‘It’s embarrassing’ – Troy Deeney can’t believe what Thomas Frank did in Tottenham vs Chelsea
Tottenham’s defeat against Chelsea on Saturday (November 1) delivered a lot of controversy, and Troy Deeney has analysed one key moment.
Spurs lost 1-0 to Chelsea, thanks to Joao Pedro’s first-half winner, and the hosts were fortunate the Brazilian didn’t have his shooting boots on after squandering multiple chances.
Thomas Frank’s men produced a lacklustre performance against the Blues, with their issues spilling off the pitch.
Tottenham fans slammed Djed Spence for refusing to shake Frank’s hand and storming down the tunnel instead of sticking around to clap the fans.
Micky van de Ven was also involved in the situation, and that wasn’t the only controversial talking point to emerge from the showdown.
Troy Deeney shares verdict on Xavi Simons controversy
Xavi Simons continued his slow start to life in North London during the Chelsea clash, having only produced one goal involvement in 12 appearances since joining from RB Leipzig.
Worryingly, Simons was substituted on and off the pitch against Chelsea, firstly replacing Lucas Bergvall in the seventh minute before being taken off for Wilson Odobert in the 73rd.
Spurs fans were right to criticise Simons for another poor evening, as the 22-year-old was barely involved and lost possession a whopping 14 times.
| Xavi Simons stats at RB Leipzig |
| 78 games |
| 22 goals |
| 24 assists |
Speaking on CBS Sports, former Watford striker Troy Deeney gave his verdict on the decision and how he might be feeling after.
"It's embarrassing as a player." 😳@T_Deeney reacts to Tottenham's Xavi Simons being subbed off after coming on as a sub earlier in the game vs Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/OKPOstQXIu
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 3, 2025
“It’s embarrassing as a player. I can’t say I’ve had that happen to me in my career, but I’ve seen it happen,” Deeney said.
“But the first part about it, which is really interesting, is when you are a superstar, and he is a superstar, lets make no bones about it.
“He’s gone into Spurs and for the first time, I think in every club, he’s expected to grab the team by the scruff of the neck and drag it forward. It doesn’t matter if the team is not very good around him, you have to be bigger and better.”
Thomas Frank’s thoughts on Simons
Spurs paid £52million for Simons from RB Leipzig, and so far, it’s looking like money wasted.
Frank needed his marquee signing to hit the ground running, and unfortunately, he’s struggled to adapt to the Premier League’s physicality.
Of course, it’s only early days in his Tottenham career, and his manager is confident he will eventually come good.
“I’m in no doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us,” Frank admitted. “That is down to him, me, the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time. It’s completely natural.
“Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it. I’m confident, I’m sure it will happen.”