'How did you come up with this?!' - Micky van de Ven hits back at claims Tottenham stars don't care about Premier League relegation threat

Van de Ven used a pre-match press conference to express his sheer frustration at the media narrative surrounding the club. With Igor Tudor's side currently languishing just one point above the drop zone and without a win in eight matches, reports emerged that players had "switched off". Addressing these claims directly as the London club look to claw back from a 5-2 first-leg defeat, the centre-back stated: "Of course I've seen things. Reporters just say things sometimes and it's like: 'How did you come up with this?' Like players have switched off. It's not true. They say players are going to leave either way. It's just nonsense and people start believing it."

The atmosphere within the Spurs camp has been tense all season and spirits have not lifted amid their torrid start under Tudor, which included losing his first four matches. Although a recent 1-1 draw against Liverpool stopped the rot, the squad remains deeply hurt by accusations of apathy. Van de Ven highlighted the confusion such stories cause among the group. "Sometimes we just read things about ourselves and other players. We are just like: 'What is this?' We read something about one guy who said they were going to leave and doesn't care about the situation they are in, and then someone reads this and it's like: 'How does this come out?'"

With Tottenham sitting dangerously close to West Ham and Nottingham Forest in the table, the defender is terrified that fabricated news will alienate their loyal fanbase. He issued a heartfelt plea to supporters, assuring them that survival is the sole focus. He stressed: "People just make things up and it's frustrating for us because it brings so much more trouble. The fans then start to believe this or start saying: 'Oh the guys do not care anymore. What's going to happen with the club?' But, trust me, all of the people involved on the pitch, all of the staff, the players, everyone, they care so much about the situation we are in and we just want to turn things around. That's the main focus for everyone. If some reports are saying the guys don't care anymore, it's just frustrating for our guys."

Spurs must now pivot from their domestic worries to a daunting Champions League round of 16 second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid. Following a disastrous first leg showing in the Spanish capital, Tudor's men need to win by three goals just to force extra time against Diego Simeone’s disciplined side.