Tottenham were booed off as the pressure continues to build on Thomas Frank following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup.
Three days after the atmosphere between the traveling away fans and Tottenham players soured following a last-minute winner for Bournemouth, the situation turned toxic again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank and his team were booed off the pitch at half-time after Emi Buendia’s ferocious strike put Villa ahead and Morgan Rogers doubled the lead to capitalize on another lackluster, dull and toothless display from Spurs.
Amid the clear displeasure and growing signs of disengagement from Spurs supporters, Frank was peppered with chants of “you’ll be sacked in the morning” and “Frank is an Arsenal fan” from the traveling faithful, referring to the Arsenal Cup which Frank had hosted in the build-up to the midweek loss.
But despite the home crowd being quiet and apathy creeping in, Spurs responded after the break with a well-taken goal from Wilson Odobert that swung momentum in their favor as a result.
Boos quickly turned to cheers as a rejuvenated Spurs side pressed for an equaliser.
Odobert, Mathys Tel and Xavi Simons all came close and called on Marco Bizot to ensure Villa’s slender lead remained intact, but a dismal performance to start the game ultimately left them with too much to do against a resilient Villa side.
Spurs now crash out of the Cup as a result of a 10th defeat of the season under Frank – and frustration after that exit would boil over at full-time, with boos still ringing.
Joao Palhinha and Micky van de Ven, the same duo involved with the traveling away fans in Bournemouth, were at the heart of another brawl as the former reacted to Ollie Watkins’ celebration after the final whistle.
Palhinha nudged Villa forward as he closed in on the Villa supporters before Rogers and Van de Ven stepped in to diffuse the situation. The remaining players from both sides quickly followed, all while Frank watched in disbelief from a safe distance.
Speaking after the match, Frank criticized Watkins for provoking Palhinha with his celebrations. “Losing a close game, the season is not going perfectly and Ollie is very provocative,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“He can easily just walk around. Anyone who has been in a competitive nature, it can trigger things.”
While attention for Villa may turn to Monday night’s fourth-round draw, Frank will have to pick up the pieces from another defeat to prepare his side for the London derby against West Ham on January 17, which is likely to be classed as a must-win clash for the Spurs boss.
Chaos at full time! Palhinha involved in post-match drama again
Spurs and Aston Villa players had to be separated after the full-time whistle of their FA Cup third-round tie
Spurs’ frustrations appeared to center around Ollie Watkins (right), who celebrated in front of the Villa fans at full-time.
A fight broke out between Morgan Rogers and Palhinha
Rogers and Palhinha then had to be separated with Micky van de Ven’s help
Frank ‘disappointed’ and responds boo
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank:
“It’s disappointing. We’re all hurting and there’s nothing we want more than to get through to the next round.
“We are playing at home and had a good opportunity, but unfortunately we couldn’t get through. We went at full strength.
“We all know that there is only one way to make everyone happy and that is to perform consistently and win games.
“We could see how they live off each other, the players and the fans. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get that great comeback that can sometimes kick-start momentum.
“We have to perform and then they can feed off the energy, but we need them in difficult times. They are there and back us up.”
Thomas Frank follows as his Tottenham side lost 2-1 to Aston Villa
Emery: We deserved to beat Spurs
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery:
“Obviously we played our structure for 90 minutes and we expected a difficult game.
“It happened more or less as we planned. We stopped them, dominated with the ball and kept possession, scored two goals.
“We expected after the first half that they would press more, show character. We had to be ready to be robust. We conceded a goal and a chance; we needed Marco Bizot to save.
“We recover again like in the first half. After 90 minutes, with our momentum and their momentum, I think we deserve to get this win.”
Now what about the Spurs? Your views…
Get up: Thomas Frank must go ASAP. What a disaster class it has been. Firing Ange Postecoglou is the worst decision in the history of this club.
Thomas: I think the West Ham game is absolutely crucial. If we don’t win it, he’ll be fired.
Greg: We would be foolish to change the manager after half a season in which he was in charge, but in saying that, we have been poor. I’d say give him a few transfer windows and see where we are at this time next year. We should be challenging at least for the top four.
Bally: Six managers, same problems. It’s not the manager’s fault. The owners have turned their backs on every manager and the buck stops with them. They never support any manager in any transfer window. We have sold our best players and are bringing in dross and kids.
Daniel: Pick up the phone and get Harry Redknapp back in. Look at what Martin O’Neill has done at Celtic. Harry will get these players playing football again and you will see a better second half of the season than this rubbish.