Micky van de Ven could become the tactical gem Thomas Frank never knew he needed, with the Dutch defender offering more than just raw pace under the new Tottenham regime.
Indeed, change, they say, can be scary, but for Tottenham Hotspur, it has become the usual. I mean, what else could scare a group of fans that have seen the good, the bad and the ugly?
Just a few weeks back, it was all rosy, as Tottenham celebrated their first piece of silverware since they last won a trophy in 2008, and for the ugly, well, trophyless for almost two decades and then going on to axe the very manager who secured silverware – there is nothing more Tottenham than that.
Of course, change is very normal at N17, as they have now appointed 16 managers in the last 24 years, with Thomas Frank the latest on that list, and now, the 52-year-old must get to work, as Tottenham are already playing catch-up in the summer window.
Indeed, one of the tasks for the Danish manager is to ensure Tottenham are competitive, particularly in the Premier League, with a few trophy lifts here and there being demanded.
However, for a manager who has earned praise for his style of management, his ability to mix things up, to go direct, and to press, expectations are high.
For Frank to succeed, every player would need to play for him and the badge, but there is one player who could be very vital to how the manager sets up, and that is Micky van de Ven. Here is why.
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Micky van de Ven could be used at left-back and centre-back
The Dutch centre-back who joined Tottenham two seasons ago has since become a vital piece to the way the Lilywhites set up, with his pace allowing for them to press high up the pitch, as seen under Ange Postecoglou.
That very quality would certainly be of use to Thomas Frank, who could utilise the 24-year-old’s pace to help him set up high, when he chooses to press and suffocate teams in advanced areas.
However, another ace the defender has under his sleeve is his versatility and his ability to play both as a left-back and a centre-back in a flat back four.
That quality is set to give Frank a vast variety of tactical setups he could explore during his tenure as Tottenham boss.
Van de Ven is set to give Thomas Frank a plethora of tactical setups
With the defender capable of playing as both a centre-back and a left-back, this will allow Thomas Frank to use him in a flat back four system as one of the centre-backs or in a back three as a left centre-back – a tactical ace Thomas Frank could lean on heavily at Hotspur Way.
In fact, we can also expect Frank to use Van de Ven in a lopsided back four where Pedro Porro pushes higher up the pitch and Van de Ven drops into a three to give Tottenham cover during counterattacks.
This is a setup we never really got to see Ange Postecoglou try out, and it has been gaining traction in the Premier League in recent seasons, with Pep Guardiola deploying a similar system in Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign.
Van de Ven has all the traits needed to excel in this hybrid centre-back role, as he has the recovering pace to contribute in attack and to stop counterattacks.
His passing is also really solid, which will help Tottenham during buildups when they play out from the back.
Spurs need to be solid defensively, following their abysmal league campaign last season, which saw them end on negative goal difference, after conceding 65 goals.
If Frank is looking to ensure some stability and control in games, he could certainly try to adapt and tweak his setup using van de Ven’s ability to change game state when necessary.
Of course, for all of this to work, Van de Ven would need to remain fit and available for Frank to fully utilise his abilities.
If he can stay fit, the amount of flexibility he would give Frank and Spurs is one that could make him a vital player during the Dane’s tenure.