Danny Murphy column: ‘The Thomas Frank effect’ – but is there more to come from Tottenham?

I don’t think Tottenham’s current identity is etched because we’ve seen how Brentford have developed under him over a number of seasons and he’s just starting out here.

When they first arrived in the Premier League, Brentford had a very direct style that was also quite straightforward or predictable in what they did.

If you watched them last season, it was completely different. They played out from the back through Christian Norgaard, and although they could mix things up, they were not a one-trick pony.

Tottenham will improve too, but first and foremost, Frank has given them a solid base as he did early on at Brentford. For example, the way their full-backs stay at home a little longer, instead of flying up the pitch as they did under Ange Postecoglou.

We saw that on Sunday, as Tottenham once again received some criticism for sitting back and inviting Everton on in the second half.

There were times when I was thinking to myself, come on, get out of your own half because you’re putting yourself under pressure, but you have to think about what happened before that game.

Tottenham were eliminated from home in the Champions League on Wednesday and held on for dear life with a draw with Monaco.