I like Van Hecke but Brighton will price us out just like they did with Baleba last summer as well. Go and get Senesi then it leaves more money for attacking LB
Micky Van De Ven
- Thread starter sullydnl
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Injured quite often
Yeah surely can find someone less injured
He feels a bit like the Sandro Tonali of Centre-Backs - can run around a lot, but not to great effect; often chasing shadows if anything. Better at running than playing football.
As with Tonali has had a period of very good form in the past, but which seems a fairly distant memory after their last year or so.
Not what you want as a marquee first choice player; not a terrible squad option but likely expensive for that.
As with Tonali has had a period of very good form in the past, but which seems a fairly distant memory after their last year or so.
Not what you want as a marquee first choice player; not a terrible squad option but likely expensive for that.
Don’t agree. Imagine all your defenders being Lindelof types who can’t defend or head the ball but hey it’s ok because he can pass it now and again
Arsenal have the best CB pairing in the league and they can both defend.
Football has changed, but that doesn't mean that centre-halves shouldn't be able to defend. The focus has just shifted toward pro-active defending and 1v1 defensive ability. These are more highly valued qualities nowadays than just being dominant inside the box.
I'd say it's also because there's a lack of proper centre forwards, this has meant defenders don't have to be able to handle the physical side of the game as much. So they can waltz around and play in loads of space most of the time.
Look how easily Haaland bullies 90% of defenders, I'd love to see how he'd have gotten on against players like Carvalho, Rio, Vidic, Terry, Nesta, Stam etc.
Mix of opinions from the last few pages in a Spurs forum:
This season he played 39 games for Spurs, out of 48 games Spurs played so far this season, in the league he played 30 games out of 33 games, not sure how that makes him injury prone.
Just listened to TOTD pod and it sounded like Whitwell had just put VDV’s name forward himself, rather than it coming from the club in any way. He just put together the facts we need a leader, need LB cover, and Spurs might go down, to come up with VDV as an option. We do not need a defender that can’t defend just because he’s fast.
That is not at all how it sounded like. He simply said he and Mitten have been hearing from the club for a while they need a defensive leader. And when they were discussing VDV, he mentioned that he could also play LB.
I don't agree with all the things they say on ToTD but one thing is that they don't make stuff up. When they are speculating they say it clearly. Van de Ven is a name Laurie's heard from the club, otherwise he would have said it clearly that all he's heard is a profile description and he thinks Van de Ven would fit the bill.
That’s the bit I thought interesting. I heard a Spurs correspondent on a pod saying he thought he’d go to a top club, but he’d end up playing LB and that he does it sometimes for the national team because they have 427 centre backs.
It did occur to me, given Arsenal and City deploying centre backs at full back in recent years, that you could do that with him. Like Gvardiol or a left sided Ben White.
Nah, in the actual article in The Athletic he explicitly says United are looking for a left-footed CB and VDV is a name they are considering.
Yeah, just read it and he does say that, sounded in the pod like he’d put it forward himself.
They would have eaten him alive. And Im not overstating that. (Well maybe a little).
Now Harry Kane vs that list of defenders would be fascinating.
On the VdV link it isnt one that fills me with a lot of reassurance to be honest. Yeah hes fast but hes not a great defender and that kind of reminds me of the whole "Onanas great with his feet but cant save a goal to save his life" approach.
Reminds me more of when people said Kyle Walker has nothing but pace and then he went on to become [arguably] the best right back in Premier League history.
Weirdly, even though I don't want the actual player, the link does reassure me. Because we've been desperate for defenders who can enable us to play a higher defensive line for years, and at least interest in VDV is an indication that we might actually target that profile of player.
I just hope the one we get is better at defending than VDV.
Walker was never out there trying to end other players’ careers with malicious, blundering “tackles”. Walker was also far better at his job.
What did this say?
I dont trust the name im sorry
Think it said he’d prefer Liverpool
It would be a cost-effective way of killing two birds with one stone - instead of having to sign both a new CB and LB, have VDV who could cover both.
It would save money for the midfield and LW this summer, while still meaning United can get a specialist LB if still required the following summer to fully replace Shaw.
How good is he at LB though is the question, would it be better targeting a natural one like Hall or Diouf
He can only play one position at a time (obviously), and he’s quite injury prone. Luke and up solving nothing when he’s on the treatment table with half of our other defenders.
Has he even played LB in the PL?
If Liverpool enter the race, van der Ven would without a doubt turn us down to go to Liverpool.
Transfermarkt suggests he plays left back once or twice a season for Spurs. Very much just filling in there rather than it being a position he knows.
I think people assume he'd be good there cause hes quick and he enjoys coming forward but that's not really the same thing.
I think people assume he'd be good there cause hes quick and he enjoys coming forward but that's not really the same thing.
Be interesting to see what they said when they were playing well
Not a single player in that team can say they’ve had a good year
Hmmm makes you wonder why Whitwell didn't say it
3 times for Spurs.
Any ideas which games, maybe need to go and have a look at some footage of him playing there
Liverpool could end up with a back four of Frimpong, Konate, Van de Ven and Kerkez.
All the pace in the world, not two brain cells to rub together between them.
Yeah that is so trueLiverpool could end up with a back four of Frimpong, Konate, Van de Ven and Kerkez.
All the pace in the world, not two brain cells to rub together between them.
He generally plays there for the Netherlands.
I know and I'm not taking that very seriously to be honest. International football gets silly. Scholes played left wing for England etc.
Highlights reel player. People remember those powerful runs and the few goals he scored. He's a god awful defender. No thanks.
14/05/24 - Home vs Man City - 90'
19/05/24 - Away vs Sheffield United - 90'
22/03/26 - Home vs Nottingham Forest - 45'
The Athletic said recently that our Data Analytics and Scouting department is now amongst best in class in PL.
Cant help think as with Baleba, Utd are looking at a player who if he was on top form this season would be much more expensive. Maybe its a case of get them in cheaper and trust in our coaching department to get to regularly hit 7-8 out of 10 performances. Just a thought.
Cant help think as with Baleba, Utd are looking at a player who if he was on top form this season would be much more expensive. Maybe its a case of get them in cheaper and trust in our coaching department to get to regularly hit 7-8 out of 10 performances. Just a thought.
Well, the Baleba of last season was a wholly different proposition to this one. The question is whether that or this is the outlier and which version is the foreshadowing of his future potential.
If he comes here and plays like he did last season, it’ll look like great business getting him in for cheap. If he’s this season’s bad, it’ll look like a terrible pursuit.
Yeah, football has changed so much!
Peak Terry was almost among the top passers (both in volume and accuracy) in the league. Also, comparing the accuracy of a centre back's passing to that of a number 10 is a hilarious thing to do
This defeats the entire purpose of having a half decent data analytics and scouting department
Have a good one, ignore all the data and hope that a player will do better here