Brentford 2-2 Spurs | Ange, Yves and Madders on the huddle in front of ‘outstanding’ fans
Mon 14 August 2023, 11:55|
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison explained the thought process behind new skipper Heung-Min Son taking the players over to our fans for their pre-match huddle ahead of our Premier League opener at Brentford on Sunday.
In doing so, there was a real feeling of connection between the players and the travelling band of 1,725 supporters inside our corner of the Gtech Community Stadium which continued through the match and after the final whistle, when Ange and the full squad went back over to thank the fans for their support.
The fans had plenty to cheer, as well, after a promising performance in Ange’s first game as we took the lead through Cuti Romero after 10 minutes only to fall behind by 36 minutes against a team that lost just twice at home in the Premier League last season. Emerson Royal’s fine strike levelled it up again before the break and we dominated the second half – ending with 18 efforts to 11 – but couldn’t break the home side down again as it ended 2-2.
Speaking to SPURSPLAY pitchside after picking up both assists on his debut, James told us: “Sonny text me last night and said he had an idea that he wanted to do the huddle in front of our fans to make them feel part of it, he did a team talk over there and it really got them going.
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate that, just how much we appreciate them coming down and supporting us to the end. That’s what we’re going to need. We’re all in it together.”
Man of the Match Yves, outstanding in central midfield, added: “The fans are really important for us. They help us a lot. If we can give them the same love in return, that’s not bad, I think. For me, it’s important to be close with our fans, they have so much to give us, (especially) in an away game, and it’s really important to show the fans that they are really important for us. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Ange said: “I thought the fans were outstanding. Hopefully we’ve given them some hope and belief moving forward. We’ve got to get them on board, and we’ve got to do that with our performances, not with words, but by deeds and actions. Hopefully what they saw today gave them some belief and hope that we’re on our way to creating something special.”
