Micky van de Ven's position in the Netherlands national team has puzzled local pundits. The 25-year-old captain regularly plays at the heart of defence for Tottenham, yet Xavi, the new national team coach, has opted to use him on the left.
Former player Marciano Vink expressed his reservations:
I cannot see van de Ven as a left-back.
Kenneth Perez concurred:
Neither can I. We really have a problem at left-back.
Experts have also pointed out the precarious situation at Tottenham. The London club finished 17th in the last two seasons and currently finds itself rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
Perez believes the dismal performances of Spurs may hinder van de Ven and his teammate Jan Paul van Hecke's chances in the national team. Van Hecke had started alongside Virgil van Dijk in the first two matches under Xavi but may now find himself missing out.
Perez opined that the new coach demands a higher quality of play from his defenders:
I think Xavi wants a bit more footballing quality in that position.
In your back four, you’ve got two players from Tottenham – a team sitting in 20th place. And one of them is the captain...
Xavi took charge of the Netherlands national team after Ronald Koeman's departure and is currently restructuring the side to fit his vision.
