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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has revealed that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence apologised after appearing to ignore him and walk straight down the tunnel following Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea.
The result, which extended Spurs’ run without a home league win to four matches, provoked boos from their own fans at the final whistle.
Van de Ven, who captained the side, and Spence have been among the more consistent performers during what has been an uneven beginning to Frank’s tenure.
However, they brushed past their manager as he attempted to encourage the players to acknowledge the supporters.
Frank confirmed that both players met with him on Sunday to explain the situation. He said they were sorry for how it looked and insisted there had been no intended disrespect towards him or the squad.
According to the Danish coach, the pair were simply frustrated by the team’s display and by the negative reaction from the stands.
Spurs remain fifth in the Premier League despite their disappointing home form, and they are unbeaten after three Champions League fixtures.
A win against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday would leave them well placed to reach the knockout stages of the competition for only the second time in six years.
Last season’s Europa League triumph provided a rare highlight in a campaign that otherwise proved turbulent, leading to Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal even after ending a 17-year wait for silverware.
Tottenham’s final league position of 17th marked their poorest top-flight finish since the 1976/77 relegation season.
Frank admitted the performance against Chelsea was poor but argued that it should not overshadow the progress made so far.
He pointed out that Spurs have collected 17 points from their first 10 league games and remain unbeaten in Europe, describing it as a “decent foundation” compared with the difficulties of the previous campaign.
Lucas Bergvall will miss the upcoming match after sustaining a concussion in the early moments of Saturday’s defeat.
Still, Spence and Mohammed Kudus are expected to be available despite suffering minor injuries.
