- Micky van de Ven’s pace for a defender is reminiscent of Des Walker’s at Forest
- The Dutchman has been setting the tone since arriving at Tottenham this summer
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Pace is precious for a central defender. Micky van de Ven has plenty of it and that is key for Tottenham and their high line.
It is a system that demands your qualities and gives you many opportunities to pivot, chase and conquer.
Ange Postecoglou is unwavering in his desire to push players up the field. Never change. They need Van de Ven’s speed to deal with counter-attacks and you can hear the crescendo of noise in the Tottenham stadium every time Van de Ven uses his pace to come to the rescue. He’s already a popular guy.
It’s no coincidence that Tottenham’s winning percentage plummets when he’s not in the team.
Along with World Cup winner Cristian Romero, he has been the one who set the tone in his debut season. As a young player, he also stood out to me because of my pace. But he knew that it was no use for him to be known as fast if he didn’t use it the right way.
Micky van de Ven has quickly become a Spurs fan favorite since joining the club.
The Dutchman uses his blistering speed to great effect in defending Ange Postecoglou
When you come up against quick attackers, as Van de Ven will today against Newcastle, particularly Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, it’s the change of pace that can unlock you.
Since he often gets to the ball first when opponents put it in the channel, I haven’t seen him exposed many times in one-on-one, where the attacker charges at you, stops, and then bolts off the blocks. Let’s see how he deals with that today.
There are some areas where Van de Ven can improve. I feel like he could be more dominant in crosses, as Tottenham collectively aren’t the best at defending set pieces.
You must also be alert every time the goalkeeper takes a shot. Against Forest last week, his goal came when he failed to close down Neco Williams as quickly as he could, allowing an untracked Anthony Elanga to latch onto the pass before setting up Chris Wood.
That’s all about him learning. He’s only 22, soon to be 23, and the swagger of him reminds me of a former defender who Forest fans used to love, singing: “You’ll never beat Des Walker.” By making adjustments, Van de Ven has the potential to become a defender that forwards want to avoid.
Last season, Tottenham finished eighth and Newcastle fourth. Today, Tottenham is fourth and Newcastle eighth. Spurs need to win to maintain their momentum but Eddie Howe’s side will be desperate for a win to keep their chances of some form of European football alive.