Thomas Frank described the visit of former club Brentford as “good timing” and told his players to be “brave” when Spurs attempt to win for the first time in seven Premier League home matches on Saturday.
Only bottom club Wolves have a worse home record in the top flight this season than Spurs, who conceded twice in the first six minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Saturday, when Frank questioned sections of the crowd who expressed their displeasure.
“They are in the arena – none of us are,” said Frank, of a team without a win in five matches in all competitions but who drew 2-2 at Newcastle on Tuesday thanks to returning captain Cristian Romero’s 95th-minute equalizer.
“They have to fix this and they can only do it together.”
Recommended offer
Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets
#AD 18+ Minimum deposit requirement. Free bets are paid out in the form of bet credits and can be used when settling eligible bets. Minimum odds, betting and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude wagering of betting credits. GambleAware.org Deadlines and terms and conditions apply. Terms and conditions apply.
Tottenham v Brentford
In his first season since leaving Brentford, Frank is second favorite behind Leeds United’s Daniel Farke to become the division’s next manager to leave the post after a run of two points from five league matches left Spurs in 11th place.
The Dane joined Brentford from Brondby as assistant coach in December 2016 and enjoyed a run of one win in 10 games after being appointed manager in October 2018, winning the Championship play-offs in 2020/21 and making the Bees European Premier League hopefuls.
“I spent almost a quarter of my life there,” Frank said, calling the match “a little bit more special to me” and praising successor Keith Andrews’ “little tweaks” to improve the points level with Spurs.
“There are a lot of people I’ll see on Saturday that I haven’t seen in a long time. [There are] players that I know very well. Much of their identity is the same, which makes things difficult in many ways.
“It’s good timing to get the three points. [We must be] sharper, faster and more penetration, play with intensity and be brave. We are looking forward to it.
Injuries at Tottenham: Solanke and Kulusevski take stock
Frank said playmaker Dejan Kulusevski and striker Dominic Solanke would not return from injury against Brentford and praised midfielder Xavi Simons and striker Mathys Tel, two new signings who are struggling to establish themselves as starters.
“The path [Tel] behaves well and the way he trains has been very good,” Frank said of the £30m arrival from Bayern Munich.
“He mainly plays as a nine, but I am very aware that he can play on the left. The only thing any player can do is continue to train well, continue to do everything to get my attention and continue to make it difficult for me when I make my decision.”
Netherlands international Simons cost Leipzig £51.8m. “Xavi trained fantastic last time – whatever – five, six times,” Frank observed.
“[He has a] very good attitude on the training ground, I like it a lot. We played different matches with different lineups and Xavi [has been approaching] something better and better.
“Just like Matty, he’s trained well, has a good attitude and we’re getting closer. He’s come on in the last four games.”
How to watch Tottenham vs Brentford: TV channel, live stream online
Spurs vs Brentford kicks off at 3:00 p.m. GMT (12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT) on Saturday, December 6. The match is not shown live on television or streamed in the UK.
Premier League schedule this weekend
All matches start at 3:00 p.m. GMT / 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT unless otherwise noted.
Saturday December 6
Aston Villa v Arsenal (12:30 p.m.)
Bournemouth v Chelsea
Everton v Nottingham Forest
Manchester City vs Sunderland
Newcastle vs Burnley
Tottenham v Brentford
Leeds v Liverpool (5:30 p.m.)
Sunday December 7
Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham (2:00 p.m.)
Fulham v Crystal Palace (4:30 p.m.)
Monday December 8
Wolves v Manchester United (8:00 p.m.)
