West Ham United head up to north London next Saturday to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
The Premier League clash with Tottenham will be a vitally important one for West Ham, and it will show us if we really have made some progress under Julen Lopetegui.
Before the clash with Ipswich last weekend, there was talk of Lopetegui’s job being under threat, but he allegedly assured the board that he will turn things around.
The 4-1 win was hugely important for Lopetegui in the end, and it earned him some much-needed breathing space, especially after his highly publicised fall-out with Mohammed Kudus the week before.
The win over the Tractor Boys will not be enough on its own for the Hammers head coach though.
The pressure is still very much on him at the London Stadium, and he desperately needs a positive result against Tottenham a week today.
The game will be vital for Spurs as well, and unfortunately for them, they face a nightmare scenario ahead of the Hammers clash…
Tottenham face nightmare scenario ahead of West Ham clash
Spurs will have one very big concern right now.
The north London outfit face the Hammers next weekend, and they will be incredibly worried about Micky van de Ven ahead of the huge London derby.
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The Holland international played 90 minutes for his country in the left-back position during their 1-1 draw with Hungary on Friday night.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has highlighted the need to be careful with Van de Ven when playing him as a left-back in the past, due to the physical demands of the the role (Football.London).
The Dutchman is a key player for Spurs, what with his recovery pace, and he enables them to press high up the pitch as a team.
Tottenham signed Van de Ven from Wolfsburg last summer for around £43 million (Sky Sports).
The 23-year-old has quickly established himself as an indispensable player for Spurs, what with his blistering pace, strength in the air and aggression in the challenge.
He has proven himself to be crucial to everything good that his team do.
Immediately after he sustained an injury last season, Tottenham lost three and drew one of their next four games.
Tottenham praying for Van de Ven ahead of West Ham clash
Described by the Independent as ‘unstoppable’, Van de Ven has really impressed in the Premier League, and he has been one of Tottenham’s best players over the past year.
In fact, he won their player of the season award last season, so it’s clear to see just how crucial he is for them.
Ange Postecoglou missed Van de Ven badly when the Dutchman picked up a serious hamstring last season, and was forced to miss over two months of action.
And given Postecoglou’s concerns about Van de Ven playing in the left-back position, the Australian will undoubtedly be really worried about the former Wolfsburg defender’s fitness when he returns from international duty.
The Netherlands are set to play Germany on Monday night, and with Jurrien Timber and Nathan Ake unavailable for selection, the Spurs man will most likely start in the left-back position once again.
Tottenham face the nightmare scenario of Micky van de Ven picking up an injury whilst playing for Holland ahead of the West Ham Premier League clash next weekend.
That’s international football in a nutshell for you – four two-week periods every season where managers and fans all over the world are praying for the safe return of their players!