Vicario booed by own fans as Fulham pile misery on shambolic Spurs

0:06Thanks for joining us on the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Two more Saturday night football matches saw Everton play Newcastle before Spurs took on Fulham. Here's how we saw things at the end of the night.

0:30Contrasting emotions down on the dugout. Marco Silva in his 200th match in charge of Fulham celebrates his sights. First away Premier League win of the season. but at the other end of the scale it's got to feel like the Wolves are starting to close in on Thomas Frank. Still just a one win here all season in the Premier League back on day one and the start was nothing short of disastrous. The match effectively gone in 360 seconds. Two quick fire Fulham goals took the game away from the host. Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson after a moment of rare madness from Di Cario. Vicario who was roundly booed by his own supporters throughout the match.

1:15And Tottenham who go to Newcastle before they host Brentford next week have some real soul searching to do. The Thomas Frank era not going according to plan. The third defeat in the space of a week. Final score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham Hotspur 1, Fulham 2. Well the aftermath will be unpleasant for Tottenham and for Thomas Frank but first Izzy on Fulham and the job that they've done at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Only one point away from home so far this season and all the damage was done in the first half. Yes and I think we have to give huge credit to Marco Silva and his team because he got the team selection right from the very off.

2:00I think Chuck Wese coming in on that left hand side for Fulham added lovely balance to the way that they played in that first half. you know that's where the first goal came from Kenny Tete's goal from the edge of the box but a super start to the game and I think they, you know you can see that togetherness from the Fulham players, they've not had the most amount of credit lately but yeah it's a tough day for Tottenham And the flip side of that real togetherness that Fulham have shown are the recriminations that are being shared on the pitch between Tottenham Hotspur players but you know we've already seen difficult moments between the players and the manager and the fans, they were booed at the final whistle.

2:38Just one win at home all season. And actually, their league position isn't too bad. Their points total, not too bad, Michael. But the home fans are not seeing any of the good bits, even if they did see a better second-half performance. Most definitely not. And you can see the frustration from those Spurs fans and even the players then when it boils over. After a half-time, I saw all the players coming together. I'm thinking, get down the tunnel. Thomas Frank is going to have to retry and group, get a better performance in the second half. He sent the group of players out, give them 10 minutes.

3:07There was a response. Changed formation, brought Odeber on. Xavi Simmonds into that same position. Bentekear into the two in midfield. And you think, can they go on to get a point out of this game? Take nothing away from Fulham. They did enough in that first half to win the game. Response from Spurs, but a bad, bad first half performance. And this isn't just about tonight's match. This is about a long-standing record at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which isn't just under Thomas Frank either. He's been in charge of probably half of those games in which there's been that really poor run of form. And that's why you could feel the tension.

3:44We touched on it before the game had kicked off. What do Spurs need to do? They need to come out the blocks quick. Not because of tonight, because of what's gone on previously. That performance away at the Emirates last week, the last home performance against Manchester United in the first half, The game before that against Chelsea, nowhere near to the levels that these Spurs fans expect and the levels of this football club have to be at. But there, Marco Silva gets his first win away from home. Thoroughly enjoy that night, I'm sure he has.

4:17The defeat for Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Just one win there all season and that was on the first weekend. 14 shots for them, two of them on target. just to give you an idea of the quality of them, their XG was 0.86. We'll come to Fulham's, which is only 0.42, but 0.86. It's an XG of below one for the sixth time in their seven home games already this season. More touches in the opponent's box than Fulham. 39 crosses, but rarely, particularly in the first half, I don't think any of their crosses found a Tottenham player and 61 % possession. But Fulham take all three points and the damage really done in that first half where they got both of their goals.

4:57It was a really dominant, particularly opening 45 minutes. And the pick of their goals was scored by Harry Wilson, who joins us now. Harry, thank you so much. First of all, a first win away from home of the season for Fulham. How welcome is that? Yeah, we needed that. We spoke before the game about getting our first win on the board. See, playing away in the Premier League isn't easy. we've been hard done by in a couple of games with a few decisions but yeah that was a lot of our pre-match talk was about getting that first win and yeah we started amazingly really put them under pressure getting the early goal from Kenny helped and then to get a second straight up straight away really settled us down and we had a few chances to get to get third we weren't able to do that let them back back into the game a bit but I think we've over the course of the game we really dug deep and deserved the three points Yeah, like you said, it feels as though that first win has been coming based on the levels of performance that you've been putting in away from home.

