Why Kevin Danso must replace Micky van de Ven in Tottenham’s starting XI
Micky van de Ven has not been good enough for Tottenham lately, and Igor Tudor must respond by replacing him with the in-form Kevin Danso.
Micky van de Ven has been quite the player for Tottenham Hotspur, and his goal-line clearance was just as essential to the club’s Europa League triumph as Brennan Johnson’s goal.
However, there has been speculation that van de Ven wants to leave Spurs, and it is hard not to believe this claim when you look at his performances.
The Dutchman has always been aggressive in his tackles, but recently, he has been uncharacteristically over the top and, at times, completely careless. This saw him sent off against Crystal Palace, and he was perhaps lucky to avoid the same fate in Madrid.
It was at the Wanda Metropolitano that van de Ven was at fault for one of the goals Tottenham conceded, and he only made four defensive contributions during the game.
Against Fulham, van de Ven made only three defensive contributions, 10 fewer than Radu Dragusin of all people! Compared with how he was playing under Thomas Frank, something is clearly not right.
Kevin Danso must start ahead of Micky van de Ven for Tottenham
Spurs are the type of team who do not drop key first-team players, regardless of their form. Take Harry Kane, for example, a brilliant striker who carried the club for years.
However, there were times when he went through bad patches of form, and there was never any consideration to bench him for a game.
Tottenham must not make the same mistake with van de Ven, especially when in this situation, there is an adequate alternative in Kevin Danso.
The Austrian arguably worked harder than anyone else on the pitch at Anfield, constantly making clearances to relieve the pressure and covering for his inferior defensive partner.
Danso’s performances this season have been a mixed bag, but at least it is clear where his head is at. On Sunday, it was clear he was giving everything for his team, unlike the man who single-handedly cost Spurs a result against Crystal Palace earlier in the month.
Kevin Danso’s stats in Liverpool vs Tottenham:
| Kevin Danso vs Liverpool | Stats |
|---|---|
| Touches | 47 |
| Accurate passes | 21/29 (72%) |
| Defensive contributions | 13 |
| Passes into final third | 3 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Last man tackle | 1 |
| Blocks | 1 |
| Clearances | 9 |
| Headed clearances | 5 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Recoveries | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 3/6 (50%) |
| Aerial duels won | 2/2 (100%) |
Cristian Romero should be the defender to play alongside Danso at Spurs
If van de Ven deserves criticism, then so does Cristian Romero, considering his season has been made up of erratic errors and constant bookings. Whether it is arguing with the referee or running half a mile out of position, the Argentine has been a frustrating watch.
Still, just look at Tottenham’s results when Romero plays compared with when he does not. Spurs may have achieved a draw at Liverpool without their captain, but before that, they were defeated in all four of the Premier League matches where he was suspended. Prior to that, four draws were recorded in seven fixtures when Romero started.
Whereas in van de Ven’s past six starts, Tottenham have lost every game, but they drew with Man City and Liverpool directly before his two most recent absences.
Also, Spurs recorded Champions League victories over Borussia Dortmund and Frankfurt, respectively, keeping clean sheets too. Guess who did not play in those matches…
If van de Ven does leave North London this summer, he will be remembered as a superb defender who played a big part in delivering Tottenham a trophy. Right now, however, he needs to be dropped for Danso until he can show he is trustworthy and reliable enough to give his best.
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