Micky Van De Ven

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.

Until we see the evidence in respect of buying those players, I don’t know how we could say we are ‘best in class’. I know those aren’t your words, perhaps that’s just guff from the club.
 
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.
what about his Spurs career? And also this season he missed 9 games then so like 20% of the games this season?
 
what about his Spurs career? And also this season he missed 9 games then so like 20% of the games this season?
I heard his issue (the hammy injuries) were due to the intense play style of Postegeclu, since then he had a better time in terms of injuries
 
The tactical meta at this point is you need big tall fast bastards and go man to man on the high press. We cannot leave a Martinez or Maguire man to man on the press and so we have to add a +1 at all times for added tactical security. The +1 at the back means you are -1 or even -2 if the opposition GK is half way competent when you're pressing. And as we've seen many times this season, even the Fulhams of the world can easily beat the press when you're pressing with a man or two disadvantage.

VDV solves that. Add to that the aerial ability he brings when defending corners / attacking corners.

I don't really have a strong opinion on his defending. He seems to do fine whenever I watch him play but that's only a few times a season.
Basically this. We need to raise the physicality and speed of the team, to fit with the current META of the Premier League.
 
If Tottenham really do go down, I wouldn't mind vdv as a left back. We need players who can get up and down the field quickly. Put vdv on the left and buy a better lcb like Lukeba or someone.
 
Where on earth has this sudden VDV is a left back nonsense come from?

Well I don't think anybody is saying that for a start.

He's a CB that can play left back. When you're as quick as him and can travel with the ball, of course you can play left back. His strength is one on one defending as well I'd say. Again suits the fullback role.

Imagine VdV left back amd Dorgu left wing. Good luck to the right winger facing that.
 
Well I don't think anybody is saying that for a start.

He's a CB that can play left back. When you're as quick as him and can travel with the ball, of course you can play left back. His strength is one on one defending as well I'd say. Again suits the fullback role.

Imagine VdV left back amd Dorgu left wing. Good luck to the right winger facing that.

Youv’e just said it!

Would rather buy an actual left back. Rather than an £70m CB from a team that been appalling defensively, and play him at LB.
 
TOTD brought it up (Laurie and Carl seemed to think it was plausible enough, at least as a rotation option; apparently he's played there before for his NT on occasion)
He's played around 25 games in his career at left back, for Wolfsburg, national team and spurs.

I would presume if we were to sign him, we would have 6 CBs for two starting positions. Given Shaws unreliability with injuries and he's out of contract next summer. VDV ability to play there in an emergency would be useful.

Also it gives the manager more tactical flexibility if you want to play a CB at left back for some reason as Arteta has done at times.

We need depth, we need options, we need players. Arsenal and City have shown the benefit of strength in depth with their squads.
 
Youv’e just said it!

Would rather buy an actual left back. Rather than an £70m CB from a team that been appalling defensively, and play him at LB.

You're not getting the difference between saying he's a LB and saying he's a CB who can if needs be play LB.

One player can play two positions. It's very possible.
 
Where on earth has this sudden VDV is a left back nonsense come from?

The Arteta-ification of football. You need 4 CBs in defence otherwise it won't cut it in the league or something.

Everton are basically lego-Arteta at this point and play guys like Branthwaite at LB for these reasons. Very very similar squad building.
 
You're not getting the difference between saying he's a LB and saying he's a CB who can if needs be play LB.

One player can play two positions. It's very possible.

The vast majority of players can play in multiple positions. But if you are spending £70m on a CB, you play them as a CB, they aren’t a utility player. We need a left back, not a CB who has played that position a handful of times.
 
Do you not agree that it's helpful to have a left footed CB on the left?

I feel like that is one of those things where Van Gaal was proven right.
I agree with the op albeit with a different thought process. We have a good thing emerging with Heaven, when Martinez is fit and available he is very useful. Our biggest issues are De Ligt and Yoro, for varying reasons - one is a crock and the other hasn't improved as we hoped he might.

I wouldn't give up on Yoro, last season he showed us his potential but we need a starter there. I am not sure I want Maguire as an undisputed starter at this age, given the tactical limitations his lack of pace impose on us.

