke scored his first Spurs goal that day, but his absence “for a few weeks” offers Richarlison a chance to nick his spot. He’s got a lot of what you need to be a serious player and was one of very few Brazilians to speak out against Jair Bolsonaro, but at 27 it’s now or never for him.
When the sides met at Spurs in September…
So Mikey Moore, then. He’s a fantastic prospect – you’ve got to be to get a league start at 17 – and has plenty of pace, skill and attitude. He knows this is for him, and he won’t be scared to get after it.
So where is the game? It’s worth noting that, at least on the face of things, Brentford will deploy a 4-2-3-1 , rather than the 5-3-2 they use for the better sides, and they’ll be buzzing having seen Spurs’ back five. They’ll want to get the ball forward quickly, and will overload in wide areas to put Archie Gray and Ben Davies, neither a centre-back but both playing centre-back, under aerial pressure.
Spurs, meanwhile, will look to flood forward in transition if they can, but otherwise will hope their midfield three are good enough to dominate possession. In particular, they’ll want to set Moore one on one with Ajer, coming back from injury and not really a right-back, looking for him and Son to attack the space between full-back and centre-back while Richarlison heads for the near post or drops off for cut-backs.
Email! “There are a lot of literary references on Spurs’ bench today,” writes Karen Asad. “That’s just as well, given this could be a very dramatic season for them.”
To pick one, the way it’s going, they’re going to make The Mayor of Casterbridge look like a screwball comedy. And when the Coen brothers end up making that a couple of years from now, remember where you heard it first.
And another transfer line:
Postecoglou advises that Van de Ven is OK, they’re just trying to manage his minutes, while explaining that 17-year-old Moore has earned his go.
Otherwise, he’s happy to have Kevin Danso arriving on load, an experienced defender especially good one on one.
Also going on for you:
As for Spurs, the front three is the same as as against Elfsborg in midweek, while in midfield, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski, rested for that one, return with Pepe Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall dropping out. And finally, Micky van de Ven, still feeling his way back from injury, doesn’t make it so Ben Davies moves inside with Djed Spence coming in at right-back and in net, Brandon Austin is replaced by Antonín Kinský.
Brentford make two changes to the side that won at Palace last weekend. Out go Flekken and, at right-back, Mads Roerslev has beetled off to Wolfsburg on loan, so Kristoffer Ajer comes in.
Ah but first of all, Thomas Frank explains that Mark Flekken has a side strain so won’t play today but he’s every confidence in his replacement, Hákon Valdimarsson, did well coming on last week.
Otherwise, he’s expecting an entertaining game and a lot of transitions and “open situations”; he wants his side to limit them and exploit Spurs’ – he cites Brentford’s creditable 0-2 defeat to Liverpool as a good example of what his side need to do.
He says Spurs have good attackers, but wants his side to make sure their rest defence is sharp and defend well in the big moments.
Righto, I’m going to write these down and then we’ll have a think about what they mean.
Teams!
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Valdimarsson; Ajer, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis=Potter; Norgaard Janelt; Mbuemo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa. Subs: Eyestone, Pinnock, Jensen, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kayode.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): (Kinsky; Pedro Porro, Gray, Davies, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Kukusevski; Moore, Richarlison, Son. Subs: Austin, Reguilon, Hardy, Cassanova, Sarr, Bergvall, Lluesi, Ajayi, Scarlett.
Referee: Jared Gillett (Gold Coast, Australia)
Preamble
This could be Tottenham’s greatest season in nearly 65 years. They’re a goal up on Liverpool going into Thursday’s League Cup semi-final second leg, with the even more success-averse Newcastle a likely final opponent, and they’re into the last 16 of the Europa League, second favourites behind the worst Manchester United team in recent memory. Exciting times for Daniel Levy’s intrepid Lillywhites!
Er, or not. They’re also16th in the table having lost eight of their last 10 league games, most recently to Leicester and Everton, their brash, larrikin manager, Ange Postecoglou, seemingly a step away from scrawling the team on the dressing room wall in his own tears. If England’s cricketers could only send their Aussie counterparts to N17 for a few months, they might just have a chance of winning the Ashes.
So the last thing Spurs need this afternoon is a trip to Brentford. Thomas Frank’s men have the league’s fourth-best home record having scored the most goals, pose as physical a challenge as any side in the division, and their strikers, excellent and in form, will more than fancy a look at Postecoglou’s makeshift back five.
Of course, Spurs still have the attacking firepower to seize any game – just ask Manchester City – and we can be sure that, for marginally better or for absolute worst, they’ll turn up at the Gtech to do the same stuff they always do. However much he might enjoy the frisson of power and the evidence says it’s a lot, Levy won’t want to fire yet another failed manager appointed by him, but two defeats this week and – given that firing himself doesn’t appear to be an option – he may feel he’s no choice but to act.
Kick-off: 2pm GMT
