'Shrinking' Micky van de Ven slammed & told why poor Tottenham form could cost him big summer transfer move

The 24-year-old was handed the captain's armband in the absence of the suspended Cristian Romero, but he failed to steady the ship as Igor Tudor's side slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Sunday. The loss extends a miserable run of form for the north Londoners, leaving them languishing in 16th place and much closer to the relegation zone than the European spots.

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has been particularly vocal about the defender's recent displays, suggesting he "shirked" the responsibility of leading an inexperienced backline and was "stuck in first gear". At Craven Cottage, Van de Ven was flanked by youngster Archie Gray and back-up centre-back Radu Dragusin, but he failed to provide the necessary organisation to stop the Cottagers' attack.

"Romero has taken the brunt of the criticism in Tottenham Hotspur’s leaky back line this season for his reckless and rash actions as the captain, but his suspension has exposed Micky van de Ven, who is just as culpable," Cascarino noted in his column for The Times. He added: "With the Argentina centre-back banned after his second red card of the season, against Manchester United, the armband has gone to Van de Ven in his absence. Against Arsenal, Bukayo Saka skipped past him too easily on multiple occasions, and watching him at Craven Cottage, where Spurs lost to Fulham on Sunday, I couldn’t believe I was watching a captain’s performance."

Critics have drawn parallels between Van de Ven and his compatriot Virgil van Dijk during his final days at Southampton. While Van de Ven has looked laboured in Spurs’ defence, there are fears he may already have his eye on a potential summer exit. Cascarino warned that this attitude might be a red flag for the world's biggest clubs who expect their defenders to be natural leaders.

Reflecting on the situation, Cascarino said: "The situation reminds me of the criticism that Virgil van Dijk, Van de Ven’s compatriot, faced before he made his transfer to Liverpool. He was clearly a top-quality defender at Southampton, but there were accusations that he was playing in cruise control and not being tested enough in a lesser team. Van Dijk showed he had more to give after the move, but Van de Ven needs to rise to the occasion now, with Spurs in dire form and porous at the back."

Despite the criticism, some still believe a change of scenery is necessary for the former Wolfsburg man to reach his full potential. Former Dutch international Eljero Elia recently claimed that it "fits his career to move from Tottenham to the big teams" after the upcoming World Cup. However, if his form continues to flatline, Cascarino further warns that those "big teams" may look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.

For now, the focus remains on a Spurs side that looks devoid of confidence. Assessing the wreckage of the Fulham defeat, interim boss Igor Tudor was brutally honest about the state of his squad. Tudor told Sky Sports: "There are big problems here. We lacked everything. It is not just about one goal or one mistake. When you play for this club, you expect a level of fight and quality that was nowhere to be seen today. We are in a difficult moment and we need to look at ourselves."