One of the main accusations levelled at Thomas Frank is that he lacks the boldness to manage Tottenham. His methods have not been received as well as they were at Brentford and a stuttering start to life in north London has left the Dane’s growing number of critics wondering if he is too reactive to succeed at a club whose supporters will never accept their team losing without having a go.
The damaging statistics have piled up: staggeringly low expected goals, entire opening periods without a single Spurs player managing a shot on target, no league win at home since the opening weekend of the season. At Brentford, though, they remember Frank fondly. They were sad to lose him to Spurs in the summer and probably did not expect their former manager to be under such intense scrutiny when they faced him for the first time.
But these are the demands at the highest level. Although Frank has seemed bewildered at times this season, seething on the many occasions when the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has descended into a pit of misery, this is simply what he signed up to when he left the security of Brentford for the restlessness of Spurs.
It means even an emphatic win over his old team will not be seen as evidence of a corner turned. Frank is yet to feel the love, although at least he delivered in a game he dared not lose. Spurs, after all, were good value as they collected only their fourth home win in the league in 2025. They overwhelmed Brentford during an uncharacteristically purposeful first half and will hope that a standout performance from Xavi Simons, who made the opener for Richarlison before scoring his first goal since his £52m move from RB Leipzig, is a sign of things to come.
“Sometimes you work hard on things and sometimes it just suddenly clicks,” Frank said. “A lot of the players were on the same page. We looked such a threat going forward. We played with pace, tempo, penetration.”
Spurs, victorious in the league for the first time in six games, did not look like a team who hate playing at home. Guglielmo Vicario, booed after his mistake during last week’s defeat to Fulham, was given a big cheer before kick-off and the atmosphere was helped by Frank coming up with a plan that finally made Simons look capable of coping with the cut and thrust of English football.
Given licence to roam as a No 10, the Dutchman’s movement off the ball gave Spurs an edge. However it was not a one-man show. There were five changes from Frank after the gutsy draw at Newcastle and the inclusion of Archie Gray over João Palhinha in defensive midfield was another plus point, ensuring that Spurs were more proactive in possession.
Brentford were outplayed. They have been poor on the road, losing seven of their eight away league games, and never found a flow. Mikel Damsgaard was neutralised by Gray and there were quite a few occasions when Keith Andrews, Frank’s old set-piece coach, was left shaking his head on the touchline. “It’s a demanding league,” said Andrews, who admitted that Brentford deserved nothing.
The visitors struggled to create. Igor Thiago was denied by Vicario at 0-0 but Spurs scored with their next attack. Pedro Porro lifted a ball down the right, catching Kristoffer Ajer out of position, and Simons marked his first start in five games by running through to tee up Richarlison for an easy finish.
The goal liberated Spurs. Having a shot on target in a first half for the first time in five games was one thing, but actually scoring with it? This was Spurs in party mode. Giddy, they pushed for more. Randal Kolo Muani drew a good save from Caoimhín Kelleher.
Simons was more decisive when his chance arrived in the 43rd minute. He made it himself, pressing high to dispossess Sepp van den Berg’s pocket. Possession won, he advanced, held off Yehor Yarmolyuk and arrowed a shot into the bottom corner.
Spurs settled into containment mode in the second half. One moment threatened the collective spirit, Mohammed Kudus drawing a furious reaction from Djed Spence after a needless bit of showboating almost led to Thiago pulling a goal back. Otherwise, though, it was all sweetness and light.
