Thomas Frank hails Tottenham fans for 'warm' Guglielmo Vicario reception as Xavi Simons helps set 'standard'

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·6 December 2025

Thomas Frank hails Tottenham fans for 'warm' Guglielmo Vicario reception as Xavi Simons helps set 'standard'

The Spurs boss hopes to have put tensions between his team and the fanbase behind them

Thomas Frank has said that the reception Guglielmo Vicario received ahead of Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Brentford made him “warm inside”.

Vicario was the subject of boos last weekend after his mistake gifted Fulham their second goal in a 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, ahead of kick-off against Brentford, Vicario’s name was loudly cheered, and Frank said he was appreciative of Tottenham’s supporters, hailing them as “great fans” after his side secured just their second home league win of the season.

“You know, the Spurs fans are great fans. Sometimes there are ups, sometimes there are downs in football and life. But I like how the team responded,” Frank said in his post-match press conference.

“I like how the whole stadium, the fans, I would say, responded. And I noticed, maybe it was me, but I noticed when Vicario’s name was shouted up, I think an extra high roar, and I love that.

OneFootball Videos

“That makes me warm inside because that's where you support your player. Because they should, you know, no one, like no one, how can you say, talking bad about our players. The fans should feel like that.

“No one. They should protect them. And I think today there was a fantastic energy between both the team and the fans.”

Spurs fans show support to Vicario

Getty Images

Tottenham secured a vital three points against Frank’s former side, but more so than the result, it was the manner of the performance that was most impressive.

Xavi Simons, who scored a superb solo goal, was at the centre of everything good for Tottenham going forward, and Frank praised the Dutchman after he netted his first goal since joining the club from RB Leipzig in the summer.

“I think every player needs that extra bit of confidence, and that comes from his performance, the team's performance. And that assist and the goal, I think, gave him that extra bit of lightness in his step and his touches and everything,” the Danish manager said.

“So, for him, it was also an all-around very good performance.

Frank continued: “That (goal) is what I believe from the beginning, that Xavi can produce that out of nothing. And I will say, everything just needs a little bit of adaptation sometimes with everything.

“Him, the team, everything. And this was a very good step. Now it's the next thing to do it again and again and again.”

Tottenham were dominant throughout and could have had a third goal, only for the offside flag to rule out Mohammed Kudus’ second-half effort.

Mohammed Kudus saw his celebration cut short by the offside flag

AFP via Getty Images

Under Frank, Tottenham have struggled to create chances from open play, but he said his side had now set the standard for future performances.

“That is the standard,” Frank continued. “Sometimes there's more tight games, as we know. But I like what I saw from the team. And that's what we need to build on and try to become even better.”