Tottenham Hotspur have drifted into the Premier League relegation zone this week, sitting two points below 17th-placed West Ham United.
With six games remaining, it appears they are headed towards the drop to the EFL Championship. They haven’t won a single domestic game in 2026, and they now likely need to win at least three of their remaining six. If their rivals perform well, they might need even more.
A lot of things and decisions have led Tottenham into this mess. From the board’s terrible decision-making to managers like Thomas Frank and the consistently poor performances from the players.
Toby Alderweireld pinpoints Tottenham duo for their poor performances
Spurs were arguably last consistently good under Mauricio Pochettino. They had a decent squad, with a solid defensive duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.
Under Ange Postecoglou, they built a good duo with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but they have faltered massively this season.
In an interview with ESPN NL, Alderweireld called out Romero and Van de Ven for their poor performances, saying:
“Players who were acquired for a lot of money but who nevertheless don’t deliver, and not in just one or two matches or a period, but throughout the whole season. You just have to conclude that they are not good enough in terms of quality.”
“I look at Romero, I look at Van de Ven… They just aren’t reaching their level. Again, not for a period, but actually for an entire season. Then I also look at Romero, who gets red cards too often, doesn’t make the right decisions and therefore lets his team down.”
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Alderweireld also took aim at the Tottenham board and highlighted the “structural problem” at the club. He stated that while they are run well on the business side, the ‘value is on the pitch’ is not good enough.
Van de Ven and Romero will excel outside Tottenham
It is undeniable that Romero and Van de Ven have put in multiple poor performances this season. While they have scored some crucial goals, they have had numerous defensive lapses. However, the reality is that not a single player has been good for Tottenham this season.
Under Postecoglou, the mere presence of Romero and Van de Ven, even with other injuries, denoted a Premier League Top 4 form. That couldn’t happen, of course, due to their consistent injuries. However, they were vital in their Europa League-winning run.
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Under Thomas Frank, meanwhile, the duo’s performances declined, with the system not suited to any player in the squad.
Romero and Van de Ven have been linked with moves away this summer, even if Tottenham stay up. Just like many other players over the years, they will undoubtedly excel in a good football system.
