Thomas Frank shocked by Djed Spence and Micky Van de Ven incident: ‘Fines have been issued’
Thomas Frank could be about to hand out a punishment within his Tottenham squad after their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
The Lilywhites were outclassed by Enzo Maresca’s side, who claimed all three points with Joao Pedro’s goal midway through the first half.
The defeat was made even worse by the fact that Tottenham could be set to lose Lucas Bergvall for several weeks, after he was forced off in accordance with the concussion protocol in the 7th minute of the action.
It was a disastrous evening for Frank and his staff, and it was capped off by an eye-catching moment that has been everywhere in the aftermath of the defeat.
Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven slammed for lack of respect
Micky van de Ven has made headlines at Tottenham after the game, as he and Djed Spence headed straight down the tunnel after the full-time whistle on Saturday.
The Dutchman appeared to ignore Frank in the footage shared on X, while Spence seemingly had a somewhat frustrated exchange with the Dane before he left the pitch.
The incident has attracted plenty of attention since the game, and it has prompted unwanted scrutiny in N17 after a hugely frustrating 90 minutes.
Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that Spence and Van de Ven should be fined for their actions, which he feels showed a lack of respect to the club and the fans.
“I think Thomas Frank was shocked that they just walked past without acknowledging him as such,” King said.
“If you’re playing at Tottenham in front of 62,000 people, there’s a word called respect. They got beaten, but you’ve got to remember your supporters, and it’s not their fault, it’s your fault.
“They should’ve faced up to it. You’ve got to respect the club, the supporters and your teammates.
“As the manager, the last thing you want is to come into the dressing room and sort out two players who have started to be petulant, and have done something towards you and the fans which is unacceptable.
“Something has to be done. If I were Frank, I would have had everybody in on Sunday morning, and fines would have been issued.”
Alan Shearer’s assessment of Tottenham incident is very wrong
Alan Shearer played down the Tottenham incident during his analysis of the game on Match of the Day on Saturday night, but the stance that he took cannot be shared by Frank.
The former Newcastle hero suggested that the Spurs duo were aware of their poor performances and will have just wanted to get away from the pitch and make their apologies afterwards.
However, that is a poor excuse to carry out such a concerning exchange with your manager in view of the fans.
Frank is still relatively new to the job and will be trying to stamp his authority on the team, and as a result, it is surely inevitable that there is a punishment on the horizon for Spence and Van de Ven.
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