Is the Spurs’ Leadership Crisis Costing Them the Game?

Micky Van de Ven had a bad five minutes on Tuesday in Norway.

Tottenham’s equaliser had been ruled out for a foul by him – a decision which caused him to argue bitterly with the referee.

Moments later he absolutely clattered into one of Bodo/Glimt’s attacking players, earning him a yellow card and a talking to. He looked fit to burst.

I immediately cast my eye around the team to see who could calm him down. Then I remembered he was the captain and none of his team-mates appeared comfortable trying to rein him in.

As it turned out, Van de Ven didn’t completely lose it. He stayed on the pitch and headed in the goal which sparked another comeback – but he trod a very thin line that night in Norway – something Spurs keep doing this season, not just from a disciplinary point of view, but in other areas too.

With the departure of Son Heung-min and injury to James Maddison, two of the obvious leaders in a Spurs shirt are now absent. Cristian Romero is captain, but it would be generous to describe him as an even-tempered presence on the field.

Van de Ven was the obvious choice to take over the armband on Tuesday, but Thomas Frank is going to have to ask some of the squad’s other players to take a leading role as well.

The goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, Joao Palhinha and maybe Pedro Porro need to shoulder some of that burden.

Either that or Tottenham’s January plans will need to have ‘leadership qualities’ at the very top of the agenda.