Player Watch Player Watch: Micky van de Ven

[E17yid]

Fair enough, lets hope no one else criticises Ben Davies in there.

Or does the really annoying thing of repeatedly saying Ben Davies is going to be a CB even when our manger says that’s not the case. God help those people.

 

[pablo73]

Or does the really annoying thing of repeatedly saying Ben Davies is going to be a CB even when our manger says that’s not the case. God help those people.

I think we all understand that Ben Davies is not a CB (in a 2 at least) but Ange is currently playing him there because he clearly feels he has no better options.

It's hardly beyond the realms of possibility that will still be the case when we start playing competitive football, given the season kicks off in just over 2 weeks' time.

 

[E17yid]

If we don't sign a decent centre


I think we all understand that Ben Davies is not a CB (in a 2 at least) but Ange is currently playing him there because he clearly feels he has no better options.

It's hardly beyond the realms of possibility that will still be the case when we start playing competitive football, given the season kicks off in just over 2 weeks' time.

I doubt it. Dier hasn’t been fit and Sanchez is off. Looks like Tanganga and Rodon will be as well. I expect it will be Dier starting but you could be right, not beyond the realms of possibility that he starts there for 1 game (assuming the new CB hasn’t been signed) but I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

[amathews3416]

I guess I don't understand the disdain people have for Ben Davies. He is a professional, well liked in the dressing room, and is content with being a squad player. He also is versatile enough to play a couple of positions if we get in an injury crisis. Do I think he should be starting games for us in the PL? Absolutely not . But as a squad player he is really good and a positive guy to have around.

 

[Darth Vega]

I guess I don't understand the disdain people have for Ben Davies. He is a professional, well liked in the dressing room, and is content with being a squad player. He also is versatile enough to play a couple of positions if we get in an injury crisis. Do I think he should be starting games for us in the PL? Absolutely not . But as a squad player he is really good and a positive guy to have around.

Rightly or wrongly players like Davies have become emblematic of the club's failure by virtue of being here too long. You can group Dier into that bracket as well. Neither are nearly as bad as they're made out but it's also clear they've not been good enough for very many years now and should have been moved on as far back as Pochettino.

 

[alfie103]

I guess I don't understand the disdain people have for Ben Davies. He is a professional, well liked in the dressing room, and is content with being a squad player. He also is versatile enough to play a couple of positions if we get in an injury crisis. Do I think he should be starting games for us in the PL? Absolutely not . But as a squad player he is really good and a positive guy to have around.

I don't have any disdain for him at all but I don't think his footballing ability is good enough, even as a back up and I think the aspect that he is a good guy to have around is overrated. He seems like a lovely bloke but I think he knows he isn't doing much better than Tottenham and might be the reason he is happy to be a squad player.

 

[amathews3416]

Rightly or wrongly players like Davies have become emblematic of the club's failure by virtue of being here too long. You can group Dier into that bracket as well. Neither are nearly as bad as they're made out but it's also clear they've not been good enough for very many years now and should have been moved on as far back as Pochettino.

I would disagree in the sense that Ben Davies is absolutely good enough to be a squad/bench player for us. Squad depth is important and having players around that are willing to accept such a role and not sulk behind the scenes is really important. I can think of players that Fergie kept around for years like John O’Shea, Darron Gibson, Wes Brown and quite a few others that were pretty average footballers for United, but they were 100% committed to the team, manager and professionals that would put in a shift when called upon. Ben Davies is one of those players and seems happy to do such a job.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Rightly or wrongly players like Davies have become emblematic of the club's failure by virtue of being here too long. You can group Dier into that bracket as well. Neither are nearly as bad as they're made out but it's also clear they've not been good enough for very many years now and should have been moved on as far back as Pochettino.

Exactly this, too much sentiment at our club, which is part of the reason why we take so long, to clear out the squad.

 

[chas vs dave]

Rightly or wrongly players like Davies have become emblematic of the club's failure by virtue of being here too long. You can group Dier into that bracket as well. Neither are nearly as bad as they're made out but it's also clear they've not been good enough for very many years now and should have been moved on as far back as Pochettino.

you can also group harry kane and son into this as well.

You can't pick and chose who. It's a team game.

 

[VoteMe4Prez]

you can also group harry kane and son into this as well.

You can't pick and chose who. It's a team game.

At least those 2 contribute goals and assists

 

[robotsonic]

Exactly this, too much sentiment at our club, which is part of the reason why we take so long, to clear out the squad.

Pretty sure that the club aren't not selling them because of sentiment. As fans, I think we have every right to be sentimental about players, but that's not the reason why they've not been moved on.

 

[BENNO]

Exactly this, too much sentiment at our club, which is part of the reason why we take so long, to clear out the squad.

