Spurs have a perfectionist Van de Ven heir in monster talent who is fast as lightning

Micky van de Ven was taken out because he was hurt. When James Maddison and Micky van de Ven both got better from injuries in January, a lot of people thought Tottenham Hotspur would get back to the level of ease that had made them so impressive in the first half of the season.

Ange Postecoglou was hired from Celtic last summer after Spurs’ terrible 2022–23 season ended with an eighth-place finish and the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. This form earned her three Premier League Manager of the Month awards to start her time in charge.

But a string of injuries and suspensions early in the season led to a terrible run of form in November and December. Results have been better lately, but Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa over the weekend finally brought back the style they played early in the season.

Antonio Conte’s leadership at Tottenham last year only led to resentment and a lack of communication. Where was the person? Had the squad’s ability to work together become lost in the ether?

Postecoglou, on the other hand, has brought back an entertaining and appealing style of play to the stadium. He has also brought back the most important thing in a football team: confidence.

At the heart of the success is Van de Ven, who has been a surprise in the back line. He may be one of the most important adds in a long time.

What Micky van de Ven has done for Spurs

Van de Ven came from Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga for £43 million, beating Liverpool to the player after Jurgen Klopp’s team decided not to spend that much on a growing star. He has formed a strong relationship with Cristian Romero and has made last season’s terrible defensive performances a faraway memory.

Mitch Fretton, a journalist, called Van de Ven a “elite baller.” He has been very good in the Premier League; FBref ranked him among the top 3% of center-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons, and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90.

These numbers show how athletic and skilled the 6’4″ giant is as a central defender. He has lightning-fast speed and immense strength to close down and block hopeful forwards.

The Dutchman, who makes £50,000 a week, is also one of Tottenham’s most calm and technically sound players. In 18 Premier League games, he completed 95% of his passes, won 66% of his ground duels, dribbled the ball successfully 61% of the time, and recovered the ball 5.8 times on average, according to Sofascore.

Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he has missed a lot of the season because of injuries. After hurting himself against Aston Villa on Sunday, there is new worry that he will have to miss more time.

Postecoglou played down worries that his powerful star might have to miss a lot of time, but until an official diagnosis is made, any talk is just guesswork.

Radu Dragusin was bought from Genoa for £27 million in January to help Spurs’ defense, which was lacking because both Van de Ven and Romero were out at the same time this season, and Eric Dier wasn’t playing well, so a makeshift back four was put together. However, Dragusin had only played a few minutes here and there before he was called into play for most of the second half at Villa Park.

The 22-year-old Romanian international is tough and bold, but he’s not the only center-back who wants to be Postecoglou’s star player in the coming months. Ashley Phillips, a teenager, may have traits that make him perfect for the Australian’s style of play.

Why Spurs made the deal Phillips, Ashley
Phillips caught the eye with Blackburn Rovers last season, even though he was still young. He played eight times in the league, and Tottenham acted quickly to beat any other teams to the player and signed him for a smart £2m fee in August.

While Phillips was at Blackburn, Tony Mowbray gushed about his abilities and said some nice things about him that make me think of a certain Dutch player.

He said, “He’s a great football player and I’m sure he’ll be a mega-player one day, but he’s still a very young boy.” He is 6’3″ and 6’4″ and has a great build. He is super fast, calm with the ball, and aggressive.

As Phillips continues to grow while on loan in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle, these traits paint a pretty good picture. It’s also exciting to read that he is only 18 years old.

It may be more important that it shows Phillips could be a full-skilled defender, with speed to match Van de Ven’s and an aggressive style to match Romero’s and Dragusin’s.

Phillips has the natural talent to be a great player for Tottenham. It will take some time to turn him into that player, but the choice to send him on loan to the Championship was a smart one.

Phil Phillips has been called a “monster” by a Spurs insider, Jon Wenham. Because he is still young, Phillips will have been told to wait and improve his skills over the next few years. This means that the talented teenager will play on loan until Postecoglou decides he is ready for a regular spot in the first team.

Still, he’s showing that he’s a good enough player for Plymouth, who are having a tough time in the second level and have a tough end to the season ahead of them as they try to stay alive. Phillips is the real deal, and his signing is a sign of the new era at Tottenham that is sure to bring them success.

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