Tottenham’s summer signing Jan Paul van Hecke has some big detractors among the Dutch media and footballing fraternity.Van Hecke received plenty of criticism after the Netherlands were held to a 1-1 draw by Germany in Amsterdam in their Nations League opener last week.Among the harshest came from former PSV Eindhoven and Ajax star Kenneth Perez, who called on the Tottenham man to be dropped from the Netherlands side, insisting he has too many weaknesses.Perez said: “Van Hecke was truly incredibly poor in every way. On the ball, he is a real nightmare. If the ball is right in front of him and there is a player in his line of sight, he manages just fine.“But if something needs to happen that is a bit unforeseen, he really has no idea. He just shoots the ball off somewhere. I don’t know how far Timber is? But that would really be an improvement for the Dutch national team.”Photo by Marcel van Dorst/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesTottenham star Jan Paul van Hecke blasted for lack of initiative on the ballFollowing that criticism, the former Brighton man delivered a steady display for the Netherlands as they emerged with a crucial away win against Serbia.In fact, Van Hecke had the third-highest performance rating on FotMob against Serbia, with his display being rated 8.3 out of 10.However, former FC Twente and Ajax midfielder Theo Janssen did not like what he saw from the Tottenham man, suggesting that he is the weakest link for the Oranje.Janssen told Voetbal Primeur (as relayed by Sport Witness): “If you look at Van Hecke, I hear very few people talking about him, but to me, he is the weakest link. On the ball, but also defensively. That has to do with the fact that he plays a lot of simple balls, doesn’t dribble forward, and shows little initiative.“He has a very strong tendency to stay in the centre. He needs to go forward more often. Sometimes he wants to look for the footballing solution, but then he shoots the ball over the sideline.”“He is vulnerable here (as soon as he starts playing on the wing when Dumfries is away). He is very slow and his timing is off and he gets into serious trouble then. I noticed that the whole time, so much ball loss. When Timber is fit, put him there immediately. The Dumfries and Van Hecke pairing stands no chance.”J. van HeckeTottenham – Premier League (2026 – 2027)Appearances5Average Rating7.34Pass Accuracy (%)93.00Tackles10Blocks5Interceptions3Duels Won26Dribbled Past—Stats correct as of 29 September 2026.Image credit: @thatfootballphotog / InstagramVan Hecke’s performances praised by some outletsHowever, not everyone agrees with Janssen’s assessment of the Spurs centre-back’s display against the Balkan side.Multiple Dutch outlets praised Van Hecke for bouncing back from his display against Germany and being confident on the ball.Brabants Dagblad wrote about the 26-year-old: “The central defender showed sharpness, although he never lets up when it comes to passion and willingness, which is what Xavi emphasises so much.”Sport Nieuws said about Van Hecke’s latest display: “Van Hecke recovered well from his poor performance against Germany. The defender looked much more confident on the ball and also made a more stable impression defensively.”READ MORE: ‘Experiencing it firsthand at Tottenham’ – Sandro Tonali on pressure of £100m price tagThe post Tottenham star labelled 'the weakest link' for his national side despite 8.3/10 rating appeared first on Spurs Web.