Spotted: New footage shows Micky van de Ven blatantly ignored Igor Tudor’s orders as Tottenham problems continue

Last Updated on 23 February 2026

Tottenham’s turbulent season has already cost one manager his job. Now, just days into Igor Tudor’s tenure, fresh footage has reignited questions about player discipline and respect inside the Spurs squad.

During the 4-1 home humiliation against Arsenal, cameras caught captain-for-the-day Micky van de Ven involved in a disrespectful moment with Igor Tudor.

For a club seeking stability after upheaval, the optics are brutal. Instead of a new-manager bounce, Tottenham looked like a team still resisting direction from the touchline.

Micky van de Ven blatantly blanks Igor Tudor’s instructions

As Arsenal pushed Tottenham deeper, Tudor was seen urgently gesturing for Van de Ven to step up and compress space. The Dutch defender glanced toward the sideline more than once but held his position. He has been involved in plenty of on-pitch controversy this season.

To viewers and pundits, the exchange looked unmistakable: a player choosing his own reading of the game over explicit orders. In isolation, it might pass as miscommunication. Yet within Tottenham’s season-long context, it felt symptomatic.

This is the same squad that, earlier in the campaign, awkwardly snubbed former boss Thomas Frank after defeat to Chelsea, an incident that later prompted apologies, as per Sky Sports. Months on, similar optics resurfaced, this time mid-match and under far brighter scrutiny.

Concerns mount as relegation scare becomes a reality for Tottenham

Igor Tudor inherited more than poor results; he inherited a group short on confidence and cohesion. Heavy derby defeat on debut was damaging enough, but visible dissent threatens something deeper: managerial authority.

For any coach, especially an interim one, credibility is currency. Players publicly disregarding instructions, whether intentional or not, erodes that currency instantly.

And, more importantly, among all that disconnect there is a big cloud of underachievement hanging over the club. Possibility of relegation can no longer be ignored. 11 games remain with Tottenham not winning a Premier League game since 28th December.

They are currently four points adrift of the relegation places but their remaining fixtures include trips to Anfield, Villa Park, Stadium of Light and Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, their results at home have been underwhelming, to say the least.