Alderweireld: Tottenham's Current Players Simply Aren't Good Enough

Former Belgian international Toby Alderweireld believes that some of Tottenham's current players aren't good enough to save the team from relegation from the English top flight for the first time since the 1976/77 season. The London club currently sits in 18th place, two points below the safety line, with six matches remaining in the campaign and are yet to secure a win in 2026. Alderweireld formed a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Jan Vertonghen at the heart of Tottenham's defense for six seasons between 2015 and 2021. During that period, the duo helped guide the team to the Champions League final in 2019 and a second-place finish in the Premier League in 2016/17.

The Belgian is one of the first former Spurs players to comment on the club's current predicament, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the squad.

"I think we need to start looking at the pure quality of the players. What do great players do? What do quality players do? They need to be effective in the most crucial moments and demonstrate their level. This hasn't been happening all season," Alderweireld stated to ESPN Netherlands. "Players who were bought for a lot of money are not performing at the required level, and not just in one or two games, or for a short period, but throughout the entire season. We have to conclude that they simply aren't good enough in terms of their quality," the Belgian added.

Toby Alderweireld was particularly critical of central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who have failed to recapture their previous form this season. "I look at Romero, I look at Van de Ven. They just aren't reaching their level. Not for a short spell, but for the entire season. Romero gets red cards too often, makes poor decisions, and consequently lets his team down," he further commented.