Micky van de Ven has hit back at reports linking Tottenham players with exits, but his response has now sparked a fierce reaction from Simon Jordan.
There might have been an upturn in results for Tottenham Hotspur in the last two games, but the reality remains that Spurs are in a relegation battle.
Tottenham currently find themselves in 16th place on 30 points this season, a single point above 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and 18th-placed West Ham United.
Spurs take on Forest on Sunday after their 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid and should come into that match-up in better spirits.
But before taking to the pitch against Atleti, Micky van de Ven was quick to call out recent reports linking several Spurs players with moves away from north London due to the club’s predicament.
A frustrated van de Ven made it clear it was a situation he is not happy about, as he believes it affects the relationship between players and fans.
He said the reports were fabricated and explained his frustration at how they are perceived, telling reporters, “The other day, when we read that one guy told the rest of the team that he does not care because he is leaving anyway. It is like, how does this come out? It is just made up. And the fans will believe it. It is just frustrating for us guys.”
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Speaking on TalkSport, Simon Jordan strongly criticised Micky van de Ven’s response, questioning the sincerity of players’ commitment in difficult moments.
Jordan dismissed the defender’s stance as self-serving and argued that true care is reflected through actions rather than words.
He said: “That utter, utter self-serving nonsense. Yes, I am sure they do care in the moment because of the consequences for them. You will see who cares and who does not by who stays and who leaves, because actions will determine that better than words.
“Yes, of course they care to a point. They care in so far as it will affect the outcomes that impact them – i.e. if the team gets relegated, there will be consequences for them to some extent. Now, to suggest they do not care at all, that they are completely devoid of any care, is not right. It is qualified care.
“If they cared enough, then the team would not be in this position, because the team is here through the choices the players are making. Put aside the manager, put aside the board and all that background noise, and look at the team.
“As I keep saying, if you judge Tottenham by this squad as a top-six squad, then you are deluded. If you think they should be a bottom-five side, you are deluded as well. They are a mid-table side.
“So why are they not a mid-table side? Because of people like him – they are not doing their jobs.”
Danny Murphy defends Van de Ven as Simon Jordan doubles down
Danny Murphy, however, offered a contrasting view and defended Tottenham’s van de Ven by drawing on his own experiences in relegation battles during his playing days.
Murphy explained that players can still be fully committed on the pitch while considering their own futures, telling TalkSport: “You can have it – I have done it myself when I was playing and we nearly got relegated.
“We stayed up on the last day. Some senior players in the squad. You can care and give your all and still be about you and then leave. Does not mean you did not care because you leave and does not mean you care because you stay. You can care. You can look like you care because you have stayed if they go down because you have got no better option.”
When pressed further on whether players had exit plans during that time, Murphy admitted he was among those considering options, adding: “Well, no. I would be one of them. I did not have anything lined up, but I did not want to play in the Championship.
“You were one of them. I would have chats with some of my mates and say, tell you what, if we do go down, I am going to have to see what is out there. So, there is your answer.
“But no, let me finish that. I will tell you something – you could not criticise one minute of my performances in the last couple of months of the season, giving my all to try and keep them up.”
Jordan remained unconvinced and continued to question the level of commitment, arguing that players ultimately prioritise themselves while stressing that performances should be the true measure of care, stating on TalkSport: “Players get the reputation that they deserve. Unfortunately, they do. Was he not linked with leaving this football club? Did he not say something?
“He knows he can apply himself and, to some extent, they will apply themselves. They will not care the way the fans care because they are not Tottenham supporters.
“They are Tottenham players. They have been signed to do a job. Does somebody that works for Lloyd’s Bank care if Lloyd’s Bank collapses as long as they can go to Barclays? Unless, of course, they have got some money in Lloyd’s Bank on deposit.
“You want to qualify that? But the fact is there is an element of professional regard that you have to have, and that is where the loyalty part steps into the equation.
“What loyalty do you expect from players as long as their contract is? And if we can honestly look at these Tottenham players and say they have given their best, that is the care factor we have to debate, not whether they care about relegation, because we all know everyone looks after themselves.
“So my argument would be they have not cared enough to avoid being in this bloody ludicrous position for a team of Tottenham Hotspur stature and a squad of this calibre that should not be anywhere near the relegation zone.”
