Tottenham appeared to have a strong start to the season.
After ten Premier League games, Thomas Frank’s team sits in the top four and remains unbeaten in the Champions League.
Yet recent results and fan reactions at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show a troubling decline.
A Home Defeat and Visible Frustration
Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea highlighted growing tensions. Frank encouraged his players to do their customary lap of appreciation around the stadium.
Fans booed the players off the pitch, while Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence were caught ignoring their manager and heading straight to the tunnel.
Frank acknowledged the players’ frustration, noting, “They want to perform well and win, so I understand that.”
He added that consistency remains challenging in both good and bad times, which explains his gesture to the fans.
When asked about Van de Ven and Spence, he said, “It is a small issue. They are giving their best, performing well this season, and everyone feels frustration. We do things differently, so it is not a major problem.”
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer defended the players’ behavior. He said the response was reasonable given their embarrassment on the pitch and their desire to apologize in the dressing room.
Early Promise Under Thomas Frank
After finishing 17th last season, Spurs began Frank’s tenure with three wins and three clean sheets in four games.
The Danish coach aims to turn Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a fortress. However, the Chelsea defeat left Spurs with just one win in five home games under Frank.
They have not won consecutive league matches since opening victories over Burnley and Manchester City. Since the October international break, the team has won only one of five games across competitions.
Poor home form continues a troubling trend from last season. Spurs have won only three of their last 19 home Premier League matches, drawing four and losing twelve. No other top-flight club has a worse home record since November 2024. Only Southampton have fewer home victories in England’s top four divisions over the same period.
Criticism from Former Players
Former Premier League goalkeeper Rob Green described the performance as “abject.” He criticized Spurs’ inability to build pressure or create opportunities at home.
Former midfielder Jamie Redknapp called the defeat “one of the worst performances I have seen from Tottenham.” He said Chelsea faced almost no resistance and that the game was as simple as it could get for the visitors.
Fans expressed their discontent loudly, booing at the final whistle. Frank admitted he understood their frustration but urged patience. He highlighted that the front four is still developing and requires time to adjust during short game turnarounds.
Spurs Struggle in Both Attack and Defense
Frank noted that scoring will improve as the team continues to build chemistry. However, defensive errors remain a problem. Tottenham has made as many mistakes leading to goals as Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham, with only Wolves committing more.
The team now faces opportunities to recover with home games against Copenhagen in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Premier League.
Despite clear improvement from last season, more is required to raise both results and morale in north London. Frank admitted that his team created very little against Chelsea, leaving him struggling to see positives for now.
