In his post-game interview after his Spurs fell to Fulham, Frank lambasted the home fans for booing goalkeeper Vicario in the first half. “I didn’t like how the fans reacted to that. They booed at him straight after and also three or four times when he was on the ball,” Frank said. He then went so far as to utter: “They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch.”
It’s perfectly fine to defend your goalkeeper. But Frank has to know that Vicario’s actions were inexcusable. The Spaniard inexplicably sprinted out of his goal box towards a long pass like a toddler chasing a new toy. When pressed by a Fulham attacker he dribbled the ball towards the corner flag before attempting a long pass downfield.
It was the 6th minute of the game, and Spurs were already a goal behind. Vicario’s pass was blocked, the ball passed to Harvey Barnes who calmly curled it from the touch line into the net. The keeper wasn’t even in the box.
So Frank is wrong about the booing. A “true fan” has every right (and in some cases, obligation) to boo their own side — and even their own player during the game.
Much to Complain About
Tottenham fans in particular have plenty to boo about. I’m not a huge fan of xG (expected goals) as a stat, but it is generally a fair representation of how “dangerous” a team’s play is.
Spurs have the fifth lowest aggregate xG (12.1) of any team through MW13, per Opta Analyst. And while their actual goal tally is a respectable 21, too many times have the supporters been left short shrift vis-a-vis the team’s performance. For example here are some recent xG scores:
- In the first half of that Fulham match, their xG was 0.11.
- Visiting Arsenal they managed a dismal 0.07 xG.
- Two fixtures before that, at home against Chelsea, it was 0.10.
- All three are among lowest xG scores in the league so far.
Now, let’s layer in a few more points:
- Tottenham Hotspur tickets are the second most expensive in the league ($1,100 a season).
- Tottenham has earned a pathetic 5 points from seven home matches this season.
- Only last place Wolverhampton is worse.
- The team averages 9.7 shots per game, with 2.9 of those on frame. Again, this is the second worse in the league
- For the curious, Burnley is worse with 6.2 shots / 2.0 on target.
So, yeah, a little booing might be in order. Thomas Frank would be better served hearing the subtext behind the jeers and taking a long look in the mirror, instead of throwing shade at his supporter base.
