Thomas Frank criticised Tottenham supporters who booed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after the opening minutes of their 2-1 home loss to Fulham, calling the reaction unacceptable and saying those fans were not showing the usual unity expected at the club.
Spurs fell behind to a third-minute Kenny Tete strike that took a deflection, and moments later Vicario left his line and miskicked a clearance some 25 yards out. Harry Wilson pounced to volley into an empty net and put Fulham 2-0 up inside six minutes — a disastrous start Frank said effectively decided the match.
Frank told Sky Sports he was upset by fans booing Vicario while he was still playing, arguing supporters should wait until after the game if they want to express displeasure. He said the team performed better after the restart, but the early collapse and mounting pressure over Tottenham’s poor home record had made the first half disjointed. ‘‘We lost this game in the first six minutes,’’ Frank said, adding that Spurs rushed the opening period but showed energy and created chances in the second half without finding an equaliser.
Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back with a powerful strike on the hour, but the comeback stalled and Spurs endured their 10th home league defeat of 2025 — a tally that equals their worst single-calendar-year total and leaves Brentford and Liverpool still to visit before year-end.
Speaking after the match, Vicario accepted that fans can voice their frustration but insisted players must remain calm and not be swayed by the crowd. He acknowledged a lack of composure across the side at present and called the loss a tough result to take.
The numbers underline Tottenham’s early-season fragility at home: the two goals conceded inside six minutes were the earliest double-strike they have conceded at home in the Premier League (5:43); they have allowed 11 first-half goals in 13 league games this season — only Wolverhampton have conceded more — and four goals inside the opening 15 minutes (only Sunderland have more). Tottenham have also failed to win any of their last 20 Premier League matches in which they conceded first (stretching back to a 3 November 2024 win over Aston Villa), and their combined expected goals (xG) at half-time across three poor first halves this season is just 0.09.
The broader picture is worrying: the club has now lost 10 home league matches in calendar year 2025, matching the joint-highest total in their history (also recorded in 1994 and 2003), and they have taken only 14 points at home in the past 12 months — the fewest of any ever-present Premier League side.
Former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson, speaking on BBC’s Saturday Night Football, urged perspective while defending Frank’s credentials. Dawson said improvement was always likely after last season, suggested a top-six finish was a realistic target, and warned against hastily judging the coach given his previous achievements. At the same time he conceded Spurs’ home performances have been well below par and that the current squad are not playing to the levels expected.