Dutch media outlet destroys £52m Tottenham flop after ‘sloppy’ Netherlands showing
Jan Paul van Hecke’s struggles appear to be going from bad to worse, after one Dutch media outlet was heavily critical of the Tottenham Hotspur star’s performance for the Netherlands against Serbia in the Nations League, although there were also some positive comments worth mentioning.
The 26-year-old was one of the first signings through the door for Roberto De Zerbi this summer, arriving in a £52million deal from Premier League rivals Brighton.
Despite the common consensus that Tottenham probably overpaid for Van Hecke, the move did tick some boxes, given that De Zerbi coached the Dutchman during his time in charge at The Amex.
However, just five games into his Premier League career, Spurs currently sit bottom of the table, and it’s been a struggle for Van Hecke to replicate the form he showed on the south coast to date.
What makes his struggles even worse for Tottenham fans is seeing former north London prospect Luka Vuskovic wowing at Brighton, after De Zerbi pushed to sign the more experienced duo of Van Hecke and Marcos Senesi instead of trusting the young Croat to build on his burgeoning reputation.
Van Hecke had by far his worst game in a Spurs shirt during the 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa last time out, being bullied by Nicolas Jackson in a game that he struggled to dominate in the air and also missed some crucial tackles. Indeed, one pundit called for the centre-back to be immediately dropped from De Zerbi’s starting XI after that game.
And his struggles domestically look to have travelled with him on Netherlands duty in the Nations League, having not been at his best in the opening game against Germany and then earning mixed reviews against Serbia.
‘Sloppy’ Van Hecke still in a ‘slump’
Indeed, Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur suggested that Van Hecke is still reeling from his early issues in north London, taking them into the Serbia contest.
They wrote, when evaluating Van Hecke’s performance: “He does not yet seem to have shaken off the slump at Tottenham Hotspur with the Oranje. Van Hecke was sloppy in his forward passing on several occasions and was not entirely focused defensively either.”
The mixed reviews then came in from elsewhere, as BD actually suggested that new Netherlands boss Xavi would have been happy with what he saw from Van Hecke.
They added: “The central defender showed sharpness, although he never lets up when it comes to passion and willingness, which is what Xavi emphasizes so much.”
That was echoed somewhat by Sport Nieuws, who also put up a largely positive review.
They wrote: “Van Hecke recovered well from his poor performance against Germany. The defender looked much more confident on the ball and also made a more stable impression defensively.”
Either way, Van Hecke needs to find the form he showcased on a regular basis down at Brighton, and quick, if De Zerbi’s men are to start working their way up the table.
Tottenham are back in action on October 10 when they head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Premier League, in a game where both bosses are currently under extreme pressure.
