Is THFC’s ‘true supporter’ messaging reading the room?

The rather thorny debate over what constitutes a true Tottenham supporter has erupted again, this time sparked by booing at the Spurs vs Fulham game, which was another beating at home from Thomas Frank’s side.

Immediately after Vicario’s mistake, boos rang out when he next touched the ball. The jeers continued sporadically, with louder choruses at halftime (2-0 down) and full-time. This frustration stems from Spurs’ broader struggles under Frank, sitting 10th in the table with just two wins in their last nine league games.

Have the quotes coming out of Spurs helped the situation?

“I didn’t like that our fans booed at him [Vicario] straight after and a few times after that. They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you’re on the pitch and we do everything we can to perform.

I’m fine with them booing after the match, no problem, but not during. That is unacceptable in my opinion.”

Pedro Porro also waded into the debate.

“Football is emotions. In football, as in life, there can always be mistakes. What I will not tolerate is hearing disrespect from the fans to my team-mates, hence my frustration at the end of the game.

“And we will get up. We remind you, six months ago, everything was so bad. In the end, it is not how it begins but how it ends. To the true Spurs fans, I love you.”

Tottenham fans are divided

For me, the argument is nuanced and requires the type of critical thinking whereby one can hold two thoughts that may conflict in one’s head at the same time. Fans don’t set out to pour scorn on their own team, but impatience can boil over. Fans are paying record amounts to watch games, and they expect more from a top ten Deloitte Money League side. The new stadium was not built to be home to a musfunctional midtable side.

While some supporters defended the boos as a release of pent-up frustration over poor results, others echoed Frank’s call for backing players mid-game. Social media buzz has split opinions, with hashtags like #SupportSpurs and #FrankOut trending lightly.