The Independent

Tottenham travel to Newcastle looking for their first win in four Premier League games and to end a disappointing run which has seen them lose to two of their London rivals (kick-off 8:15pm, live on Sky Sports).

Manager Thomas Frank has come in for a lot of criticism in recent weeks, with the side sitting 12th in the table with just eight wins from his 21 games in charge, since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, and he is the second-favourite manager to leave his post in the latest Premier League odds.

They have won just once at home this season, and that was on the opening day of the season, so they may prefer being on the road tonight, but in Newcastle, they are facing a side who have won 11 of their 16 home Premier League matches in 2025.

The Magpies go into the game on the back of their best away win too, a 4-1 drubbing of Everton on Saturday, thanks to a brace from Malick Thiaw and further goals from Lewis Miley and Nick Woltemade.

The two sides are level on points this season, with both finding it hard to juggle the demands of the Champions League and Premier League, but a win tonight could see either side move up as high as seventh.

Tottenham might have lost their last three in a row against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham, but they have won at Manchester City, West Ham, Leeds and Everton so far this season.

They have lost their last four on the bounce at St James’ Park, though, with an aggregate scoreline of 14-2, and they have won just one of their last 13 midweek league games, drawing two and losing 10, so they will need a huge change of fortune tonight.

Since beating Brentford 3-2 in January 2024, they have lost each of their last seven midweek games, scoring just one goal in the process.

They were also beaten in the north east 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, earlier this season, when goals from Fabian Schar and Nick Woltemade earned the reigning champions a 2-0 win.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have won seven and drawn three of their last 10 midweek league games, since a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in February 2021.

In the league, Spurs have only failed to score twice so far, at home to Bournemouth and Chelsea, while Newcastle haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last six games. Football betting sites are offering just 7/10 on both teams scoring.

Newcastle vs Tottenham prediction 1: Newcastle to win by one goal - 11/4 Bet365

Nick Woltemade has settled in well to life in the Premier League and the north east with seven goals since making the £69m move from Stuttgart in August.

He also scored for his old club, and one for Germany in their recent 6-0 World Cup qualifier win over Slovakia, meaning he has nine in 21 appearances so far.

He scored last time out against Everton, and he has already netted against tonight’s opponents, and betting sites are offering 9/2 on him scoring first, as he has done four times so far for the Geordies.

Newcastle vs Tottenham prediction 2: Woltemade to score at any time - 13/10 Bet365

Newcastle vs Tottenham team news

Newcastle vs Tottenham predicted lineups

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Under-fire Thomas Frank has issued a rallying cry to disconnected Tottenham supporters and insisted they are "nothing without the fans" ahead of Tuesday's trip to Newcastle.

Frank's short tenure suffered another setback with Saturday's dismal 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham, where goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed during the game following a comical error.

Further boos greeted half-time and full-time with this latest loss at home meaning Spurs' last Premier League win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium occurred on the opening day of the season. They have won only three of their last 21 games at home.

Ahead of an ominous trip to St James' Park, Frank reflected on his sentiments on Saturday night where he was critical of those he said were "not true Tottenham fans".

He said: "I completely understand the frustration. If we don't win, there will always be a frustration, so that is normal.

"We are nothing without the fans. No club is anything without the fans. Tottenham Hotspur, we are nothing without our fantastic fans. Nothing. We need each other. There is nothing we want more than making them happy in every way.

"My point was during matches that's where we need each other. After, fair with the booing, but during, that is when I want to create a fortress.

"If any club wants to be successful, you need to create a fortress. If you want to create a fortress, it can only be together. Fans, team.

"My job is to make sure we do everything we can to perform but can we do that together? That's when you create a very difficult place to play."

Full-back Pedro Porro echoed Frank's comments on Sunday with an image on his Instagram page which was addressed "to the true Spurs fans" and sparked a backlash.

Asked if Porro was right to post, Frank added: "I think it's fair.

"Again, the players, they are individual people that can have their own opinions. And I think what he put out there was fair in every aspect."

