Referring to a moment when captain Heung-min Son chose to pass rather than shoot when clear, Defoe didn't hold back.
He said: "I couldn't believe it when he didn't shoot. At times you do hide. Sometimes it's about going back to basics. You stick together as a group. It's important they regroup.
"There's been a lot of noise around Tottenham, the chairman, the manager. The players have to take responsibility. You look at the infrastructure. It's a difficult time.
"Everyone keeps saying about the injuries, the players that would start. Once he gets those players back and try and finish the strong it will make a difference."
Aston Villa hero Dion Dublin also examined the Son incident, saying on ITV: "When you're in this situation there's no options. They're not backing themselves. We used to call it hiding. Son (Heung-min) is, at the moment, going through that phase. There was a shot to be had from eight yards out and he passed it.
"Son's confidence just is not right, he's choosing the wrong finish."