Thomas Frank doubles down on stance over Spurs fans

Thomas Frank has insisted Tottenham supporters must not mock their own goalkeeper, as he moved to spell out what he meant by his “true Tottenham fans” remark after the defeat to Fulham.

Spurs fell two goals behind inside six chaotic minutes of a 2-1 loss at home on Saturday, sparking open anger in the stands. Guglielmo Vicario was booed after a major error, then met with sarcastic cheers the next time he cleared the ball cleanly, as tension inside the stadium increased.

Speaking post-match on Saturday, Frank said: “I didn’t like how the fans reacted to that. They booed at him straight after and also three or four times when he was on the ball. For me that is unacceptable.

“They can’t be true Tottenham fans. Booing after [the game], fair. No problem, but when we are playing, we need to be together.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Newcastle, the Tottenham boss said his criticism related specifically to the jeering and ironic cheering aimed at Vicario.

“When I said the ‘not true Spurs fan.’ what I meant by that, just to make it clear, was the mocking of one of their own players. [Vicario] makes a mistake and there is a little bit of booing after that, as I remember it.

“The next ball he clears and there is like a cheering. You can’t do that. The opponent can do that. You can’t do that as a fan. That’s where I would stand by what I said.

“The booing during the game I don’t think is helpful, [but] we are all different.”

The Fulham loss was Tottenham’s fourth Premier League defeat at home this season and followed an earlier flashpoint in the stands, when a flat 1-0 home reverse against Chelsea sparked open fury at the start of November.

Frank said that game prompted internal reflection on the mood between the team and the fanbase.

“We didn’t have a meeting about the fans, we had a debrief after the game about the game, as we do all the time, and it was pretty evident after that game that it was the first time there was a little bit talk about the fans and the relationship,” Frank said.

“It is important that we connect with the fans. It is pretty obvious that away from home we go to the away fans and thank them for their travelling and support.

“There were maybe not many [players] who clapped after the [Fulham] game, but I still saw a few.

“Sometimes they can be emotional or whatever, but I would still say ‘clap the fans after the game.’ [but] you don’t have to do the big loop. There is no specific instruction, that is [just] what I recommend.”

Frank added that he remains sure majority shareholders ENIC will back him through the current spell.

“Yeah, I’m very confident.

“It seems like they’re good guys, intelligent people, know how to run businesses and learning about football.

“I think when we’re dealing with intelligent people they can see every successful dynasty and every successful club has taken time.”