Micky van de Ven has been in fine form for Tottenham Hotspur so far this season, but his latest display at international level has left onlookers shocked as the Dutchman appeared nervous on the ball.
Pundit shocked by van de Ven display
While he may have quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, Micky van de Ven was unable to impress on the international stage during his team’s 1-0 defeat to Germany on Monday night.
The game was underpinned by a number of errors and clumsiness from the entire Dutch team, and pundit Hans Kraay Junior (speaking via FC Update) has discussed the issues at play, with van de Ven among the culprits for a poor performance.
He said: “What I am very shocked about, and at Tottenham Hotspur they will be too… We only hear that van de Ven is fantastic at Tottenham as a central defender and we hear that he is fantastic as a left-back, but I have seen such an incredibly nervous Micky van de Ven.
“When they put zero pressure on him, he is good. Now he was so uncertain on the ball. Everyone was getting each other into trouble, whether it was van de Ven or Timber or Gravenberch or Reijnders. It was really unbelievable.”
Uncharacteristic from van de Ven
That performance was far from what Spurs fans have come to expect from van de Ven, and may be a little concerned that the young defender is hitting a bit of a rough patch.
He certainly looked off the pace against Brighton before the international break, and it could be the case that his confidence has taken a hit as a result of that display there.
Spurs defence needs a reset
That game against Brighton was a real catastrophe for the whole defence for Spurs, and the players involved in the backline there really need to get back to their best as soon as possible. Hopefully, a win against West Ham at the weekend can rejuvenate them and imbue them all with some much-needed confidence.