Frank delighted as Spurs reduce strain on beleaguered manager

Thomas Frank expressed that he was "very happy" following Tottenham's victory that concluded their challenging phase, with a 2-0 triumph against his previous team Brentford lifting the burden from the pressured Danish coach.

Frank had faced intense scrutiny due to a series of lacklustre performances at home and a streak of three losses in four outings.

However, opting to give Xavi Simons his initial start since November 8 turned out to be a key move in securing an essential win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Simons required just 25 minutes to assist Richarlison's first goal, then scored his own impressive individual effort in the 43rd minute, marking his debut strike for the side.

The standout performance from Simons resulted in Tottenham achieving their fourth league victory on home soil in 2025.

"(I am) Happy for him. He has been working very hard, he is a top pro, he is so determined and wants it so badly in every aspect of his game, but it's a little bit of adaptation and also the team a little bit out of sync," Frank commented regarding Simons.

"Every player needs that extra bit of confidence and that comes from his performance, the team's performance and that assist and goal gave him that extra bit of lightness in his step and his touches."

Prior to this encounter, Tottenham had endured a poor sequence of just one victory in eight matches ahead of Frank's meeting with Brentford.

A further home setback, following the surprising 2-1 defeat to Fulham last Saturday, might have intensified discussions about Frank's fit for the role.

"(I am) Very happy with the win. I think that's the most important thing," he remarked.

"What I would say, I was just extremely happy with the offensive performance. It just looked more right."

Brentford's manager Keith Andrews had served under Frank in the prior season, yet he maintained that their inaugural direct clash carried no additional intensity.

"I saw Thomas briefly before but no, it didn't feel strange at all. I was just totally engrossed in the game and how that looked," he stated.

"The first half we didn't hit the levels we had and we came up against a team that upped their level from what I had seen and we need to own it."