He’s just as culpable – Cristian Romero’s suspension has exposed Micky van de Ven, insists former striker Tony Cascarino

Tottenham’s four-match slide without Cristian Romero has turned the spotlight on stand-in skipper Micky van de Ven, with former Chelsea and Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino claiming the Dutch defender is “just as culpable” for the club’s defensive collapse.

Romero, sent off for a reckless lunge on Casemiro during the 2-0 loss to Manchester United last month, begins the final game of his four-match ban in Wednesday’s meeting with Crystal Palace. In his absence Spurs have lost every Premier League outing and shipped eight goals, results that leave the north-London side flirting with the relegation places.

Van de Ven, 24, has worn the armband during that winless stretch and arrived at Craven Cottage on Sunday fresh from a torrid afternoon against Bukayo Saka in the derby defeat to Arsenal. Fulham compounded his misery, tearing open Ange Postecoglou’s back line inside the opening 45 minutes through goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi. Richarlison’s second-half reply proved only a consolation as Spurs slumped to another loss.

Cascarino, writing in his Times column, argues that while Romero’s disciplinary issues are glaring, Van de Ven’s leadership void has gone largely unchecked.

“Cristian Romero has taken the brunt of the criticism, but his suspension has exposed Micky van de Ven, who is just as culpable,” Cascarino wrote. “Romero’s mistakes are loud and plain for everyone to see, but Van de Ven’s lack of responsibility has flown under the radar.”

The pundit highlighted the Netherlands international’s positioning errors and failure to organise a reshuffled rearguard, adding: “Against Arsenal, Bukayo Saka skipped past him too easily on multiple occasions, and watching him at Craven Cottage I couldn’t believe I was watching a captain’s performance.”

Compounding matters, sources close to the player indicate Van de Ven is reluctant to extend his Tottenham contract, with Real Madrid monitoring his situation. Until a move materialises, Cascarino insists the centre-back must confront the leadership exam placed in front of him.

“Even if he wants out, Van de Ven would not like to leave Tottenham with a relegation on his CV,” Cascarino concluded.

With Romero poised to return after the Palace fixture, Postecoglou will hope the Argentine’s comeback can steady a defence that has looked increasingly vulnerable under Van de Ven’s temporary stewardship.