Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has admitted that the players feel responsible for the departure of Mauricio Pochettino. 

The Argentine was sacked by the club last month after being in charge for over five years, following a below par start to the season.

Indeed, Spurs were languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table at the time of his departure (Sky Sports). Things weren't going well for them and they had suffered some heavy defeats, including a 7-2 thumping at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Daniel Levy decided that it was time for a change in the dugout and replaced Pochettino with ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

After letting the dust settle for a couple of weeks, Vertonghen has now spoken about the Argentinian's departure and has admitted that the players were at fault for his dismissal.

“Our displays were not up to our standards. We’re all responsible," said Vertonghen (via The Sun).

“He put us on the pitch to win and we hadn’t been doing that like we should have, so everyone feels responsible.”

The Belgian is certainly accepting blame on behalf of the players for Pochettino losing his job and many Spurs fans were quick to agree with his comments that the players were responsible.

Here is what some had to say on Twitter...

Spurs fans, what do you think about Jan Vertonghen's admission? Let us know in the comments below...