Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven has described reports suggesting the players have stopped caring amid a Premier League relegation fight as 'the biggest nonsense.'
The Netherlands international was suspended as Spurs picked up their first point under Igor Tudor with a on Sunday, which leaves them just one point clear of 18th-placed West Ham.
Spurs now turn their attentions back to the Champions League as they face the seemingly insurmountable task of overturning a three-goal deficit after their 5-2 first-leg defeat to Atletico Madrid in the last-16 tie.
Speaking ahead of the game, Van de Ven took issue with the notion he and his team-mates had already switched off.
"Of course I've seen things [written]," Van de Ven stated.
"Reporters just say things sometimes and it's like 'how did you come up with this?' Like, the players have switched off. It's not true.
"They say players are going to leave either way. It's just nonsense and it's only a problem when people start believing it. It's just the biggest nonsense.
"Sometimes we read things by ourselves and are like 'what is this?' The other day we read something about one guy who is going to leave and doesn't care what happens. We are just reading this like 'how did this come out?'
"It brings so much more trouble because fans are starting to believe this.
"All the people involved care so much about the situation we're in. That's the most important thing right now. Then if some reports come out saying that guys don't care anymore, it's just frustrating for our guys.
"For me it's frustrating because people start thinking about me in a different way. I just want to stay fit and turn things around. I know the last games haven't been my best. The most important thing is that I give 100 per cent to this club."
While Sunday's draw at Anfield may have given Tudor his first point as Tottenham head coach, he is still in search of his first win in charge.
With Van de Ven insinuating the visit of Atletico was a free hit given Spurs' position in the tie, Tudor is hopeful the performance against Liverpool could lead to more confidence ahead of a must-win bottom-of-the-table clash with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, live on Your Site.
"Of course, it's important," the former Juventus and Croatia centre-back said. "When you have one good performance, it gives confidence to everyone. It confirms the good will.
"The players really care. At the moment it is so difficult. I believe one good moment happened last game. We have to be honest with what we can give on the pitch. I am happy for everyone and now we have to continue."
Analysis from Your Site' Callum Bishop:
It's very easy to come out and speak with fire and passion straight after the first time that same energy has been displayed for all to see on the pitch in months.
With or without Van de Ven, what fans saw from Tottenham against Liverpool was a spirit that arguably hasn't been seen since the comeback draw against Manchester City at the beginning of February. Ironically, that was the last domestic game Spurs hadn't lost before the trip to Anfield.
It's not to say that Van de Ven's comments about his team-mates' attitude to the current predicament are wrong. They are probably affected by it. But as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
The level of performances before Liverpool were what created the impression that there is a sense of entitlement around some of the players. When Van de Ven and Cristian Romero, two of the most important figures in Igor Tudor's team, are getting sent off during moments where they are needed, it could be taken in a couple of ways.
One is that they are showing fight and it has spilled over. The other is that they are showing petulance and shirking some of the responsibility because they are now unavailable for the next game. After all, availability is the best ability. While injuries cannot be helped, actions like this are what lead people to question how much certain players care.