6:04Yeah, I think the Everton game in our last away game was probably the first game that we came away from really disappointed in the overall performance. I feel like the others before that, like I said, a few were decisions. Others were maybe not taking our chances. so we really wanted to put that right today off the back of a really good win at home last week so the back-to-back wins have been really good for us. Harry, congratulations on the win and the goal. I thought last week against Sunderland you looked really sharp maybe unfortunate not to get a goal but you got your goal tonight. Can you talk us through it?

6:43Because we in the studio thought it was incredibly instinctive, super finish.

6:49Yeah, I think it was a ball over the top that Raul almost got on the end of and then saw the keeper was in a little bit of a sticky situation. So I tried to double up with Raul and try and get the ball back off him. And I think it ended up going through my legs and luckily it fell to Kingy. And when he just left it on my left foot, I realised that no one was on the line. So from then onwards, it was just all about trying to make the right contact, get it on target. And yeah, I think as soon as it left my foot, I knew it was going in. Harry, it's Michael Dawson here, hope you're well. Massive congratulations on the win, it's been tough, long time coming.

7:25I'm watching you get the ball off Josh King there. Did you have that vision already that Vicario was out? I know you touched on the defenders, I couldn't believe that they didn't go back to the line. The audacity to try it, regardless of where you're having to go? Yeah, I was a little bit surprised because it felt like the keeper was out of his box for an age, So I was a bit surprised that none of their back four went back to the line. And when it fell to Kingy and I saw that none of them actually defended the goal, kind of, yeah, my eyes lit up a bit. And I think in doggy slips, which allows me a little bit extra time.

7:57And yeah, like I said, it was all about just trying to make that contact and get it on target. And I had a good feeling as soon as it left my foot that it was on the right line. And Harry, everybody knows that you've got that kind of finish in you and that you're more than capable of that. But as Izzy said, it feels like this season you have been particularly sharp. Have you felt like that in yourself?

8:20Yeah, I feel really good. As I said, I've played a lot of minutes this season, but I think that helps me. I feel like I'm the type of player that gets into rhythm with the more games he plays. I'd say last season I came off the bench quite a lot and, yeah, I was grabbing goals off the bench, but I'm not the type of player that likes to sit on the bench and come off. So this year I've been in from the start a lot, played a lot of international games in the breaks as well. So like I said, I feel like I'm in a rhythm now. I feel really fit, I feel sharp, I feel strong. So yeah, I just want to keep building that momentum, keep helping the team and try and climb that table because that's where we want to be.

8:57I mean, you're not just playing in international games. I mean, you're playing incredibly well in some fantastic international games. Do you think that's having a knock-on effect to your club football?

9:08Yeah, I think so. I think sometimes at club level when you're maybe not playing or results can be tough. I think when you're going away and playing in an international team where I feel like the style we play with Wales really suits me. I feel like the way the manager and the coaching staff see the game is the way I see it. And yeah, like I said, we've got a really good team. We've been on a really good run. So yeah, I think in the international breaks to get their minutes in to keep the momentum going to keep my rhythm has been really beneficial for me and yeah thankfully I'm able to show that in the Premier League as well.

9:43Harry good to talk to you thanks so much for sparing the time to chat to us. Thank you guys. Well done Harry. Really good to hear from him and it's as you said knowing him the way that you do and seeing that kind of recognition in him that that was on that opportunity was on? It's no surprise he tried it. I played with Harry when he came on loan to Hull City and he scored some wonderful goals. His left foot and the audacity in strikes that he tries but I just love the fact here that when it goes in you see him there he goes pass him into Josh Keane and as soon as he goes into Josh Keane he's thinking Josh just set me just set me look you see he's waving his arms and then as soon as it happens he touched that I'm surprised the Spurs defenders didn't go on back onto the line but he still would have tried it knowing what Harry's like, he tries audacious things and his left foot is an absolute wonder.

