Jamie O'Hara believes Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has been a 'liability' for Ange Postecoglou's side this season, claiming Micky van de Ven has been 'ten times better' than the Argentine.
Spurs have endured an inconsistent start to the new season, losing five of their opening eleven Premier League matches. This return sees them sat tenth, having conceded 13 goals, the same tally as Fulham, and more than the likes of Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.
It's fair to suggest that Postecoglou's team have looked vulnerable at the back, with Van de Ven and Romero starting the bulk of the games together at the heart of the Lillywhites' defence. This has prompted O'Hara to lament the latter, claiming Romero's counterpart has performed significantly better this him this season.
O'Hara: Van de Ven has been 'Ten Times Better' than Romero
The pair haven't been effective together
Since Van de Ven joined Tottenham for £43 million last summer, the Dutchman and Romero, earning a purported £165,000 a week, have formed a consistent partnership at the centre of Spurs' back-line. Largely performing well together last season, the duo haven't been as effective as unit so far this campaign.
Shipping three goals away at Brighton when deployed next to each other, the North Londoners' defensive record has seen a more stark decline when Van de Ven has been out injured. The 23-year-old is currently suffering from a hamstring injury, and missed defeats to Galatasaray and Ipswich.
Inevitably, negative results are sparking discussions about who is the issue at the back for Tottenham, with different narratives circulating. Discussing the topic on talkSPORT on Saturday, Dean Saunders and Jamie O'Hara both lambasted Romero, while that latter claimed the Argentina international has been significantly outshone by his partner this season:
Saunders: Do you think Van de Ven makes more mistakes than Romero?
O'Hara: No, Romero makes a mistake every game.
Saunders: He's rash, isn't he?
O'Hara: Romero is a World Cup winner. You'd say he's not world-class?
Saunders: He's not world-class, no. I'd get him sent off in ten minutes.
O'Hara: He's been a liability for Tottenham this season. Van de Ven has been ten times better than him this season. He's a better player.