Are Tottenham Fans Partly to Blame for Awful Home Form?

Booing and jeering made up the soundtrack to Tottenham’s 2-1 home defeat by Fulham on Saturday night.

Tottenham fans booed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after his error assisted Fulham’s second goal on six minutes to cap a disastrous start to the game. Tottenham were also booed off at half-time and again at full-time, when right-back Pedro Porro was visibly angered by something he heard from the stands.

The attendance at Saturday’s game was 60,546 — more than 2,000 below capacity after some Spurs fans bemoaned the cost of tickets amid the side’s poor form. By full-time there were thousands more empty seats.

Tottenham’s awful home form

Spurs have taken just five points from a possible 21 at home this season. That places them 19th in the Premier League home table, above only Wolves.

Conversely, they are flying high in third place on the away table, with 13 points from six games on the road.

Premier League home table (bottom five)

Premier League away table (top five)

Is home advantage real?

Home teams have performed better than away teams since the beginning of time.

The main reasons for home advantage are that players generally perform better in familiar surroundings, especially when they feel more comfortable and supported. It is also easier for players to follow their preferred pre-match routine ahead of home fixtures.

Having the majority of the in-stadium fans behind them can provide a psychological boost, while it is anecdotally suggested that referees are subconsciously more likely to give 50-50 decisions in a home team’s favour if a loud crowd appeals for decisions in unison.

Across the first 13 rounds of Premier League fixtures this season, home teams have averaged 1.72 points per game, with away teams averaging 1.08.

However, Spurs are averaging 0.71 at home and 2.16 away.

Thomas Frank says boo boys are not “true fans”

Manager Thomas Frank hit out at some Tottenham fans following Saturday’s home loss to Fulham. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed when he touched the ball shortly after his mistake that cost Spurs a goal.

Frank said that members of the crowd who booed Vicario — who Spurs are looking to replace — “cannot be true Tottenham fans”. He told Sky Sports: “I didn’t like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times when he touched the ball.

“They cannot be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch. We do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That’s unacceptable in my opinion.”

Frank’s predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, also criticised Tottenham fans during his time in charge. Postecoglou was furious that some members of the Spurs fanbase wanted their side to lose against Man City in May 2024 to help stop Arsenal winning the Premier League.

Postecoglou later confronted some Spurs fans following a 1-0 defeat away at Bournemouth in December 2024.

Are fans to blame for Tottenham’s bad home form?

It would be ridiculous to suggest that Spurs supporters are exclusively to blame for the team’s poor performances and results at home. However, when players are booed or when they fear being booed it likely dents their confidence. Some players are also less likely to take risks on the field if they fear that giving the ball away will be met with a negative reaction from the stands.

Guglielmo Vicario’s kamikaze pass against Fulham aside, Tottenham have generally been very risk averse in possession so far this season. They do not play through the midfield as much as in previous years, instead opting to play long hopeful passes that double up as clearances.

It could be argued that some of Tottenham’s negativity in possession has been caused by fear and a lack of support from the stands. But Tottenham’s shortcomings are also tactical. Under Thomas Frank, Spurs have failed to build through midfield. While lack of confidence may be a factor, structure and team selection are likely much bigger ones. When Spurs have possession inside their own half, not enough players come short offering for a pass. This forces Tottenham either to play backwards to their goalkeeper or go long.

Joao Palhinha — who has started Tottenham’s last 12 games in the centre of the park — is one of the best tacklers in the Premier League but he is one of the least progressive midfielders when it comes to playing forwards. Palhinha is an excellent midfielder to have in away games — when the aim is to disrupt the opposition before launching a counter-attack into space. But he can also disrupt his own team’s fluency, especially if there is not a creative player alongside him. This is a big issue in home games when the onus is on Spurs to break down a compact opponent.

In terms of creativity, Spurs are restricted by long-term injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, leaving Xavi Simons as their main schemer in the squad. Simons started on the bench against Fulham, before coming on after an hour. The £52 million summer signing is key if Spurs are to play their way out of this dreadful run of home form.

But one player cannot fix this mess alone. Frank needs to instil a new mentality in his team, empowering them to be braver and bolder at home. Spurs fans also have a role to play. They need to boo and grumble less, while encouraging ambition even when it fails.