Jamie O’Hara has launched a fierce attack on Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke after his performance in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Van Hecke was criticised for allowing Bryan Mbeumo too much space inside the penalty area as United scored, prompting the former Spurs midfielder to question the defender’s role in the goal.
Speaking while reacting to the match on talkSPORT, O’Hara said Van Hecke had “cement in his boots” and described his defending as “absolute guff”.
He added: “Free shot, inside your box, an absolute joke. This team is beyond a joke. I am sick of it, I am sick of it, I am sick of it, I am sick of it.”
O’Hara calls Van Hecke a ‘donkey’
O’Hara then turned his criticism towards the decision to sign the centre-back, who joined Tottenham from Brighton for around £52 million during the summer.
“Who signed Van Hecke, who? He needs sacking, he needs sacking,” O’Hara said. “Brighton have had our absolute pants down; they have had our pants down.”
He later labelled the defender a “donkey” and questioned why Tottenham had allowed Vuskovic to leave while bringing in Van Hecke.
“Every time anyone stands him up one v one, he gets a shot off,” O’Hara said. “He is guff.”
Van Hecke’s arrival reunited him with Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi, but his early months in north London have proved difficult. He was signed with his intelligence, bravery in possession and personality regarded as qualities valued by De Zerbi.
Those attributes have been visible in flashes, although his defensive errors have increasingly attracted attention. Tottenham’s substantial transfer fee has also heightened expectations surrounding the 26-year-old.
O’Hara’s assessment was emphatic, but writing off Van Hecke after only a handful of matches would be premature, particularly during a difficult start for Tottenham as a team. The defender must now show why Spurs were willing to invest so heavily in him.
