Tottenham Hotspur supporters aimed jibes at head coach Thomas Frank as Spurs suffered a miserable first half in their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
Trailing 2-0 at the break in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round clash, Spurs have now managed just one win from their last seven games. Emi Buendía opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Morgan Rogers struck again in stoppage time to put Villa firmly in control.
The second goal was met with loud boos from the home crowd, with many fans heading for the exits before half-time. Villa supporters also joined in, chanting “Sacked in the morning!” at the embattled Frank.
Speaking on talkSPORT commentary, Alan Pardew explained what the Dane needed to do at the interval to revive his team’s hopes.
“There’s always a way back, especially in cup matches,” Pardew said. “He has to lift the mood in the dressing room, change the shape, and get them being more aggressive. Make tackles, make things happen — they were far too passive, like Subbuteo figures just standing still.”
Despite their poor first-half showing, Spurs began the second period strongly. Wilson Odobert curled in a fine finish to reignite the home support, and Tottenham grew into the game with several chances to equalise. However, Villa stood firm to protect their lead and book a place in the fourth round.
Tempers flared after the final whistle as players from both sides clashed in front of the away fans. It appeared that Ollie Watkins’ celebration in front of João Palhinha sparked the confrontation, though the situation eventually calmed.
Pardew suggested Palhinha’s reaction summed up the intense pressure surrounding the club.
“Rogers and Palhinha were going at it all second half,” he said. “Something’s clearly happened there, and Palhinha has completely lost his head. It shows the pressure building — not just on the manager, but on the players too.”
Frank’s future is now expected to come under further scrutiny following another disappointing result. The loss follows a late 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth earlier in the week, while Spurs have now lost four of their last seven games in all competitions and crashed out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage for the first time since 2014.
