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Jan Paul van Hecke takes aim at Spurs teammate after Aston Villa defeat
Sep 22 2026 14:50 · By onefootball.com · 0 Reads
Tottenham crisis deepens after Jan Paul van Hecke’s brutal verdict
Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League, still without a win, and the noise is getting louder. Jan Paul van Hecke has now said publicly what plenty around the club will already be thinking. This start has been poor, the defending has been worse, and the mood is deteriorating.
The £52m summer signing did not dress it up. “We had imagined it would be different. The way we play and concede goals is unacceptable. “The way the energy drained away from the team is simply not right.” That is not vague frustration. That is a player calling out standards, structure and mentality in one go.
Van Hecke questions Robertson decision
The sharpest detail concerned Andy Robertson’s role in the 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa. With Micky van de Ven temporarily off the pitch after treatment, Tottenham were down to 10 men at a critical moment. Robertson tried to keep the ball alive rather than put it out for a corner. It backfired immediately, Villa recycled possession, and Johan Manzambi scored seconds later.
Van Hecke’s view was straightforward. “It couldn’t get any worse,” he 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.” He is right. This was not a complicated tactical problem. It was basic game management, badly handled.
Photo: IMAGO
Tottenham tactics and £300m pressure
That matters even more when the club has spent around £300m and expected lift-off. Instead, Tottenham look loose without the ball, vulnerable when momentum swings, and short on leadership when matches turn messy. Money raises expectations. It also removes excuses.
Roberto De Zerbi now heads into the international break with a table that makes grim reading and a squad that looks fragile. The next league game is away at Manchester United on October 10. Bottom of the table, public criticism from within, and mounting pressure on the manager, this is already a serious Tottenham crisis.
Premier League reality facing De Zerbi
The season is still young, but that line only works when there are signs of control. Right now there are none. Tottenham do not need slogans. They need points, discipline and adults on the pitch.