Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has defended Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after the pair appeared to ignore him following the 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. The Spurs players were booed off by the home crowd, and though Frank encouraged the team to do a lap of appreciation, Van de Ven and Spence went straight down the tunnel.
“All the players are of course frustrated,” Frank said. “They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that. I think it is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times.” The Dane added that the duo are “doing everything they can” and that it was “one of the small issues”.
The defeat was Tottenham’s third in the Premier League this season, and they have won only one of five home matches in the league. They have also failed to win back-to-back league matches since August. Frank acknowledged the fans’ frustration but stressed the need for patience as his new-look front four builds cohesion.
“There's no doubt, and I keep saying it, that we have a front four that is new,” Frank said. “We have to build together with short turnarounds in games. We'll do that. I'm not in doubt that will happen. I think every team I've coached has scored a lot of goals. It will happen again in the future here.”