The refences to "real" and "true" Tottenham fans increased frustration ahead of a long trip to an unhappy hunting ground in St James' Park.

Spurs have lost their last four matches at Newcastle, including a 6-1 thrashing in 2023 which saw Cristian Stellini remarkably sacked while serving as interim manager.

"How do you define a true Spurs fan? I think all the fantastic fans we have believe they're true Spurs fans," said Frank.

"Some react in one way, some react in another, some are a little bit in between. No matter what, we need all of them.

"I'm pretty sure every fan wants us to win and wants to support and wants to do everything. And then if not going to plan, then maybe some get more frustrated than others.

"When you say you lose the fans, how many is that? Five per cent? 10 per cent? 15 per cent? 20 per cent? How much is it?

"We would like to get all 100 per cent on board and there's only two things we can do. We can perform and keep connected."

PA

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank said the home supporters who booed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during the 2-1 defeat to Fulham “can’t be true fans”.

Vicario was jeered by some Spurs supporters when he touched the ball after his error led to Fulham doubling their lead inside six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It gave Spurs a mountain to climb and although Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back after half time, in an improved second-half performance, Frank’s side fell to another defeat.

Tottenham have not won a Premier League game at home since the opening weekend of the season while the past week has seen losses against Arsenal, PSG and now Fulham.

There were loud boos at both half-time and full-time and while Frank said supporters could voice their frustration at the team, he drew the line at the booing of Vicario.

“I didn't like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times when he touched the ball,” Frank told Sky Sports after the defeat.

“They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch.

“We do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion."

After Fulham’s Kenny Tete opened the scoring inside four minutes, Vicario was caught off his line as he dribbled into trouble and was punished by Harry Wilson from long range.

The Italian goalkeepers addressed the boos he faced afterwards and apologised for his mistake. “It's part of football,” he said. “I’m a big man.”

“We can't be influenced by the situation in the stands. The fans have the right to do what they think. It's on us to stay calm.

“We have to focus on ourselves. We are lacking in a little bit of composure and calmness at the moment. Today is a bad defeat and tough to accept.”

Tottenham have the second-worst home record in the Premier League this season, only ahead of winless Wolves, and they made a nightmare start against Fulham.

“When you're down 2-0 after six minutes, there is a mountain to climb,” Frank said. “When you're in a bad spell, everything seems to go against you as well - the first was a deflected shot, the second is a mistake from Vic.

“It is OK that [the fans] are frustrated, because we haven't won at home for a long time. We all badly want to win so I'm fine with them booing after the game, but during the game I hope it was one incident and it never happens again.”

Tottenham have now lost four of their last six Premier League games but their dismal home form predates Frank’s tenure, with Spurs only winning three of their last 21 home league matches and suffering 10 home league defeats in 2025 under both Frank and former manager Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Frank said he did not see Pedro Porro’s furious reaction to Tottenham’s defeat, as the right back appeared to argue with team-mate Lucas Bergvall over whether the Spurs players would applaud the home fans at full-time.

Porro looked to be angered by Bergvall wanting to applaud and could be seen screaming Bergvall’s name as the 19-year-old started to walk around the pitch and show his appreciation to the remaining home supporters.

Porro did not applaud the fans and instead went down the tunnel, removing his shirt as he did so.

His frustration comes just weeks after Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence ignored Frank’s instructions to applaud the Spurs fans after their home defeat against Chelsea, with the pair later apologising.

Frank said he did not see Porro’s reaction but added: “We are in a tough spell right now and for my players it is about being as calm as possible and doing everything we can to work through it.”

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Thomas Frank calls out Tottenham fans for turning on their own player in loss to Fulham

Jamie Braidwood

Sunday 30 November 2025 10:13 GMT

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank criticised home supporters who booed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during their 2-1 defeat by Fulham on Saturday.

Vicario was jeered by some Spurs fans after his error led to Fulham doubling their lead inside six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank stated that booing a player during the game was "unacceptable" and that such fans "can't be true Tottenham fans", though he accepted frustration after the final whistle.

