Tottenham continued their pre-season campaign against Getafe on Saturday with Jan Paul van Hecke far from pleased by their actions
Tottenham star Jan Paul van Hecke has suggested that pre-season opponents Getafe could have had up to three players sent off. The two sides met in a 70-minute behind-closed-doors friendly at Hotspur Way on Saturday, with the clash finish all square at 1-1.
The biggest talking point coming out of the clash was the conduct of the La Liga side, with a clip of a brawl starting after Sandro Tonali took exception at being caught late circulating on social media. Van Hecke has since spoken about the friendly and issued a clear verdict on what he thought could have happened if it were a competitive game.
He said: "Sometimes it's good to have a physical game. I thought today was a bit too much. From their side, sometimes it's not necessary, especially in a friendly.
"I think in a normal game maybe they have two or three red cards. But that's also maybe the way they play. We knew beforehand they can do it.
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE!Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
"It's a friendly, so you think maybe they would do it a bit less. But on the other hand, we also need to be at our best because if you don't put your foot in, they're going to win it.
"If that's what the game asks, then you need to put your foot in and battle with them, otherwise they win the battles. That's what you don't want. It's one of the first things you need to win in football. You saw at times it got a bit heated, but that's because of the reactions. If you get kicked, you're going to react."
Getafe went in front through Alberto Risco but Conor Gallagher reacted quickest to a loose ball and tucked home an equaliser. The latter and Van Hecke were joined by the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore in the starting line-up.
Tottenham also played against their Under-21s later that afternoon with Marcos Senesi, Rodrigo Bentancur and Mateus Fernandes featuring. The latter had been dealing with calf fatigue in pre-season but looks to have recovered.
Dominic Solanke and James Maddison did not feature in either clash as the duo are reportedly dealing with ankle and hip problems, respectively.
Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven were also not in action as both continued to be managed. The Lilywhites conclude their pre-season campaign against Hoffenheim next Saturday.
Their Premier League season then kicks off the following weekend with a trip to Brentford. Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Aston Villa also face Spurs before the September international break.