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Fans make feelings known with Thomas Frank and Tottenham booed after defeat to West Ham

Fans make their feelings known with manager Thomas Frank and his Tottenham side booed after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham.

There were already protests from both Spurs and West Ham fans before the game, holding up  a “Time for Change” and “No more BS” banners, some of which reappeared come full time.

The Hammers, without a win in 10 games in the Premier League, took the lead on 15 minutes, Crysencio Summerville with the ball on the left side of the penalty area, made his way inside and sent it into the bottom corner at Guglielmo Vicario’s near post, taking a deflection off Taty Castellanos.

On 37 minutes, West Ham had a goal disallowed, Jarrod Bowen with the ball over the line after Guglielmo Vicario kept out Summerville’s strike from the edge of the area – which again took a huge deflection on the way through – but the offside flag went up.

Boos rang out around the ground throughout the game, then came huge roars for Spurs’ leveller on 64 minutes, Pedro Porro with a brilliant cross to Cristian Romero who headed it past Alphonse Areola.

As the game towards the 90th minute, Xavi Simons went down, with Spurs wanting a penalty, VAR looked but not for potential foul, but at the ball which appeared to hit West Ham defender Ollie Scarles on the hand. Check over, no penalty.

After the 90th minute, Pedo Porro found Xavi Simons on the edge of the box from a corner, but a shot was sent wide by Areola.

Then West Ham won it late on, Callum Wilson with just his third touch since coming off the bench and possibly his final touch in a West Ham shirt, he found the net.

VAR looked for possible fouls at the corner kick, but after a couple of minutes the goal is given.

“Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again,” sang the West Ham fans, while Spurs fans were heard chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, speaking to Sky Sports: “It’s tough to take, it hurts a lot. The boys put everything in, and that’s a sign of a squad that is fighting, doing everything they can to try and win. It’s fair to say if there was to be a winner in the second half then it should have been us.

“The way we came back into it, the same as at Bournemouth, both games we lost in the last minute. That makes it emotionally tough for the players, me, the club, the fans, everyone. We conceded on a deflected shot and a last-minute corner, which we should have done better with.

“We pushed very hard, to have that extra freshness to put on the pitch would have helped with more quality.

“It’s tough times, the only thing we can do is move forward. We have to go again, it’s hurting so much, incredibly so for everyone at the club that puts in such hard work.

“But we can only be disappointed and emotionally down for 24 hours, then we must go again on Tuesday.”

On the game, Frank said in his press conference, per football.london:

“Emotionally, extremely tough. Try to assess it with a calm brain. I think there’s a lot of the same things in this game, like the Bournemouth game. I think we played a very good second half, pushing, coming back in the game, closest to win it, on top of it, creating chances, opportunities, dangerous situations in the box. Without having the cutting edge to score. Both games would have been, with two wins there, would have changed so many things.

“Both games, if you can’t win, don’t lose. So of course we need to do more, in the two goals we conceded in Bournemouth we already spoke about that, and today as well, of course. We gave them nothing away for 45 plus five minutes of injury time, second half. And then we gave a chance away, and a corner, and a goal there. Which of course we can’t do.

“I think the boys worked so hard. Did everything right second half. I think first half we started well, the first 15, vey well. Then, typical in this spell we are in, they scored on a deflected shot. We can always discuss a few bits we could have done better before. But still a deflected shot. And then I think we lose control, and a little bit coolness and calmness, I think we were rushing too much, we were throwing the ball away too quick. But I think all that we got addressed and changed second half. Unfortunately it couldn’t drop for us.”

On the chants: “Of course, I’ve probably had better times, it’s probably not the best time of course. But I understand, I’m the man in charge. So the blame will go to me. That’s fair, no problem in that sense.

“As long as they are backing the players, doing everything they can, to support them and drive them forward, that’s what we do, and we will keep going forward.”

On eight defeats in 14, why do you think you deserve more time when the fans have turned?

“If you’re not winning enough, we know you will not get enough support from the fans. But when we’re winning, it will change, when we start winning again. Which we will do. I’m not in doubt of that. I think also you can look a little bit at the performances. Let’s say the Bournemouth and the Villa and this game here, if the players stop running, or stop doing anything, or not working hard, and we are not the team that’s closest to winning, then you can say OK. But I think the team is working very hard. And I still think, and I know it sounds a little bit crazy, that we are close to something very good, than further away.

