Monday brought a much-needed day off for the Tottenham Hotspur players and coaching staff after their efforts at the Gtech Community Stadium.

While Ange Postecoglou would have remained glued to his phone for updates on Spurs' transfer deadline activity, his players and staff would have been reflecting on a job well done at Brentford for a number of reasons. The previous day, the music and delighted voices heard from the away dressing room after the game certainly showed how pleased the players were.

For Postecoglou, his phone and a long chat would prove pivotal in Spurs' deadline day work and the U-turn that brought Mathys Tel back into Tottenham's sphere. For the Australian did what he's done already so many times for Spurs and that's sell his vision to a player with his brand of football.

Ask any player who has joined the north London outfit in the past 18 months and they will point to the words of Postecoglou as being a driving force behind them putting pen to paper at the club.

For Tel, the 19-year-old would have needed to be convinced about game time and his development and those back in Germany suggest the Frenchman needs to be used as a striker rather than as a winger.

That would have been an easy sell for Postecoglou because in his system the wingers have the licence to get into the box whenever possible and act like strikers. The 59-year-old would have simply pointed out who Spurs' top scorer is - right winger Brennan Johnson with 12 goals this season.

Son Heung-min, on the left-hand side, has 10 goals. In fact Dominic Solanke has 11, and Dejan Kulusevski, often found on the right, has nine, and midfielder James Maddison the same amount.

Postecoglou would have been able to make it clear to Tel that if you play in Tottenham's attack you're likely to score goals and get plenty of minutes. Spurs may be 14th in the table currently, but they're the joint third highest scorers in the Premier League.

Tel needs to feel the love right now. He's started just two Bundesliga games this season under Vincent Kompany after earning plenty of plaudits last term in a breakthrough campaign under Thomas Tuchel with 16 goal involvements in 40 games as an 18-year-old.

Postecoglou has such belief in what he's doing that it's infectious and it appears that Tel has caught the bug, as the pair help each other get back on the right track in their respective situations. The teenager will bring exciting energy and skill to the top end of the pitch when Spurs need it the most.

For now, Postecoglou and his coaching staff will have been pleased after Sunday's match with how their tactics worked against Thomas Frank's direct Brentford side.

They knew Spurs would have less energy after their Thursday night exploits, then coming to a Brentford team that had enjoyed seven days of recovering since their 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

So Tottenham were tasked with keeping it tight, only pressing in selected moments and the full-backs were rarely inverted. In fact Pedro Porro's runs forward were and far between, in keeping with the fact that he has played more minutes than anyone else in the squad by a long way with 2,827 to his name. He also had 17-year-old Mikey Moore ahead of him and had to be wary of getting caught upfield.

The fresher Djed Spence was allowed to get up and down the pitch, with the knowledge that he would have the pace and energy to continually track back and contain Bryan Mbeumo, something the 24-year-old did to great effect.

"He's been outstanding since he's come into the team," Postecoglou told football.london of Spence. "He had to bide his time. It's fair to say we needed Djed to really be patient, and also just mature a little bit, and I think he has, and once he got into the team he's looked fantastic.

"He was important for us today, I think we'd missed him the last couple of games. He's one of these defenders that loves the challenge of taking on the elite in the Premier League wingers, there's some outstanding ones. And Bryan Mbeumo's right up there, especially here.

"You can see he loves that challenge. Like I said, that's another reason we kept Micky on ice, knowing Djed was back in, was going to help us enormously. So pleased to get him back in the team. He'll be important for us until Destiny gets back. He'll be important for us in this period."

Postecoglou has previously said Spence, with his current momentum, is going to push for a regular spot when everyone is fit and it's clear now on either flank that he can do the job against the best wingers while also being a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Also key for Postecoglou has been the dramatic change in set piece work behind the scenes within his staff.

football.london understands that assistant coaches Nick Montgomery and Mile Jedinak have been working closely together this season with hours spent on the Hotspur Way training pitches improving the team's set pieces at both ends of the pitch and the difference is clear.

When Son Heung-min swung in a dangerous corner in the 29th minute that struck Vitaly Janelt and bounced into the net, so Spurs made it eight set piece goals scored in the Premier League this season. That's just two fewer than the much-lauded set piece kings down the road Arsenal.

Montgomery and Jedinak's work at the other end has resulted in only six goals conceded from set pieces in the Premier League. That's fewer than Arsenal and Bournemouth, while Manchester United have conceded 11 and Wolves a whopping 17.

What makes the set piece work all the more impressive is that Spurs have been doing it without their key defenders and many of their tallest players. There's been no Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven or even Dominic Solanke to get their head to the ball.

Players like Ben Davies and Pedro Porro are not the tallest and Archie Gray has had to be taught how to defend like a centre-back, having not played in the role other than as a schoolboy. Davies spent much of Sunday's game talking the teenager through what he had to do against Frank's huge side.

