Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank admitted he understood the anger of the club's travelling fans after they were booed off following a dismal goalless draw at his former side Brentford.
A Frustrating Return to West London
The match on Thursday 1 January 2026 marked Frank's first return to the Gtech Community Stadium since he left the Bees to join Spurs in the summer. The Danish boss, who managed Brentford for seven years across 317 games and led them to Premier League promotion in 2021, received a warm welcome from the home crowd, applauding all sides of the ground before kick-off.
However, the goodwill evaporated as the game unfolded into a dire spectacle. Tottenham failed to register a single shot on target until stoppage time, prompting their own supporters to chant 'boring, boring Tottenham' during a match severely lacking in quality.
Defensive Solidity But Offensive Failure
In his post-match analysis, Frank offered a mixed review of his team's performance. He pointed to a strong defensive display against a dangerous Brentford side as a positive, but conceded the lack of attacking threat was unacceptable.
"The positive is we were going here against a very good home team who you need to respect, and keeping them at a low amount of chances. I think that's a very strong defensive performance," Frank stated.
He quickly added, "The amount of unforced errors is the biggest negative. We made too many mistakes. When we were up there we lacked the cutting edge on the day." Addressing the fans' reaction, he said, "It seems they are not too satisfied and that's fair. Not a top performance but overall it's two-sided; acknowledge the defensive side of the game, but of course the offensive side needs to be better."
Match Details and League Implications
The first half was particularly poor, with Spurs' only half-chance seeing a header from Archie Gray blocked by Bees captain Nathan Collins. After the break, Brentford took control. Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario made an excellent save from Yehor Yarmolyuk's header, while striker Igor Thiago blazed their best opportunity over the bar.
Tottenham's solitary shot on target arrived in the dying moments, but Richarlison's weak effort was comfortably gathered by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The stalemate had significant statistical weight, bringing an end to Tottenham's remarkable run of 137 consecutive Premier League matches without a 0-0 draw.
The result left Brentford, under set-piece coach turned manager Keith Andrews, in ninth place. They now sit one point and three positions above Tottenham, defying pre-season predictions of a struggle following Frank's departure and the sale of key players.
Andrews commented on the visitors' tactics, noting he wasn't surprised to see Vicario booked for time-wasting with 20 minutes left. He also felt Spurs defender Cristian Romero should have been sent off for a foul on Thiago. "I thought we edged it in the second half, for sure, and if any team was going to win it, it was us," Andrews said, acknowledging Frank's respectful approach to a difficult away fixture.
