Tony Cascarino slams Micky van de Ven after Tottenham defeat vs Fulham – ‘I couldn’t believe it’
Tony Cascarino has criticised Micky van de Ven’s leadership at Tottenham after their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Sunday.
The Netherlands international lined up alongside Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray in defence at Craven Cottage, but Spurs were ripped apart by Marco Silva’s side in the first half.
Fulham scored twice before the break, through Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi, but it could’ve been a lot worse for the Lilywhites, given the chances created by the hosts.
Igor Tudor’s side did show some fight in the second period, Richarlison halving the deficit with 25 minutes to go, but it wasn’t enough to prevent yet another Premier League defeat.
‘Micky van de Ven deserves as much criticism as Cristian Romero’
Tottenham have been without captain Cristian Romero for the past three games, after the Argentine was sent off during the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in February.
In that time, Spurs have lost every single match, conceding eight goals and dropping even closer to the Premier League relegation zone.
Romero was heavily criticised for his dismissal, but former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes that Van de Ven should be sharing the blame for recent results.
Writing in The Times, Cascarino insisted that the Dutch centre-back has been exposed without Romero, and has been lacking responsibility as stand in captain.
He said: “Cristian Romero has taken the brunt of the criticism, but his suspension has exposed Micky van de Ven, who is just as culpable. Romero’s mistakes are loud and plain for everyone to see, but Van de Ven’s lack of responsibility has flown under the radar.
“Van de Ven has looked laboured in Spurs’ defence for too long. Against Arsenal, Bukayo Saka skipped past him too easily on multiple occasions, and watching him at Craven Cottage, where Spurs lost to Fulham on Sunday, I couldn’t believe I was watching a captain’s performance.”
Igor Tudor must address Van de Ven issue
Van de Ven undoubtedly possesses talent, but at this moment in time, he is not stepping up when Tottenham need him.
The Lilywhites have lost each of their last four Premier League games and have picked up just four points from a possible 30 since the turn of the year.
In order for Tudor to get Spurs back on track, he must first address the issue of Van de Ven’s form and help him rediscover his spark.
Romero serves the final game of his suspension as Tottenham face Crystal Palace on Thursday, and his return against Liverpool may help the 24-year-old get back to his best.
However, the Argentine is still a liability, and Van de Ven needs to be able to perform without the comfort of his long-time centre-back partner.
For more coverage on the latest news at Spurs, visit Football Insider.