But looking at our needs elsewhere, CB is the one area we can afford to be a bit complacent and focus on midfield, LB and LW. The improvements from those areas alone could propel us to a higher and more consistent level.
 
I actually believe he would be a good inverted left back. Based on eye test, he has the pace and capability to drive the ball forward. If he can play as left back, his great pace and athleticism will compliment Licha perfectly on the left side.
 
Id prefer Vertonghen, who's older, and retired. But that's how much I don't rate VDV.
 
The vast majority of players can play in multiple positions. But if you are spending £70m on a CB, you play them as a CB, they aren’t a utility player. We need a left back, not a CB who has played that position a handful of times.

That's fine but nobody is claiming he's an actual LB as you said earlier.

It's just an added bonus he could play there. Given we need so many positions filled.
 
That's fine but nobody is claiming he's an actual LB as you said earlier.

It's just an added bonus he could play there. Given we need so many positions filled.

He’s about as much LB as Martinez or Heaven are. There are people saying we can play him there - not in an emergency, that buying him means we don’t need a LB. That’s crazy thinking.

Comes back to the point, you are paying a massive amount for a CB, you play him at CB.
 
Of them he was suspended twice and on bench 3 times, and once was not in squad for unknown reason and missed through injury once only this season
Fair enough thats a lot better than his previous 4 seasons, but I still wouldn't sign him because this season so far is the outlier
 
VDV is a good player - I just dont feel he is what we need. We have 5 good central defenders, we don't need another good central defender. We need a GREAT central defender if we are going to buy one. And certainly not at the price he will cost us.
Is he better than Maguire, Martinez, deLigt, Yoro and Heaven. Maybe just - but we are not spending £50-60 million (if Spurs go down he might go for that amount) on a central defender who isn't almost guaranteed to strengthen us
 
Fair enough thats a lot better than his previous 4 seasons, but I still wouldn't sign him because this season so far is the outlier
tbf I am not really for us getting him too, even on a low fee, he isn't that we good, we need our new players to elevate the team
 
I agree with the op albeit with a different thought process. We have a good thing emerging with Heaven, when Martinez is fit and available he is very useful. Our biggest issues are De Ligt and Yoro, for varying reasons - one is a crock and the other hasn't improved as we hoped he might.

I wouldn't give up on Yoro, last season he showed us his potential but we need a starter there. I am not sure I want Maguire as an undisputed starter at this age, given the tactical limitations his lack of pace impose on us.

But looking at our needs elsewhere, CB is the one area we can afford to be a bit complacent and focus on midfield, LB and LW. The improvements from those areas alone could propel us to a higher and more consistent level.
Yoro will be class. People forget how young he is; 20 is a baby for a centre back. His biggest short coming is that he’s not yet filled out so he just hasn’t got the strength to handle a player like DCL or Wood. That’ll come with time.
 
Would rather Senesi if we're looking for a left footed centre back. Great range of passing and really good in the air. He should really be on top of our list.
 
Yoro will be class. People forget how young he is; 20 is a baby for a centre back. His biggest short coming is that he’s not yet filled out so he just hasn’t got the strength to handle a player like DCL or Wood. That’ll come with time.
Time will tell, at moment Heaven looks the better prospect. Yoro is meek and lacks aggression, too much like lindelof for me. It's a personal thing, I like my CBs to be aggressive b*stares, who are a nightmare to get past and play against. I do not think bulking up will add aggressiveness. It doesnt seem to be in his game.
 
I dont think he has the football brain to be a really good cb at the highest level...

He has the physical attributes and can play a duel ofcourse, so he can do a job, but I think he lacks positional awareness.

So it can work if he has a lot of such players around him in a very good organization..

He is basically the exact opposite of Daley Blind
 
Time will tell, at moment Heaven looks the better prospect. Yoro is meek and lacks aggression, too much like lindelof for me. It's a personal thing, I like my CBs to be aggressive b*stares, who are a nightmare to get past and play against. I do not think bulking up will add aggressiveness. It doesnt seem to be in his game.

I'm hoping Yoro can go the Saliba route. Not the most aggressive but makes up for it in other areas.