Jan Paul van Hecke criticizes Andy Robertson’s decision-making against Aston Villa, raising concerns over potential dressing room friction at Tottenham.
Tottenham Hotspur‘s bottom-of-the-table plight threatens to spill over into dressing room friction after defender Jan Paul van Hecke publicly criticized teammate Andy Robertson following the 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa. The 26-year-old Dutch center-back took aim at Robertson’s decision-making during a pivotal moment in the match, raising concerns that internal division could complicate Roberto De Zerbi’s attempts to steady the club.
Speaking to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad during international duty, Van Hecke opened up on the frustration surrounding Tottenham’s winless start to the Premier League campaign. He highlighted a specific incident against Villa where Micky van de Ven was off the pitch receiving treatment for an injury. Instead of letting the ball go out for a corner or kicking it out of play to allow Van de Ven time to return, Robertson kept the ball in play, leading to a turnover and a decisive Aston Villa goal.
“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. You say to each other ‘Come on, boys. We are much better’ and then you give it all away completely.”
John Wenham Warns of Dressing Room Friction
Spurs analyst John Wenham believes that while Robertson made an indisputable error on the pitch, Van Hecke airing his grievances in the Dutch press could create unnecessary drama when squad members regroup at Hotspur Way.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Wenham voiced concern over the public nature of the critique:
“For all the good things about what Robertson did, that was a huge mistake from him. Van Hecke has called it out in the press in Holland, which might make a bit of drama with Tottenham. He said we have to be more sensible. We’ve got Van de Ven off the pitch with an injury, the ball is about to go out for a corner, that gives you a chance to regroup. Robertson has kept it in and then we’ve lost possession and they’ve scored, if it had gone out for a corner, then Van de Ven could come back on.”
While Van Hecke’s frustration is understandable given the high stakes in N17, harsh judgment on Robertson fails to tell the complete story of his start at North London. Joining on a free transfer during the summer, the Scottish international has emerged as one of De Zerbi’s most dependable defensive options.
Data from Fotmob illustrates Robertson’s defensive output, averaging 4.90 defensive contributions per game, alongside 1.23 tackles, 3.68 recoveries, and 2.21 clearances. He remains De Zerbi’s clear first-choice left-back, bringing vital experience to a backline that has frequently struggled for structure.
With Tottenham anchored in 20th place with just two points from their opening five Premier League matches, managing squad harmony during the international break will be paramount. De Zerbi must address any budding internal friction quickly, ensuring his players remain unified as they prepare for a daunting trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10th.