Even Djed Spence at 6ft was coming up against the giants in the Brentford team yet all of them defended in exactly the way they had been drilled and with real determination. Richarlison also added his heading ability to the mix, taking one powerful shot bravely on his forehead in the first half.

Spurs are now right up there in the stats of being an attacking threat from set pieces and defending them.

It's about crosses as well with Brentford curling 30 of them into Tottenham's box on Sunday, as well as a barrage of long throws. Yet Spurs held firm and made it back-to-back clean sheets with Antonin Kinsky playing his part in trying to punch away what he could.

Leaders are emerging from within the group when others have been absent. Those inside the club have pointed to Rodrigo Bentancur as a growing presence in the team and a rapidly developing leader as he seeks to make up for lost time. Mostly quiet and reserved off the pitch, he's been growing as a senior figure on it among the young group.

The three-time Serie A winner has an improving grasp of English and the 27-year-old's communication with the younger players was clear during Sunday's win. Even before kick-off, the Uruguayan could be seen with his arm around 21-year-old Kinsky, delivering a pep talk to the young goalkeeper, who would go on to record his first Premier League clean sheet.

After the win in Hoffenheim the previous week, Bentancur picked up the shattered Gray from the floor and with a hand on either side of his face, told him passionately just how well he had played during the Europa League victory in Germany.

During Sunday's win, Bentancur was a reassuring calm presence to the team, constantly telling them to take a breath with their play after early nerves set in.

He more than played his part, with 10 ball recoveries, seven clearances, five headed clearances and two interceptions and was a vital cog in the result-sealing second goal of the game.

Those battling stats were similar across the board for Tottenham's backline, with Porro leading the way with 21 defensive actions while Davies, Gray and Spence shone with their work.

Postecoglou was asked whether Gray could become a centre-back eventually and the fact that he's changed his answer in recent weeks because of the 18-year-old's performances says everything.

"Who knows, but you can't lose sight of the fact he's never played there before. I just think he's a fantastic player," he said. "I'm so pleased he's at this football club, and he's a fantastic kid as well.

"He just wants to learn, no task is too much for him, he tackles everything with a real kind of calmness that belies his years. He wants to learn, he wants to get better. We are just very, very fortunate to have him at our football club.

"Whatever position he ends up playing, he's going to be outstanding. He has that attitude of wanting to improve, wanting to get better. He's already set a high benchmark. There aren't many 18-year-olds who you could throw into the Premier League, play out of position in such an important area of the park, and handle it the way he has. Just brilliant."

The arrival of Kevin Danso will allow Gray to begin the move back to midfield or right-back and the experiences of recent weeks will serve the teenager hugely in his development and confidence at this level.

With Radu Dragusin set for a lengthy spell out, Tottenham are looking for another centre-back to bolster the defence in the final hours or deadline day, with a move for Chelsea's Axel Disasi continuing to lurk as a possibility. Spurs made an attempt late on Sunday evening to prise Marc Guehi away from Crystal Palace but that was rejected and now they will likely have to join the queue of suitors who will try to get the England international this summer with his contract reaching its final year.

Danso will fit exactly what Postecoglou is trying to do with his pace, power and ability with the ball.

He is also yet another player from the Postecoglou school of hard knocks, one who has had to drop down a level before climbing their way back up again. The Spurs boss loves a fighter.

"Great to get Kevin in. We desperately need a defender, but getting him is great because he's a great fit for us," said the Australian. "He's had a strong career, but he's at an age now where he really wants to kick on.

"He's got all the attributes we look for, he's really strong one-on-one, he's quick, he's dynamic, he wants to play on the ball, so, and like I said he's just at a stage of his career where he's really determined to kick on now and make an impact. So really pleased, I think it'll be a lift for the whole group."

Spurs skipper Son also continues to step up at the moment for Postecoglou. The Tottenham head coach does not give his leaders an easy ride. If the leadership groups at the club in the past were ever given more leeway, they certainly do not get it under Postecoglou.

He is quick to let the captains, vice-captains and senior players know his thoughts on their performances, especially in team meetings, and making it clear whether he thought they did enough when the younger players were giving everything.

Son has stepped up and this was another performance packed with defensive work - five ball recoveries, three clearances and three headed ones - as much as it was with attacking endeavour.

Having only a 45-minute stint against Elfsborg helped the South Korean's energy levels and it was fitting that after forcing the first goal, he played the pinpoint pass into the path of Pape Matar Sarr to poke through the legs of the goalkeeper.

It's worth noting that it was Bentancur who drove up the pitch late on to start the move for the crucial goal, with the two 18-year-olds Bergvall and Gray having shown real determination to get the ball out of a tight spot to Dejan Kulusevski first in the build-up.

This was a start for Spurs, coming to a place where many have struggled and winning with a battling display.

It's something to build on and with the cavalry finally coming over the horizon in the shape of new recruits and fit again players, Postecoglou will be looking to turn a bruising campaign into a season to remember.

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