Tottenham Hotspur were subjected to an ignominious result in the Premier League at the weekend, when they were defeated by local rivals Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The result sparked outrage amongst the Spurs faithful – and two players were singled out for their actions after the final whistle was blown.
Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven were the subject of controversy on Saturday evening, but head coach Thomas Frank has assured the fans that they are remorseful.
Speaking in a press conference, Frank said: “Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday unprompted to say sorry. It was not their intention to be disrespectful. They were just frustrated.”
What happened during the incident involving Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence?
At the end of the game, Spurs fans rained down boos onto their team. It wasn’t unwarranted – Tottenham put forth a pitiful effort against their bitter rivals, struggling to keep hold of the ball and mustering just one shot on target over the course of 90 minutes.
Clearly irked by the reception, Van de Ven and Spence made a beeline for the tunnel, brushing past Frank as they did so. This further infuriated the Tottenham fans, finding their decision to exit the pitch so quickly to be disrespectful.
What did Thomas Frank have to say about the incident?
🗣️ "[They wanted] to say sorry for the situation"
Thomas Frank says that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have apologised after they appeared to snub their manager following their loss to Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/ndepCUJPjC
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 3, 2025
Emotions will still be high within the Spurs fanbase, given the nature of the defeat – losing at home to a rival team is a cardinal sin at any football club, let alone one the size of Tottenham. They may want to see heads roll – and it may be tempting for Frank to take this route.
The Spurs boss was right to play the incident down and in the video above talked about how Spence and van de Ven both came to speak to him separately to apologise and it seems like their reaction will be forgiven by their new boss. The AI footage going around of Frank supposedly assaulting Spence is fake of course but has fooled its share of fans.
Naturally, Frank does not want to create a storm in a teacup. He has not been at Spurs for very long – it will take time before he can foster universal respect amongst his players. Alienating two of his best players at this stage could be catastrophic for the atmosphere in the dressing room.
After a defeat of this magnitude, stability is important. Before this, Spurs had been in relatively strong form – Frank’s man-management skills will be put to the test as he looks to avoid a tailspin.
Van de Ven, in particular, has been outstanding for Tottenham this season. Extremely quick and technically proficient, there are no superior centre-backs that Frank can call upon within his squad.
Likewise, Spence has also been excellent for the Lilywhites in 2025/26. Functioning as an inverted fullback, he poses a very difficult problem for defenders to solve as he marauds forward. His efforts have seen him richly rewarded by international head coach Thomas Tuchel with a spot in the England senior team.
As such, a caution for the pair may be the best course of action. The manager must remind his players that he is the one in charge and that infractions will be punished – but at the same time, Frank needn’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Discipline is important, but he will earn no respect by going too far with his penalties.
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