'We need a bit of help' Frank urges Spurs fans to hold boos and carry team forwards

Thomas Frank has called for better support from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd after revealing that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence had apologised to him for their reaction to the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea on Saturday.

- David Hytner

Van de Ven and Spence were incensed when the full-time whistle sounded and the Spurs fans booed, as they had done at half-time with their team trailing. The defenders stormed past Frank towards the tunnel, ignoring their manager's attempts to get them to acknowledge the supporters in the South Stand-a bad look at the end of another bad Premier League day at the stadium.

Tottenham have won only once in five games there under Frank in the competition, losing three. The team have three victories and 12 defeats in 19 home league matches and have lost 41 times at the stadium since it opened in 2019. It hurts the Spurs fanbase to realise that their fiercest rivals, Arsenal, have lost 48 league games at the Emirates Stadium - and that opened in 2006.

Frank was happy to provide the detail of how Van de Ven and Spence had been to see him separately on Sunday to say sorry as they began preparations for the Champions League game at home against Copenhagen tonight. He is aware of how poor his team were against Chelsea and he accepted the jeers could come after the final whistle. But he was also clear that there needed to be greater positivity from the stands.