10:34I see him take free kicks, I see him take set pieces, so it was no surprise when he sees it. He knows where the goals is. That ain't moving and then just to guide it in, his eyes would light up, but the weight of pass when he just sets it up from Josh King, it's easy if he'd have fizzed it in, he then can't hit it first time. All these little details that gives him the opportunity to score that goal. Three of his last four have been scored from outside the box for Harry Wilson. The opening goal took a bit of a deflection but if that was Dorses mate this is your colleague from Lyon is he? He was at Lyon when I was out in France and you know saw him a couple of times around the training ground had a chat because we're both English so nice to have a familiar voice but no I think this this was a super start for Fulham.

11:16Kenny Tete there locking the box you know inside position from right back. I like I spoke about Marco Silva's style of play and I've enjoyed watching his team I know Fulham haven't been great you know start this season but I think that the way this falls here and the way they slice the ball from right to left and then it ends up being the full back that finishes yes they get fortuitous Kenetete there but he takes on the shot he's got the confidence to do it and I think you know that set the precedent for Fulham and I actually thought you know when we were getting images of Marco Silva on the touchline I actually thought at 2-0 up in the first half I actually thought he was like gutted they hadn't scored the third or the fourth because they were that dominant in the first half.

11:52Well we'll hear from Marco Silva I'd imagine a little bit later on. But in the meantime, we need to get the Spurs perspective from their manager, Thomas Frank, who's with Natalie Jedra. Thomas, the worst possible start, a difficult first half, reaction on the second. Where did you fall short? I think you said it correct. When you are down 2-0 after six minutes, then it's a mountain to climb um and when you are in a bad spell um everything seems to um to to go a little bit against you so the first one is a deflected shot second one is a mistake uh that happened from vic um i i didn't like that our fans booted him um straight after and a few times he touched the ball can't be true troddenham fans because everyone support each other when you're on the pitch and we'll do everything we can to perform.

12:46After, fair knock the booing, no problem, but not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion. Then we rushed it too much first half in many ways, where we wanted to come back into the game, but couldn't do it in first half. Second half, much better. Got a bit of momentum. Created also chances, opportunities, but couldn't get the second goal. The first half, do you think it was a bit of an emotional performance after conceding two very early goals? Yeah, I think so. I don't think that's quite normal. We know that we barely want to win at home. Then you're down 2-0 inside six minutes and it's not going your way.

13:33So that's why you, of course, need to be cool, stick to the plan, keep going, no stressing, easier said than done. Does it worry you in the second half that as much as you had improvements and you created chances and you were more positive, you weren't able to have maybe, I don't know, that cutting edge or you weren't able to get it over the line? You're going to say it's been a thing we've been very aware of. So it's just something we need to keep working on. You mentioned the booing to Vicario How much does it worry you That the fans, of course They're going to be frustrated But they are frustrated to the point That they're booing their own goalkeeper I think it's two different things I think it's okay they're frustrated Because we haven't won home for too long So that's fair after the game We all badly want to win But during the game, that's not a worry It's just, I hope it's one incident And I hope it's never happened again We saw Pedro Porro leaving the pitch.

14:34He looked frustrated also with some fans when he was leaving the pitch after the game. How important is it for players in tough moments like this to also keep calm and keep control of their emotions? I didn't see the incident, so I don't know exactly. But in general, in tough moments, we have a tough spell now. It's about being as calm as possible and do everything we can to work through it. It's been an intense week with Arsenal and PSG and the progress and now this result. So where does this result leave Spurs after the run that you had recently? I think it leaves us a place where we lost a game and every game has a single story.

15:25This game we lost the first six minutes, unfortunately, and we just need to keep working. And keep working to improve this reaction? What reaction, sorry? Reaction in the second half. Yeah, of course. Second half I think was much better and looked like something we can use. or something. And finally, you've been talking about the noise around your first few months here and the criticism. And you say that you pay attention to the people who are around you and listen to these people that you don't listen too much to the criticism. But where do you see your work in the line of progress that you have in your daily basis with the team and thinking about the progress and the things that you can achieve in the future with Spurs?

16:10No, I think we, you know, we have a tough spell right now. I think there's been a few good things and we just need to keep doing what we believe in and keep improving things. Thank you, Thomas. You're welcome. Thank you. Thomas Frank, clearly disappointed, clearly frustrated. And this has been coming for a while. It's six defeats in the last 10 for Tottenham. And a lot of this has been happening in home matches in front of their own fans. There's very little for them to get enthusiastic about. What are your thoughts on where Spurs are right now, where the manager is right now, Michael? I look at Thomas Frank and I can understand the Spurs' frustrations because recently they haven't been good enough at home.

