Djed Spence to face Thomas Frank inquiry as ex-Nottingham Forest man reacts in Tottenham defeat
Djed Spence was seen gesturing and shaking his head after being substituted in Tottenham's 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank intends to address Djed Spence following his apparent displeasure at being substituted during the 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
The England international was observed gesturing and shaking his head when his number was displayed during the second half at the City Ground.
This isn't the first occasion Spence has displayed discontent towards his manager, having previously seemed to reject a handshake following the Chelsea loss.
Frank, who has requested patience to reverse Spurs' fortunes, plans to discover the source of Spence's frustration.
"I didn't see it," he said. "Of course I will look back to be aware of it.
"I think there can be three reasons. He can be disappointed with his own performance, the team's performance, he can be disappointed with being subbed off. I'll ask him about that."
Spence, who was part of the Forest team that won promotion to the Premier League in 2022, has little grounds for objection regarding his substitution given Spurs' disappointing display, as their recent resurgence from a challenging period came to an abrupt halt.
Defender Pedro Porro issued an apology to supporters regarding the performance.
"The away fans don't deserve this," he said. "Today this was a bad game from us. Now we're focusing on the next game.
"Every game is difficult in the Premier League. We can play on Tuesday and win in the Champions League but in the Premier League it is different.
"Maybe more intensity, I don't know. But I feel especially sorry for the fans. The fans don't deserve this."
It proved a dismal performance, with defensive lapses presenting Callum Hudson-Odoi with two goals – firstly capitalising on a mistake whilst building from defence, before goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was caught poorly positioned as a cross floated directly into the goal.
Vicario bore no responsibility for Forest's third, as Ibrahim Sangare struck a 20-yard effort with the outside of his boot.
The Ivory Coast midfielder will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations, having been outstanding throughout Forest's resurgence under Sean Dyche.
"He has certainly put a shift in for us," Dyche said. "We know he can play and we know he understands the game.
"He has had a few injuries before, which have not helped him. I have enjoyed working with him. He works hard on the training pitch, comes in with a smile and gets on with it.
"He has certainly shown what he can do, and he did so with a great goal today. I could wax lyrical about so many players today because I thought everyone was top drawer."