Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has spoken about the post-match snub from Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence following the loss against Chelsea.
Spurs suffered a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, adding more misery to their poor form.
The home crowd booed at the final whistle after their team suffered back-to-back defeats, including a loss to their London rivals.
After the game, Frank walked onto the pitch to acknowledge the fans and he extended his hand to stand-in captain Van de Ven and full-back Spence, but both players seemed to ignore the gesture and headed straight down the tunnel.
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Thomas Frank clears the air
According to reports, footage captured the manager staring after the defensive duo, but in his post-match comments, Frank refused to criticise his players for their reaction.
“All the players are of course frustrated,” he said. “They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.
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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank || Imago
“I think it is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that.”
When pressed on whether the conduct was acceptable, Frank added: “I think that is one of the small issues. We have Micky and Djed who are doing everything they can.
“They have performed very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem.”
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Djed Spence in action || Imago
Both Van de Ven and Spence were involved in the build-up to Joao Pedro’s winning goal. The team’s overall display was poor, managing only a single shot on target throughout the match.
Fans were also left frustrated by the team’s ineffective set-pieces, with most of their six corners failing to create any danger.
The defeat continues a dismal run of home form for Tottenham, who have won just three of their last 19 Premier League matches at their stadium over the past year.