On the flip side it could be argued there are too many people who don't understand that you can't have 25 elite players in a squad at a club like Spurs, and that every club barring probably Man City will have their own version of Ben Davies. It's not a computer game.

 

[mil1lion]

I think we all understand that Ben Davies is not a CB (in a 2 at least) but Ange is currently playing him there because he clearly feels he has no better options.

It's hardly beyond the realms of possibility that will still be the case when we start playing competitive football, given the season kicks off in just over 2 weeks' time.

Tanganga has also been playing and Dier was eased back after injury. Sanchez seems to be off now after we accepted a bid (not that he'll go to Russia but accepting a bid is confirmation we'll sell). I think so far its Dier, Romero, Sanchez and Tanganga as his centre backs. It doesn't seem Rodon will get a look in. I just don't know why Sanchez didn't play Wednesday so maybe his head isn't in it now which leaves us down 1. I think Davies at centre back was partly circumstantial with players being eased back and playing 45 mins each and whatever is going on with Sanchez. It's not a good look though when you have only 3 recognised centre backs in the last game.

 

[chas vs dave]

At least those 2 contribute goals and assists

That's their job. Prior to last season we had a fairly decent defensive record for roughly 8 years.

Son didn't contribute well last season, he was arguably worse than Dier/Davies.

 

[E17yid]

I wasn’t actually aware this guy has only really had 1 proper season at Wolfsburg, I thought he had at least 2 or 3. You would think he’d be behind Dier, at least initially, in order to give him a bit of time to settle and even then it could be more next season when we see him racking up regular games.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I wasn’t actually aware this guy has only really had 1 proper season at Wolfsburg, I thought he had at least 2 or 3. You would think he’d be behind Dier, at least initially, in order to give him a bit of time to settle and even then it could be more next season when we see him racking up regular games.

This is my view - he wouldn't be bought as an immediate starter. He might well make it soon(ish), but he's not someone that would likely be chucked straight in.

Or at least: I'd hope we would get someone that would, clearly, go straight into CB and improve us. I'd like this guy, but not as our main CB signing

 

[BENNO]

I wasn’t actually aware this guy has only really had 1 proper season at Wolfsburg, I thought he had at least 2 or 3. You would think he’d be behind Dier, at least initially, in order to give him a bit of time to settle and even then it could be more next season when we see him racking up regular games.

When the link to him first broke, i didn't have a clue who he was and i did the obligatory You Tube watch. First thing that came to mind was 'raw', so i agree, i can't see him coming straight in and being the massive defensively solid upgrade that fans seem to think he'll be (but equally i do think he has the potential to develop into a much better player than Dier in time).

Even if we were lucky enough to get Tapsoba, we'd still have a back line (including goalie) that had 3 new to the club and new to PL players in it, and only the keeper being older than 24. Dier and Davies will add much needed experience, if only for a season while the new players bed in.

 

[djhotspur]

I am very dismissive of it, yes.

Or does the really annoying thing of repeatedly saying Ben Davies is going to be a CB even when our manger says that’s not the case. God help those people.

Just based on pre season

When the link to him first broke, i didn't have a clue who he was and i did the obligatory You Tube watch. First thing that came to mind was 'raw', so i agree, i can't see him coming straight in and being the massive defensively solid upgrade that fans seem to think he'll be (but equally i do think he has the potential to develop into a much better player than Dier in time).

Even if we were lucky enough to get Tapsoba, we'd still have a back line (including goalie) that had 3 new to the club and new to PL players in it, and only the keeper being older than 24. Dier and Davies will add much needed experience, if only for a season while the new players bed in.

ive said a few times he’s too raw, it’s why I’ve been banging the tapsoba drum.
What vdv does offer is truly elite athleticism and recovery pace. I guess you would just have to keep playing him and trusting he’ll improve and relying on his elite pace to cover in behind Romero.
he will make mistake though but the only way cbs improve is by playing.
I think he could play defensive LB forming a back 3 if we got tapsoba too and allowing porro to play the tucked in role and vice versa with Emerson and Udogie,

 

[VoteMe4Prez]

When the link to him first broke, i didn't have a clue who he was and i did the obligatory You Tube watch. First thing that came to mind was 'raw', so i agree, i can't see him coming straight in and being the massive defensively solid upgrade that fans seem to think he'll be (but equally i do think he has the potential to develop into a much better player than Dier in time).

Even if we were lucky enough to get Tapsoba, we'd still have a back line (including goalie) that had 3 new to the club and new to PL players in it, and only the keeper being older than 24. Dier and Davies will add much needed experience, if only for a season while the new players bed in.

Bloody hell

 

[BENNO]

Bloody hell

Silly me for thinking two massively experienced Internationals who've both played consistently in a top 4 challenging Spurs team over a number of years wouldn't be of any us now - of course i've never played Football Manager so i can see why i'd come to such a stupid conclusion.