Vicario apologised for his mistake, acknowledging it is "part of football" and that players must remain calm despite fan reactions.

The defeat further highlighted Tottenham's dismal home record, as they have not won a Premier League game at home since the opening weekend of the season.

A furious Pedro Porro appeared to row with Tottenham team-mate Lucas Bergvall before storming down the tunnel following Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat to Fulham in the Premier League.

Tottenham were booed off after falling to their fourth Premier League defeat in six games, while some Spurs fans also directed their frustration at goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after his error led to Fulham doubling their lead after just six minutes.

Porro looked to be angered by Bergvall applauding the Spurs supporters at full-time. The right back could be seen screaming Bergvall’s name as the 19-year-old started to walk around the pitch and show his appreciation to remaining home supporters.

Porro did not applaud the fans and instead went down the tunnel, removing his shirt as he did so. His frustration comes just weeks after Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence ignored manager Thomas Frank’s instructions to applaud the Spurs fans after their home defeat against Chelsea, with the pair later apologising.

Frank said he did not see Porro’s reaction but added: “We are in a tough spell right now and for my players it is about being as calm as possible and doing everything we can to work through it.”

Frank, however, said the home supporters who booed goalkeeper Vicario during the game were not “real fans” and said he hoped it does not happen again during his tenure.

“I didn't like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times when he touched the ball,” Frank said. “They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch.

“We do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion. It is OK that they are frustrated, because we haven't won at home for a long time.

“We all badly want to win so I'm fine with them booing after the game, but during the game I hope it was one incident and it never happens again.”

Tottenham have not won a home Premier League match since the opening weekend of the season and they have now lost 10 league matches at home this calendar year.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank said the home supporters who booed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during the 2-1 defeat to Fulham are not “true fans”.

Vicario was jeered by some Spurs supporters when he touched the ball after his error led to Fulham doubling their lead inside six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It gave Spurs a mountain to climb and although Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back after half time, in an improved second-half performance, Frank’s side fell to another defeat.

Tottenham have not won a Premier League game at home since the opening weekend of the season while this week has seen losses against Arsenal, PSG and now Fulham.

There were loud boos at both half-time and full-time and while Frank said supporters could voice their frustration at the team, he drew the line at the booing of Vicario.

“I didn't like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times when he touched the ball,” Frank told Sky Sports after the defeat.

“They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch.

“We do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion."

After Fulham’s Kenny Tete opened the scoring inside four minutes, Vicario was caught off his line as he dribbled into trouble and was punished by Harry Wilson from long range.

The Italian goalkeepers addressed the boos he faced afterwards and apologised for his mistake. “It's part of football,” he said.

“We can't be influenced by the situation in the stands. The fans have the right to do what they think. It's on us to stay calm.

“We have to focus on ourselves. We are lacking in a little bit of composure and calmness at the moment. Today is a bad defeat and tough to accept.”

Tottenham have the second-worst home record in the Premier League this season, only ahead of winless Wolves, and they made a nightmare start.

“When you're down 2-0 after six minutes, there is a mountain to climb,” Frank said. “When you're in a bad spell, everything seems to go against you as well - the first was a deflected shot, the second is a mistake from Vic.

“It is OK that [the fans] are frustrated, because we haven't won at home for a long time. We all badly want to win so I'm fine with them booing after the game, but during the game I hope it was one incident and it never happens again.”

Tottenham have now lost four of their last six Premier League games but their dismal home form predates Frank’s tenure, with Spurs only winning three of their last 21 home league matches and suffering 10 home league defeats in 2025.

Meanwhile, Frank said he did not see Pedro Porro’s furious reaction to Tottenham’s defeat, as the right back appeared to argue with team-mate Lucas Bergvall over whether the Spurs players would applaud the home fans at full-time.

Porro looked to be angered by Bergvall wanting to applaud and could be seen screaming Bergvall’s name as the 19-year-old started to walk around the pitch and show his appreciation to remaining home supporters.

Porro did not applaud the fans and instead went down the tunnel, removing his shirt as he did so.

