Spurs vs Brentford | Ange’s preview: “It’s a great challenge for us”
Sun 13 August 2023, 09:30|
Tottenham Hotspur
New era, new season, but Ange Postecoglou expects to face the same tough Brentford side when we step out at the Gtech Community Stadium for our 2023/24 Premier League opener this afternoon (2pm).
It’s a London derby for Ange’s Premier League bow as our Head Coach and he’s well aware of the challenge Thomas Frank’s team will provide, not least in west London, where they were beaten just twice in 19 matches (10 wins, seven draws) on their way to finishing ninth last term.
Still without suspended talisman Ivan Toney, Brentford have recruited centre-back Nathan Collins from Wolves, winger Kevin Schade and goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg in Germany.
“I don’t think we’ll see much of a difference from Brentford, particularly playing at home,” said Ange, speaking to SPURPLAY after training on Friday. “They create a fairly unique atmosphere that drives the players and it’s a great challenge for us.
“Physically, it’s a very demanding game, they work hard as a team, they’re well organised, obviously a threat at set pieces, so, we need to be prepared for all that.
“At the same time, we’ve been working on the way we want to play our football, as well. That’s going to be important in the first game, that we set our stall as to the type of football team we want to be. If we can do it in the first game of the Premier League, particularly at a place like Brentford, then that lays the foundations for us.”
As for his first competitive match in charge, Ange added: “It's exciting, any time you start a new challenge and looking forward to it. We all love the involvement we have, but it’s the games we all look forward to and cherish. That’s where the most impact occurs. So, looking forward to getting the season started.”
