Opinion: Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur threw away a lead after a positive first-half performance against Brentford this afternoon, eventually losing the match 3-1. 

Let’s take a look at five things we learned from the game:

That First Half – 

The awful result aside, I think all Spurs fans want to see the club get back to a place where we play that first 45 minutes of football for 90 minutes every week. It was flowing, it was fast, and the front four had the freedom to roam and swap around. There was one-touch passing and movement off the ball. Tottenham’s inability to string two decent halves together has been regular this season, but could Arne Slot ball be the solution?

Ryan Mason Job Prospects – 

His record as Spurs boss this season has been awful on paper, with yet another loss today. However, if you look beyond the results at the tactical tweaks he has been making, I think Mason has more than secured a job this summer. You can’t account for poor defenders defending poorly, as many Spurs managers have discovered, but Mason has managed to add his own style to the attack and make meaningful changes over the past few weeks. I would be surprised if he wasn’t in a Championship job this time next season.

David Raya‘s Tottenham Audition – 

If ever there was an audition to secure a move to Tottenham, David Raya pulled it out of the bag in the dying moments today. One world-class save to deny Richarlison late on, then the Brentford keeper got back up to make another decent tip over moments later. The irony is that Brentford could be playing European football next season and Spurs may not – so do Tottenham even have much of a pull?

Final Farewells – 

It was Lucas Moura’s final home match before the Brazilian leaves on a free, although it was far from the send-off he would have hoped for. It begs the question how many other players may have just worn the Lilywhite jersey at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the final time. Danjuma? Perisic? Sanchez? Lenglet? Dare we say it… Harry Kane?

One More Game To Go – 

That’s right, Spurs fans. Just 90 more minutes until the sweet, blissful release of the summer break. Tottenham have made it miserable to even support the team this season, but hopefully, some major rebuilding can be done in the off-season with a new director, new manager, and plenty of new players. Nothing like a summer break to recharge your optimism levels.

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