Micah Richards claimed one Tottenham Hotspur player had a ‘bad day at the office’ against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Tottenham suffered a significant setback in the hunt for a top-four finish over the weekend after a 4-0 defeat at Newcastle.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were way below their best on the day and despite a bright start to the game, they were second best at St James’ Park.
Timo Werner wasted a couple of opportunities early on but it was one-way traffic in favour of the home side thereafter.
Spurs conceded two goals in quick succession just after the half-hour mark, with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon getting on the scoresheet.
Both goals were avoidable from Tottenham’s point of view and it’s fair to say that Micky van de Ven had an off-day defensively.
The Dutchman was left on the turf for the first two goals of the game and was caught out for Isak’s second.
Richards delivers verdict on Micky van de Ven after Newcastle thrash Tottenham
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Richards was joined by Alan Shearer, who was keen to point out Van de Ven’s display.
“I respect and I like that he [Ange Postecoglou] has got his ways but sometimes you are going to have to change because there is no doubt teams will suss that out and they are already starting to suss it out,” Shearer said.
“I know Spurs have had a really good season but – Micah, you told me Van de Ven was a quality centre-back. Did he just have a bad day yesterday?”
“Yes, a bad day at the office with zero protection, that’s what I would say,” Richards responded. “When you have a defender and you have that pace, I’m not saying you switch off but you always think your pace will get you out of trouble, but when you have someone like Isak who is quick and also can twist and turn that’s the problem.”
Van de Ven stats vs Newcastle
The numbers reflected what was a difficult afternoon for Van de Ven. The 22-year-old has been exceptional this season but he struggled to deal with the threat of Isak.
Van de Ven was dribbled past twice in the game, which led to first-half goals from Isak and Gordon.
In the defender’s defence, it was Pedro Porro’s misplaced pass which ultimately left him isolated for Newcastle’s second of the game.
He picked up a 6.1 match rating from WhoScored after completing just one of three tackles attempted.
Van de Ven fared well with the ball at his feet as 94 per cent of his passes found their man on the day.
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