Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed that he plans to speak with defender Djed Spence following an apparent moment of frustration during Spurs’ 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

Forest produced a dominant display at the City Ground, with Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring twice and Ibrahim Sangare adding a spectacular long-range effort from around 25 yards to wrap up a convincing win for the home side. Spurs struggled to gain any momentum throughout the match and were largely second-best across the pitch.

The north London club managed just a single shot on target over the 90 minutes, underlining a lack of attacking threat. Forest’s opener came after a costly mistake at the back, when young defender Archie Gray was dispossessed just outside his own penalty area following a short pass from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, allowing the hosts to capitalise.

The defeat leaves Spurs languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table, having recorded only one victory in their last seven league outings. The run of poor results has increased pressure on Frank, with sections of the fanbase voicing their frustration and calling for the Danish coach to be dismissed, particularly due to the style and intensity of the team’s recent performances.

Frank also faced criticism for his in-game decisions against Forest. With Spurs already 2-0 down, he opted to introduce centre-back Ben Davies and defensive midfielder João Palhinha, changes that some supporters felt were overly cautious given the scoreline and the team’s need for a response.

One of the players withdrawn shortly before the hour mark was Djed Spence, who had enjoyed a resurgence last season under former manager Ange Postecoglou and was widely regarded as one of England’s most impressive full-backs during that period. However, reports suggest Spence did not take the substitution well.

According to the London Evening Standard, the defender appeared to gesture towards the bench when his number was shown and later threw his jacket to the ground as he returned to the dugout, indicating visible frustration.

Speaking after the match, Frank admitted he was unaware of the incident at the time but confirmed he would address it directly with the player.

“You’re the third one that’s said that to me today,” Frank told reporters when questioned about Spence’s reaction. “I didn’t see it. 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, or he can be disappointed with being subbed off. I’ll ask him about that.”

Tottenham will look to regroup quickly as they return to action on Saturday, when they face a tough test at home against Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.