Jan Paul van Hecke hasn't sugar-coated things. The center-back, who arrived at Tottenham Hotspur from Brighton and Hove Albion for £52 million ($69.8 million) at the start of the summer transfer window, says nobody at the club expected to be scrapping at the bottom of the Premier League table this early in the season.
On Sunday, Spurs slipped to the foot of the table after Manchester United rescued a point against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Álvaro Arbeloa's Manchester United side also have just two points from their opening games, but a slightly better goal difference keeps Tottenham in last place.
Van Hecke has started all five of Tottenham's league games so far, lining up alongside fellow Dutchman Micky van de Ven in what has been a rough opening stretch: two goalless draws and three defeats, with no wins to show for it.
Speaking to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad before linking up with the Netherlands squad, Van Hecke admitted the campaign has gone nothing like he pictured. "We had imagined it would be different. The way we play and concede goals is unacceptable," he said, quoted via football.london and Sport Witness.
Pointing to the Villa Collapse
Asked specifically about the defeat to Aston Villa, Van Hecke pinned some of the blame on a moment involving Andy Robertson, who chose to keep the ball in play rather than concede a corner while Tottenham were down to 10 men, only to hand possession straight to John McGinn inside the penalty area.
"The way the energy drained away from the team is simply not right. It couldn't get any worse. You know you're down to 10 men. Then it's smarter to kick the ball out, so you can wait until Micky gets back. You say to each other: 'Come on, boys. We are much better.' And then you give it all away completely," Van Hecke said.
A Fresh Start With the Netherlands
Despite the struggles in North London, Van Hecke has been called up by new Netherlands manager Xavi Hernandez, who recently succeeded Ronald Koeman. The center-back sounded genuinely lifted by the change.
"Xavi called me himself. Very positive. I am looking forward to it. A fresh start after the World Cup. The fact that his philosophy leans on attacking football is wonderful," he added.
Back at Tottenham, manager De Zerbi has been focused on those left out of international duty. Speaking to reporters over the weekend, he explained why he hadn't addressed the squad immediately after their last match. "I didn't speak with the players today (Saturday) because I didn't want to say nothing. No, I have nothing with them, but the players who go with the national team. They have to play and work," he said, before turning to those staying behind: "The other players, Maddison, Gallagher, Solanke, Tosin , Senesi, Savio, for sure we have to work more, because also the physical condition, I didn't like even this game."