His frustration comes just weeks after Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence ignored Frank’s instructions to applaud the Spurs fans after their home defeat against Chelsea, with the pair later apologising.

Frank said he did not see Porro’s reaction but added: “We are in a tough spell right now and for my players it is about being as calm as possible and doing everything we can to work through it.”

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham tenure suffered another setback as Fulham inflicted more home woe with a 2-1 win.

Frank watched Spurs suffer a third consecutive defeat in a horror week after they conceded twice in the first six minutes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the second following a moment of madness by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

An early strike by Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson’s sublime lob put Frank’s team immediately on the back foot and, despite Mohammed Kudus’ 59th-minute effort, Tottenham slumped to their fourth defeat in six Premier League games.

This latest bad result extended an awful run of results at home, with Spurs only winning three of their last 21 home league matches.

Those statistics, combined with a string of toothless attacking displays, mean Frank has plenty of questions to answer going into December, with scrutiny growing.

A spirited display in defeat at Paris St Germain on Wednesday had earned Frank some credit after the derby hammering by Arsenal where fans were scathing of his tactics.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall provided green shoots of encouragement in Paris and Frank trusted the 19-year-old duo in what felt a significant fixture.

Yet before the highly-rated pair had even had time to make a handful of passes, Tottenham were 2-0 down in shambolic fashion.

Fulham broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when, within seconds of a poor header by Kevin Danso, the excellent Samuel Chukwueze cut inside from the left and picked out Tete, who had an 18-yard shot deflected beyond Vicario by Spurs’ Destiny Udogie.

Tottenham were stunned but 136 second later conceded again in a moment to forget for Vicario.

The keeper rushed out to intercept Joachim Andersen’s pass ahead of Raul Jimenez, but instead of knocking the ball out for a throw, he inexplicably cleared it infield and Joshua King teed up Wilson to curl home wonderfully.

It was a sensational 40-yard lob by Wilson, but Vicario’s comical error saw him heavily booed straight after by the home fans.

Chukwueze curled against a post moments later before Danso had to block a shot by Wilson.

Tottenham’s lop-sided 4-2-3-1 formation with no left forward continued to struggle to create chances and only a superb tackle by stand-in captain Micky van de Ven prevented another Fulham goal as he slid in to thwart Chukwueze, who had rounded Vicario after Pedro Porro’s lapse in concentration.

It was masterful defending by Van de Ven but did not stop loud boos at half-time and, despite no changes by Frank, Spurs returned with much-needed attacking intent.

Randal Kolo Muani had an effort blocked seconds into the second period before a succession of promising openings ended with a poor Tottenham delivery.

When Porro did finally produce a quality cross, Kolo Muani sent his 57th-minute header into the side-netting.

Spurs finally had momentum, though, and the deficit was reduced with 31 minutes left when Bergvall chipped into the path of Kudus and he lashed into the top corner.

Frank immediately sent on Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons and the latter had a shot deflected over by Andersen as Tottenham pushed for a leveller.

The equaliser nearly arrived in the 67th minute when Bergvall flicked on Kudus’ corner, but Jimenez brilliantly headed clear and there was no grandstand finish, with Kolo Muani sending a backheel wide as Spurs lost again at home.

Tottenham conceded twice in the opening six minutes of their Premier League home match against Fulham as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed by his own supporters following a calamitous error.

Having fallen behind to Kenny Tete’s deflected strike inside four minutes, it quickly went from bad to worse for Thomas Frank’s side as Vicario attempted to dribble out of trouble close to the touchline but presented a chance to Fulham.

Harry Wilson curled into the empty net from range - as the mood inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium turned and the frustrated home supporters directed their anger at the Spurs goalkeeper.

Tottenham came into the clash following a humiliating 4-1 defeat against north London rivals Arsenal and a 5-3 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek.

"Vicario is getting absolute pelters from his own supporters,” the former Arsenal striker Alan Smith said on Sky Sports. "He makes a complete hash of his clearance. Wham, bam - what a start.

