Tottenham Hotspur’s climb into fourth place in the Premier League table is a sign of just how good they have been under boss Ange Postecoglou – with the Aussie gaffer shining in a number of ways.
First and foremost, Postecoglou has instilled a style of play that has won favour with Tottenham fans. Picked by Daniel Levy for his tactics while at Celtic, that attacking football is what Spurs fans adore.
Something they have craved, after pragmatic approaches under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte. It doesn’t always work, but it works more times than it doesn’t.
His press conferences, the squad’s love for him, and his work in the transfer window have all been excellent, too. Signings like James Maddison, Timo Werner and Guglielmo Vicario have really worked.
One new Tottenham player has left Ledley King surprised
But perhaps, his best addition has been Micky van de Ven. The 22-year-old’s absence due to injury is proof of that. Van de Ven has played in 20 of Tottenham’s 31 matches, injury preventing him from 11.
Spurs have won 13 of those 20 games, losing only two with van de Ven. Without the £43m addition, Spurs have lost five of the other 11. Clearly, the former Wolfsburg defender is absolutely crucial for Tottenham.
Tottenham legend Ledley King sung his praises on Premier League Productions over the weekend after a 3-1 win at Forest, in which he scored – a strike that impressed both Michael Owen and Roy Keane.
“I’ve been so impressed by him. What surprised me is that not too many people knew about him. How has that happened? He’s young, left-footed, rapid. Everyone should have been after him,” King said.
What Jamie Redknapp and Nemanja Vidic said about van de Ven…
The left-footed star was the pick of the praise for pundits over the weekend following his incredible strike, and his form for Spurs this season. Jamie Redknapp made an incredibly bold claim about the Spurs ace.
Indeed, he claims van de Ven could go on to emulate Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League – comparing where the Liverpool captain was at van de Ven’s age. For a centre-back, praise does not get much higher.
It might do when Nemanja Vidic dishes out praise. One of the best centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen, he described van de Ven as “fantastic” following Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
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