Micky van de Ven had a day to forget during Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday.
Liverpool’s win over Tottenham has left Spurs 13th in the table, and fans are starting to turn on Thomas Frank as results continue to worsen.
After Xavi Simons’ red card, goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike gave the Reds a 2-0 lead before Richarlison scored a consolation goal, and Cristian Romero was sent off in what was a chaotic end to the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite the underperformance of many players under Frank, Van de Ven has been Tottenham’s best player this season and has remained blameless for the majority of their defeats.
However, after injuring Isak in the aftermath of his goal, the extent of his injury has now been made clear, and former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has called for the Dutch defender to be punished.
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Micky van de Ven lucky to go unpunished for breaking Alexander Isak’s leg
Sky Sports reported on Monday that Isak had suffered a broken leg after Van de Ven unsuccessfully slid in to try to block his shot that flew past Guglielmo Vicario.
Speaking on ESPN on 22 December, Leboeuf believes Van de Ven should have faced repercussions for the challenge.
He said: “I love the way Van de Ven is behaving and the way he plays football, and I love the player, but he has to be punished.
“I’m sorry, you cannot get out of that when you broke the leg of somebody. You take a chance, you’re a defender. I was a defender and never injured any player.
“You can tackle, you can be hard, but you have to know and be in control of what you do. And, I’m sorry, in that manner, and the result says a lot, Van de Ven was not in control.
“For me, that’s maybe unfortunate, but something has to come out. He cannot go unpunished again after that tackle.”
Van de Ven’s importance in defence cannot be understated, although he was perhaps fortunate to stay on the pitch, which would have caused even more problems for Tottenham.
Micky van de Ven desperately needs help from his fellow defenders
The difference in performance levels between the 24-year-old and his fellow defenders has been staggering at times.
Vicario has been shaky in goal, while Pedro Porro has been questioned for his defensive abilities at right-back.
It was Romero who was particularly bad against Liverpool, but it highlights a bigger issue that Spurs simply aren’t addressing.
The lack of cohesion in defence is astounding at times, and with 23 goals being conceded in the opening 17 matches, something desperately needs to change.
Otherwise, Tottenham’s season will soon be over, and Frank will find himself out of a job.