"You don't hear that often, booing your own player after seven minutes. A goalkeeper too. This could get really testing for the Spurs players now."

There were only two minutes and 16 seconds between the goals and it left Spurs with a mountain to climb against Marco Silva’s side.

At the home of the European champions, Thomas Frank was playing with fire. And he inevitably got burned as Paris Saint-Germain plundered five goals.

The under-pressure Dane had no choice. The wounds, however, could now be given time to heal. Frank survived his ordeal, with the bravery displayed proving to the world there is another way than the excruciatingly negative football on show over the past few weeks.

Frank was fortunate that his phallus-on-the table move in Paris has the potential to be a real gamechanger for his Tottenham project.

Sunday’s unforgivable North London derby surrender required the boldest of reactions. Deploying two 19-year-olds at the head of Spurs’ midfield, up against arguably the most ingenious engine-room in world football, was just that step.

Both tired as the European champions took the game away from Spurs in the second half at the Parc des Princes, but this wasn’t about the outcome, this was about the means.

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were Spurs’ standout performers, linking up seamlessly for the visitors’ opener. Yet, it was all about the chutzpah, the gall to take the attack to their illustrious Gallic opponents, in their own back yard, that will give supporters some hope a brighter future may still exist.

“Me and Lucas are really close,” a clearly buoyed Gray said after the match. “Every time we're on the pitch together, we just trust each other 100 per cent. Even if there is pressure on us, we know we can play to each other and we can handle that pressure. We’re really close on the pitch and off the pitch as well.

"The coaching staff have been absolutely brilliant with everyone, especially improving our individual games and stuff like that. Last season was a tough season, obviously it ended really well but a lot of tough moments in the season, especially for me playing centre-back and all these different positions, which I'm grateful for, but there were loads of setbacks.

“It is just things to learn from and the coaching staff this year have been really helpful with individual plans.”

Neither Gray nor Bergvall have had it easy. Gray has been pushed from pillar to post, a victim of his own versatility. Such is his effortlessly natural ability on the ball and incongruously calm aura, Gray can fill in anywhere, without his effectiveness dropping too much.

Bergvall is another who has been thrown in the deep end in the most treacherous water. Coming from the Swedish top flight, there has been no gradual assimilation to life in the Premier League – he is already one of Spurs’ key, senior players.

Yet, it is ostensibly clear neither are feeling the pressure. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“Two young players, I have said from the beginning, that I believe a lot in,” Frank said. “Archie was there ready before Monaco and then unfortunately picked up the calf injury. So we've been waiting for him to be ready again. Today he showed a lot.

“The way the two of them set up the first goal was also joyful to watch, but the mobility, technical, ball handling, mentality, character, I liked it.”

Now comes the really hard part for Frank. He cannot go that narrow against Fulham at home next up, and deploying both youngsters together again, alongside only one central midfielder in either Rodrigo Bentancur or Pape Matar Sarr, would represent an even greater risk than the one taken in Paris.

At this stage, however, Frank may not have a choice. If his Spurs project – the role he has been waiting for all his life – is to even get off the ground, Gray and Bergvall will almost certainly be his leading lights.

Fortune favours the brave. Frank has shown he can be bolder. But after Sunday, Spurs’ disgruntled masses want more. And now is not the time to retreat.

Tottenham will look to avenge their heartbreak from the Super Cup as they take on European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s reign at Spurs kicked off with a silverware near-miss in August’s clash of continental cup winners, with the Europa League holders throwing away a two-goal lead in the last five minutes to lose to heavy favourites PSG on penalties.

While Spurs fans, fresh off their 17th-place league finish with Ange Postecoglou, could take some encouragement from pushing such a strong team to the wire, goodwill towards Frank is now at a stark low after suffering a humiliating 4-1 derby thrashing at the hands of Arsenal on Sunday.

They’ll need a much improved performance against the Parisians, who to nobody’s surprise are top of Ligue 1 but do come into the clash with defeat in Europe relatively fresh on the mind, suffering a 2-1 home loss to Bayern Munich at the beginning of November.