Premier League

BRENTFORD 0
TOTTENHAM 0

THE 1,732 Tottenham fans who braved a bitterly cold New Year’s Day trip to Brentford had tried to entertain themselves as it became increasingly clear that the players weren’t going to.

Midway through the first half, they ran through a gamut of old terrace favourites, praising club legends. How this side could do with some of the stars whose names were sent out into the night air.

By the second half those travelling supporters had worn out the joke. Instead it was a few rounds of “boring, boring Tottenham” – a damning, and fair, appraisal of this 0-0 draw.

Thomas Frank can say his project is a work in progress, and taking four-points from two other London mid-table teams in Crystal Palace and Brentford is a solid return from post-Christmas fixtures. But this was another turgid showing in a season of painful performances.

Speaking afterwards, Frank said he understood the fans reaction to another uninspiring show. “It’s fair when we don’t hit a top performance,” he said. “I think it’s double-sided, because I think what we need to understand is the acknowledgement of the defensive side of the game, which we’ve done excellent against a team that scored three against Liverpool, three against Manchester United.”

Frank accepted that not conceding wasn’t going to be enough, adding: “Of course the offensive part needs to be better – there’s no two ways about that.

“It’s not that we don’t want to play attacking football. I think when we are not on the top of the game we would like to be. We work very, very hard. If you struggle scoring goals, you can’t open up too much. It’s a fine balance.

“I’m very aware we are not where I want us to be – very aware. But I know we’ll get where we want to go.”

In Frank’s defence, he is missing a raft of first-teamers. With Lucas Bergvall injured against Palace three days previously, and Xavi Simons suspended – and no sign at all of Dejan Kulusevski or Dominic Solanke – he asked Archie Gray to play ahead of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha. Three defensive midfielders might have made it hard for Brentford, but it also led to a lack of imagination.

This was a game of few chances. Both sides looked to win it through effort rather than guile, and the proceedings had a Sunday pub league level of quality at times: long balls hit forward with little aim or reason, misplaced short passes, comical crossing and wild shots. Neither side deserved all three points.

On six minutes, Spurs couldn’t deal with a low corner and the ball was bundled home from close range by Kevin Schade, but two Brentford players were judged to be offside and there was no need for a VAR check. Up the other end, Gray saw a shot blocked and a tame header gathered.

Early in the second half, Gray blundered his way into the box and thought he was sandwiched and tripped, but the VAR said no.

Late on Richarlison was found centrally in the box by Mohammad Kudus, but his attempts to steer the ball low into the bottom corner lacked any power. Brentford were just as toothless, with Guglielmo Vicario barely tested.

Tottenham offloaded Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace earlier in the day. With Spurs lacking any real goal threat at Brentford, showing last season’s top-scorer the door feels a questionable decision. Frank will need an upgraded Johnson replacement as soon as possible.

Tottenham: Vicario, van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Spence, Palhinha (Tel, 80), Gray, Bentancur, Odobert (Kolo Muani, 66), Richarlison, Kudus
Substitutes not used: Kinsky, Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Tel, Davies, Scarlett, Olusesi

Brentford: Kelleher, Henry, Henderson, Schade (Nelson, 80), Thiago, Yarmoliuk (Jensen, 80), Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Kayode
Substitutes not used: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Ven Den Berg, Pinnock, Damsgaard, Konak, Donovan