Tottenham's Struggles Amidst Promising Start
On the surface, Tottenham Hotspur appears to be enjoying a successful season.
After ten matches in the Premier League, Thomas Frank's team sits in the top four and remains unbeaten in the Champions League. However, recent performances and the atmosphere among supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have taken a downturn.
Following a 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea, Frank encouraged his players, as he typically does after home games, to take a lap of appreciation around the stadium. Yet, as the players left the pitch to boos from the crowd, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence were seen bypassing their manager and heading straight down the tunnel.
"All the players are, of course, frustrated," Frank commented on the incident. "They want to perform well, win games, and I completely understand their feelings. It is challenging to maintain consistency during both good and bad times, which is why I made the effort to engage with the fans. Winning is definitely more enjoyable, I can assure you of that."
When asked about the reactions of Van de Ven and Spence and whether their behavior was acceptable, Frank remarked, "I believe this is a minor issue. Both Micky and Djed have been giving their all this season, and everyone is feeling the frustration. We approach things differently, so I don’t consider it a significant problem."
After finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Spurs began Frank's tenure with three victories and three clean sheets in their first four matches. However, the loss to Chelsea means the team has secured only one win in five home games under his management.
Tottenham has not achieved back-to-back league victories since their opening wins against Burnley and Manchester City and has only managed one win in their last five matches across all competitions since the October international break. This poor home form continues a trend that began under Ange Postecoglou, with Spurs winning just three of their last 19 home Premier League matches (four draws and 12 losses). No current top-flight team has fewer home victories since November 10, 2024.
In fact, only Southampton has recorded fewer home wins than Spurs across England's top four tiers during this period.
Rob Green, a former Premier League goalkeeper, expressed concerns on BBC Radio 5 Live, stating, "There will be more questions for Thomas Frank after this game. I doubt he learned much from such a poor performance. They never posed a threat. The lack of sustained pressure at home is simply unacceptable."
Jamie Redknapp, a former Spurs midfielder, described the defeat as "one of the worst performances I've seen from Tottenham" on Sky Sports, adding, "It was as easy as it gets. If this were a boxing match, I would have stopped it. They never laid a glove on Chelsea, making it far too easy for them."
Fans echoed these sentiments, making their frustrations known as boos filled the stadium at the final whistle. Frank acknowledged the supporters' disappointment but urged for patience as his team continues to develop.
"The fans did everything they could to support us in a game where we fell short. Chelsea outperformed us today, and there’s no denying that," he stated. "I keep reiterating that our front four is new, and we need to build chemistry, especially with quick turnarounds between games. I have no doubt that we will improve in this regard. I’ve coached teams that have scored many goals, and I believe it will happen again here."
However, attacking issues are not Frank's only concern, as Tottenham has committed three errors leading to opposition goals this season, with only Wolves (four) making more mistakes in the Premier League.
Tottenham has two opportunities to rectify their form at home in the coming week, facing Copenhagen in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Premier League.
Despite an abysmal league campaign last season, Frank has indeed made some improvements. However, more effort is required to enhance both the team's performance and the mood in north London.
"I don’t think I have ever been in a game where we created so little," Frank remarked to BBC Sport after the match, noting his side finished with an xG rating of 0.05. "While there will always be positives, I'm currently struggling to identify them."