MusaJan Paul van Hecke has delivered a brutally honest assessment of Tottenham Hotspur’s disastrous start to the Premier League season, while appearing to criticise fellow defender Andy Robertson over his role in Aston Villa’s opening goal.
The Dutch centre-back, who joined Spurs from Brighton in a £52million summer deal, admitted that Tottenham’s performances have been “unacceptable” as Roberto De Zerbi’s side continue to search for their first league victory.
Tottenham’s latest setback came on Saturday when they suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa. Combined with results elsewhere, the loss left Spurs rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and highlighted the growing concerns surrounding De Zerbi’s team.
Van Hecke also appeared to point the finger at Robertson after the former Liverpool defender made a costly decision during the build-up to Villa’s opener.
With Tottenham temporarily reduced to 10 men after captain Micky van de Ven left the pitch to receive treatment, Robertson chose to keep the ball in play rather than put it out for a corner. However, the decision backfired as Villa quickly regained possession.
Moments later, Johan Manzambi found the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
According to Sport Witness, Van Hecke discussed the incident with Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad and suggested Robertson should have made a different decision.
“It couldn’t get any worse,” Van Hecke said. “You know you’re down to 10 men. Then it’s smarter to kick the ball out, so you can wait until Micky gets back.”
The 24-year-old also expressed his frustration with Tottenham’s overall performances this season, particularly considering the club’s huge investment during the summer transfer window.
“We had imagined it would be different,” Van Hecke admitted. “The way we play and concede goals is unacceptable.
“The way the energy drained away from the team is simply not right.”
De Zerbi will now hope the international break gives his players an opportunity to regroup and address their problems before returning to Premier League action.
Tottenham’s next league fixture comes on October 10, when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
Van Hecke, meanwhile, has joined up with the Netherlands squad for international duty, with the Dutch side preparing to begin their Nations League campaign against arch-rivals Germany on Thursday.
Musa
