Shearer picks sides after Thomas Frank snubbed by Spurs players vs Chelsea
Alan Shearer has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Tottenham Hotspur’s players and their reaction to the club’s disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday evening. The loss continued Spurs’ miserable run of form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leaving fans furious and prompting a post-match incident that drew criticism from the Premier League legend.
Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, claimed the decisive goal 34 minutes into the contest after a series of calamitous moments from the home side. It began when Djed Spence carelessly surrendered possession. Tottenham momentarily regained control, only for Xavi Simons to play a weak pass back toward Micky van de Ven. The Dutch defender then compounded the error by attempting to dribble past Moises Caicedo, who quickly dispossessed him before setting up Joao Pedro for a straightforward finish.
From that moment on, Spurs looked devoid of ideas and confidence. Their attacking play was blunt and predictable, with Mohammed Kudus producing the only half-chances of note before halftime. Were it not for an excellent display from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who made several important stops—most notably against the lively Pedro—the scoreline could have been far more humiliating for the home side.
At full-time, frustration reached boiling point. The Tottenham supporters greeted the final whistle with a chorus of boos, expressing their anger at both the performance and the team’s ongoing struggles at home. While manager Thomas Frank stayed behind to applaud the fans, hoping to show appreciation despite the result, several of his players, including Spence and van de Ven, walked straight down the tunnel. To make matters worse, the pair reportedly refused to shake hands with Frank as they exited the pitch—an act that did not go unnoticed by fans and pundits alike.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, Alan Shearer did not hold back in his assessment of the players’ behavior and Tottenham’s performance.
“They [Tottenham] were an embarrassment,” said the Premier League’s all-time top scorer. “They have been booed off the pitch, and rightly so. I understand they probably just wanted to get off the pitch as fast as possible and cool down in the dressing room, but that doesn’t excuse the performance.”
Shearer acknowledged that emotions can run high after such a poor display but stressed that professionalism must come first.
“I get it—they’re frustrated, they want to go in, apologize, and move on,” he continued. “But there’s a responsibility to the supporters. No matter how bad you’ve played, you have to acknowledge the fans who stayed behind. They’ve paid their money, they’ve watched that performance, and the least you can do is show them some respect.”
Former Swansea City captain Ashley Williams also shared his perspective on the post-match controversy, offering a slightly more sympathetic view of the players’ reaction. Speaking on the same program, Williams argued that their decision to head straight for the tunnel was not necessarily a sign of disrespect toward their manager or supporters.
“You’ve played badly in a derby, you’re angry with yourself and the team, and you just want to get back in the dressing room,” Williams explained. “That’s pure frustration—it’s not personal. It’s not against Thomas Frank or the fans. They just want to get inside, take a moment, and reflect.”
Williams further downplayed the incident, suggesting that the focus should remain on improving performances rather than reading too much into emotional reactions. “I don’t think it’s a massive issue,” he added. “These things happen after tough defeats. What matters is that the players respond in the right way. Just play better next time—that’s the main thing.”
Still, the episode highlights growing tension within the Tottenham camp as pressure mounts on Thomas Frank and his squad. The defeat to Chelsea extended Spurs’ dismal run of home form, with the club managing just three wins from their last 14 Premier League matches in north London. Fans have grown increasingly restless, and public gestures—like refusing to clap the supporters—only serve to deepen the disconnect between the players and the terraces.
With crucial fixtures looming and murmurs of dressing-room frustration beginning to circulate, both Frank and his senior players will need to regroup quickly. As Shearer and Williams both implied in their comments, the only real way to quieten the criticism is through improved performances on the pitch—and Tottenham’s next few matches may well define how the remainder of their season unfolds.