Alderweireld: Spurs Players Simply Not Delivering, Romero and Van de Ven Among Key Culprits

Toby Alderweireld has delivered a withering verdict on Tottenham's current plight, pinpointing several high-profile players for underperformance and questioning the fundamental quality at a club now battling relegation.

The former Spurs centre-back, who alongside Jan Vertonghen formed a commanding defensive partnership during Mauricio Pochettino's reign—culminating in that memorable 2019 Champions League final run—has watched his old club's alarming decline with evident frustration.

Seven years have passed since Pochettino's departure, and Tottenham's subsequent loss of elite talent has been particularly pronounced over the last two campaigns. The north Londoners now find themselves in the drop zone with just six games left in the 2025/26 season, a staggering reversal of fortune that has prompted three managerial changes already this term.

Yet Alderweireld's ire is directed squarely at the playing squad rather than the coaching staff. Speaking to ESPN NL, he emphasised that the issue transcends temporary dips in form or isolated poor performances.

"Quality players separate themselves through decisive moments," Alderweireld explained. "They deliver when it matters. That simply hasn't materialised this season. You've got players signed for substantial fees who've failed to produce—not for a spell, but consistently across the entire campaign. The conclusion is unavoidable: they're simply not good enough."

The Belgian specifically singled out Romero and defensive partner Van de Ven, both of whom are expected to depart in summer regardless of Spurs' league status.

"Romero and Van de Ven just aren't hitting their levels," he continued. "And I'm not talking about a rough patch—we're looking at an entire season of underperformance. With Romero, there's also the matter of needless red cards and poor decision-making that undermines the team."

Alderweireld's assessment extends beyond individual shortcomings. Having witnessed the club cycle through Thomas Frank, interim manager Igor Tudor, and now Roberto De Zerbi—who suffered defeat in his opening fixture—he's convinced the revolving door at the top isn't the real problem.

"The manager isn't the issue; it's the squad itself," he stated plainly. "You could install a new coach tomorrow, but these players won't suddenly deliver what's required. It's about quality, pure and simple."

The structural failings run deeper still. Alderweireld highlighted years of misguided recruitment as symptomatic of broader institutional dysfunction, distinguishing between Tottenham's business acumen off the pitch and their footballing incompetence on it.

"The club's been run brilliantly from a commercial standpoint," he observed. "But as a football operation? That's where it falls apart. Everything that matters happens on the pitch, and that's where Tottenham's true value—or lack thereof—is exposed."