Jamie O’Hara has launched a brutal attack on Jan Paul van Hecke after the Tottenham defender struggled during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Van Hecke joined Spurs from Brighton for around £52million during the summer, reuniting with Roberto De Zerbi, but his early months in north London have been difficult.
He was again under scrutiny against United after giving Bryan Mbeumo too much space for the home side’s goal, and O’Hara certainly did not hold back.
O’Hara labels Van Hecke a ‘donkey’
According to TEAMtalk, O’Hara was furious with Van Hecke’s defending while reacting to the match on talkSPORT.
The former Spurs midfielder said: “Van Hecke, what is he doing?
“Free shot, inside your box, an absolute joke.
“I am sick of it, I am sick of it, I am sick of it, I am sick of it.”
O’Hara added: “Who signed Van Hecke, who?
“He needs sacking, he needs sacking.
“Brighton have had our absolute pants down; they have had our pants down.
“And we let Vuskovic go, and we got a donkey at the back.
“Every time anyone stands him up one v one, he gets a shot off
Tottenham need patience, but Van Hecke has to improve
O’Hara’s reaction is obviously extreme, but Van Hecke cannot completely escape criticism.
Tottenham paid a major fee for a defender already familiar with De Zerbi’s system, so expectations were always going to be high.
Reuters reported when the transfer was completed that his intelligence, bravery in possession and personality were among the qualities De Zerbi valued.
Those qualities have appeared in flashes, but the defensive mistakes are becoming difficult to ignore.
Against United, Van Hecke simply gave Mbeumo too much room inside the penalty area. At Premier League level, that is usually punished.
Writing off a 26-year-old after a handful of matches would be premature, especially after a major move and a difficult start for Tottenham as a whole.
But £52m buys expectation. Van Hecke now needs to show why Spurs were prepared to spend so heavily on him.
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