16:56It goes back to last season and Thomas Frank wasn't in the building then. but what you have to see is you have to have performances and the performance has been nowhere near the level that I expect from this football club and for Thomas Frank's team being on the front foot being dominant certainly at home and I expected a dominant performance tonight in that first half it wasn't good enough and he will accept that there was a turnaround in the second half but you would expect it 2-0 down at home to Fulham there was going to be a response but this just isn't from tonight this goes back to the North London derby last weekend then it goes back to Manchester United before that then it goes back to Chelsea the performances of being well below power at home.

17:31Being good away from home, but it's just that creativity. And you saw it tonight when they got back to 2-1 down, thinking, can they go on and get something out of the game? They didn't have loads of opportunities. So he has to find that. And it's hard for Thomas, but he's only been in the building a blink of an eye. You've got to give the guy chance, but you also on the flip side, you've got to see an improvement from the performances. So you've got to be realistic and you've got to take a wider view at the same time. But why were your expectations much higher for Spurs this season when they finished 17th last time round?

18:02Because it was always going to improve and that's where they are 10th in the league. They're only four points off the top four. So that's where you have to be realistic. Did I put them in the top four this season? I didn't. I would think probably if you weren't going for the top six, was that a name? That was realistic with Thomas Frank going in and we're going back to the last four or five years, what he's done at Brentford. We can't all of a sudden go, Thomas Frank isn't a good coach. He is because we've seen it for years and years and that's what's given the opportunity to go and work at a big football club.

18:28But we know what that brings. That brings expectation. It brings scrutiny. And this is probably the most challenging time he's had as a manager, certainly since he's been in England, because you go back to his time at Brentford, everything's been a smooth incline. You get to the Premier League, everyone tipped him to go down. They stay up comfortably. He's had players that have way overachieved. He's got the best out of them. And this group of players at the moment, Spurs, they aren't playing to the levels that I expect them to be, and nor are the fans. Do you think we're seeing the Thomas Frank print on this team compared to the one that we saw at Brentford, for example?

19:04I think that he had a lot of time at Brentford to build almost like a cultural architect in terms of how he brought Brentford up from the Championship, established themselves as a Premier League club, really self-sufficient, secure, sustainable club. and by that I mean the players and Dorse alluded to it there, the players that he developed that overachieved, not overachieved, they were performing to a really high level every week with resources in comparison to other teams, clubs in the Premier League. So he did a super job. He gets the move. What worried me about the performance today was it was hard to identify what Spurs are trying to do on the ball.

19:45We spoke about in the first half, they played without a left winger. So they played lopsided. They wanted the width to come from Udogi, which is you know marauding left back which he is um but when the ball was going out to him in the first half he had no support underneath the ball they were losing possession the ball turning over and that's what full and wanted um second half addressed it brought on you know changes changed the system four two three one had more natural width get back into the game but it was difficult for me to look at it and go how are they trying to play what are the patterns of play and i go back to brentford thomas frank at brentford and it's really clear he had a framework but he also was flexible within that and that's why he was able to get results in football matches he tried it early last weekend in the London Derby against Arsenal back five didn't work Arsenal were absolutely fantastic and then midweek changed to a back four against PSG and Thomas Frank after the game he kept it really positive he said he saw a response from his team um you know he saw a bit of personality he saw you know a little bit of excitement that got him up for this game against Fulham and then the start that Fulham had today it just took all the enthusiasm away from Tottenham and they had a mountain to climb.

20:50So I think I look at it from a footballing, you know, clean footballing perspective and go, what are Tottenham trying to do under Thomas Frank? And I agree with Dorse. He needs way more time because of the manager and the reputation he is. He's a top, top manager. And I don't mean that in terms of managing a top club and winning massive, massive trophies because he's not done that yet. But he's proven what he can do with time. And I think Tottenham, it's difficult because I understand the expectation, but he does need time to build what he wants to do. Let's take a look at what they've got coming up, because that might give us an idea.

