Former Spurs defender Alderweireld calls out two players for Tottenham's dismal season

It has been chaos in north London, with Spurs currently in the relegation zone, and two managers already having bitten the dust when attempting to change the team's fortunes. 

Italian Roberto De Zerbi is now in charge, and has failed to make an instant impact with Spurs losing to Sunderland last weekend.  

It's safe to say the players have played a major part in Spurs' freefall into the drop zone, and Alderweirld has singled out two of the club's most experienced for failing to deliver during the 2025/26 campaign. 

Alderweireld calls out Romero and Van de Ven for poor performances

Two stalwarts in this current iteration of Spurs are club captain Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who as some of the most experienced members of the squad, should be able to inspire their fellow teammates to stick together and mount a great escape. 

Instead, it's the opposite. Romero in particular has been a frustration. The Argentinian can be a liability when it comes to discipline, picking up a yellow cards on a frequent basis and sometimes a red. 

Speaking to ESPN, Alderweireld stated that both Romero and van de Ven have failed to perform at their expected levels, and as a result is having negative effects on a team which is struggling for hope, and wins. 

"I look at Romero, I look at Van de Ven, they just aren’t reaching their level. Not for a period, but actually an entire season," Alderweireld said.

"I also look at Romero who gets red cards too often, doesn’t make the right decision, and therefore lets his team down." 

"If you’re the core of a team, it should be good. They must always play at a six, seven or eight out of ten. Those drop too far below the minimum standard for a whole season."

Spurs return to action on Saturday when De Zerbi reunites with a former employer in Brighton and Hove Albion. 

But De Zerbi will have no time for nostalgia, one of the biggest decisions he needs to make ahead of kick-off is picking a new captain after Romero was ruled out for the season after tearing his medial cruciate ligament in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. 

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