“I think you all saw the game today, we could easily have won this one 2-1. I think it’s no excuses. But also the reason we’re a little bit down to the bare bones with players. And we also need some of the offensive players to score a goal or two. All that is difficult for me to do like that and click with a finger. But I can promise that I’m sitting here, giving everything, every single day. I feel the trust from everyone and there’s only one way, we need to keep going.”

His message to the fans: “I think it also seems to be the perfect storm at the moment in many ways. We have a last-minute defeat. I think when everyone feels that everyone has given everything, including the fans, to back the team, and you get nothing out of it and you get a sucker punch in injury time, it’s unbelievably tough to take.

“It’s unbelievably tough to take for the fans, for the players, for me, everyone involved. And football is emotion, so I understand why it’s tough. I can promise everyone it’s extremely tough for me as well. So I think everyone involved in football knows this is just tough. But there’s only one way. It’s keep going. You can’t feel sorry for yourself.

“Of course, I think probably tonight you’re a little bit down, but then you should go again. There’s only one way. That’s going forward.”

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero speaking after his side’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham: “In this moment we need to stay together, work hard, come back tomorrow to the training ground. It’s a disaster in this moment for us.

“Thank you to the fans for always staying with us. Tomorrow we will train in silence, work hard again, midweek we have another big match.

“At this moment this is a disaster for us. We played sometimes good, sometimes bad. We must work hard and go again.

“Its’ a difficult moment for us. We are not the best on the pitch.”

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday:

“It doesn’t look good. Spurs cannot win a game at home and they have lost to their local rivals, who appear doomed at the bottom of the Premier League.

“The pressure is on Frank. But the only thing that might save his job is who could come in?

“They won a trophy last year and finished 17th. They aren’t going to win a trophy this year. They are out of both cups and towards the bottom of the league. They are still in the Champions League but it is highly unlikely they win that.

“Where do Spurs go from here?”

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It means a lot for our fans, who were there cheering for us. It’s special to do it in the last moments of the game, because we have been on the other side of that many times this season.

“We stared really well. The way we were organised, not allowing Spurs to go easy, always trying to press and recover.

“When we had the ball we had good chances and combinations. First half we played really good football.

“We believe [we can escape relegation]. We have to worry about ourselves, work harder and commit more. I’m really proud of the way the players have been dealing with this situation. It’s a tough one, but they are determined to turn it around.”

On the impressive performance of Crysencio Summerville: “I expect much mofe from him, I expect much more from our players. We are pushing them, they have talent and they have to show it. All of them need improvement, but as long as they believe, we can do it.

On what he said to Callum Wilson before he came on:

“I don’t have to say anything to Callum, he has so much experience. I am so happy for him, to get the winning goal means a lot.

On whether Wilson will still be at the club by the end of the month:

“We are still in the market to bring players and rebalance the squad. Every player that is in the building I give them the day off tomorrow. We count on them and support them. They need to help us.”

West Ham striker Callum Wilson, speaking after his side’s 2-1 win against Tottenham: “It’s massive today, the boys played fantastic. I think we deserved to be in front on the whole, especially with the chances we had first half. It wasn’t to be, but thankfully we ended up getting the three points.”

On being asked to come on in the final moments and scoring the winner: “You get put on to do a job, no matter if that’s five minutes or 50. Throughout my career I’ve always tried to be professional, and i did that today.”

On the chaos of the goal: “It was checked and cleared, harmless really. Sometimes goalkeepers get too much love and you can’t touch them, but the other way round they can shove you. It’s a contact sport.

On West Ham’s defence: “It was massive because there has been a lot of question marks about the boys at the back this season. I’m delighted for them today, it was not the clean sheet they wate but they worked so hard, blocking shots on the line at the end.

On Crysencio Summerville: “Cry is a fantastic talent, on the whole he is becoming more consistent. Long may that continue for him.

“Any club winning games is important, whether it’s the cup, or even just in small-sided games in training. Then it extends onto the field. Getting back-to-back games is something to build on.”

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