21:21Oh, sorry, how they've got on, sorry, so far and how they've found themselves in this position. And you look at the amount of red on the board there. You look at maybe, as you said, the draw with Manchester United, but questions over the performance in that one. Where do you think, because there are games in there, certainly at times in that game against PSG in midweek, where we've seen positive signs for Tottenham. Where do you think that the fans have got particularly frustrated? What are the results that stand out? I look at the Newcastle away in the Carabao Cup. That was an opportunity where you think, can they go and win a trophy?

22:00Really, really poor performance. I look at the positives on Copenhagen. Particularly given how good they're away from. Yeah, and it was a poor, poor performance. It really, really was. Manchester United, I look at that, the first half was similar to today. but you get a response they're going 2-1 up and then concede a last minute goal so so sloppy so avoidable players not doing doing the job PSG he went with a 4 in midfield solid 4 no real creativity but he was solid they put a fight lost 5-3 no problem you can take it in today and he's gone with a 3 in midfield with Birdval, Grey and Pelini and I'm thinking where's that real creativity going to come from probably only Kudos you know but then you look at they go to Newcastle on Tuesday Brentford at home next weekend that is huge absolutely huge against his former team and then you've got Slavia Prague in the Champions League Nottingham Forest the game's come thick and fast the only one he can focus on now is the next one and trying to get a performance they went to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup poor performance now they're back there on Tuesday night and it has to have something you've got to try and find some belief and try and find a formula that is going to get the best out of the players I think his best formation is the way he ended with a 4-2-3-1 two wide players it was Odeberg and kudos later on.

23:13Xavi Simmonds in the 10, they have to try and get Xavi Simmonds in the team and try and find some form. They spent all that money in the summer. He's been flicking in and out of the team and for a player to get confidence and belief, you have to play consistently. I've been one of those players. Never went for 51 million pounds, don't get me wrong. But when you spend that kind of money, you have to get them on the pitch and they have to be creative and they have to help the team. And unfortunately, it's a moment in time, you're still tweaking it a little bit too much. One of the, and there has been a lot of frustration and not for the first time this season.

23:43We saw Spurs fans letting that quite spill over, but certainly come to the surface at the final whistle. Pedro Porro with some angry words there. I'm not quite sure who they're directed at, but it's clear that this is getting to the players. I mean, we've seen it before. Do you know what? Not just at Spurs. I see players, when I played, players tend to go around, have a little clap, you do it individually. It's coming in recent years. They do it collectively. When things are going well, it's easy to go around and clap and the fans want to be there. I appreciate fans paying off a lot of money, but it's hard for the players as well when you're going to go around and clap.

24:19Some fans are appreciative, some fans are giving you stick because of your form. And you see Pedro Porro there, he was unhappy about something that had gone on. Yeah, you can understand the frustration from both sides. You can understand what Spurs fans and Thomas Frank called out the booing of Vacario in the middle of the game because of his error in coming out of his area and allowing that goal from Harry Wilson. So he called that out. But you can understand the frustration of the fans who aren't seeing the performances or the results that they want. You could also understand the performance of some, or the reaction of some of the players.

24:55Yeah, and I think with the Vakari, the booing, I understand it, but I also think Thomas Frank has to come out and protect his number one goalkeeper. He absolutely does need to do that. You don't even need to go through that in the analysis room. you know that watching that goal back, the carrier just needs to put the ball out of play, diffuse the situation, get back in your goal, and then there's no problem. But that amounted to a problem, and then the fans get on his back. And like you say, I completely understand it from both ends. The other one with Porro, I don't like that from him. And the reason I say that is because as a footballer, you've got to look at yourself first and go, you know, the old cliche, look in the mirror.

25:30And you have to go, what am I doing? How am I performing? And I just think it's all for show. I really do. I think that needs to happen in the locker room because that just adds fuel to the fire. It just adds fuel into a fire, into a cauldron, which doesn't need any extras added to it right now. The Vicario one, though, I look at that where you go, it makes a mistake, it's a clear mistake, but then he'll realise that. It doesn't do it on purpose, and then fans booing him, he's still got another... There was 85 minutes left to play, so how is he going to feel his negativity? And I know I see frustration from both sides, but then Pedro Porra then goes, why am I going to go around and clap when I've been booed?