Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has downplayed an incident involving two of his players, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence, who appeared to snub him and the fans following their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. The incident occurred shortly after the final whistle, as the players were heading towards the tunnel.
Footage emerged showing Van de Ven and Spence seemingly declining Frank's request to acknowledge the Spurs supporters, walking past him without making eye contact. Spence even appeared to throw his hands up in frustration. The দৃশ্য sparked speculation about potential unrest within the team, especially considering Van de Ven is the vice-captain.
Frank, however, has dismissed the incident as a "small issue". In his post-match press conference, he acknowledged the players' frustration after the defeat. "All the players are of course frustrated," Frank explained. "They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that".
He further added, "I think it is about - which is difficult to be - consistent in good times and in bad times". This sentiment was echoed in his actions, as he made a point of going around to thank the fans despite the jeers. "It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that," Frank said.
The defeat to Chelsea was a disappointing one for Tottenham, who struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match. Joao Pedro's goal in the 34th minute sealed the victory for Chelsea, leaving Spurs with their third home Premier League defeat of the season. The team only registered one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, reflecting their lack of creativity.
Frank admitted his side "performed badly," citing a lack of energy and intensity. "I think we lacked energy and intensity and that freshness, we didn't have that," he said. He also acknowledged that they struggled to cope with Chelsea's high pressure. "Then I think the high pressure they came with, I don't think we solved it well enough even though we worked on it, so that we need to keep working on," he added.
The manager also addressed the omission of Xavi Simons from the starting lineup, explaining it was due to a build-up of minutes in recent weeks. "I think he's played two starts, short turnaround," Frank said. "Also, that energy and freshness I talked about, played 90 minutes Wednesday night. So that's why we decided that, and then he played 70 minutes here".
Despite the defeat and the apparent player snub, Frank remains focused on finding solutions and improving the team's performance. He acknowledged the fans' frustration and vowed to look into what can be done to make things better. "I have never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game, never," Frank said. "So that, of course, I will look into what we can do to make it better".
