Thomas Frank laughs off Van de Ven controversy after Tottenham heroics vs Copenhagen
Thomas Frank has put the recent Tottenham controversy involving Micky van de Ven behind him after the centre-back shone against Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Tottenham smashed Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League, as many individuals had standout performances.
Xavi Simons looks to have finally arrived for Spurs in his best game so far at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Wilson Odobert scored his first goal of the season.
Brennan Johnson was sent off for Tottenham, but even down to 10 men, it didn’t stop Van de Ven from stealing the show.
After Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, Van de Ven was caught walking past and ignoring Frank in a heated moment that now seems to be forgiven.
Frank says van de Ven can ‘keep walking past him’
During the game against Copenhagen, Van de Ven scored a goal that may be nominated for the Puskas Award.
The defender picked up the ball from just outside his own box and ran the full length of the field before placing a shot into the back of the net.
- Van de Ven dribbled through five Copenhagen players before taking his shot
- The goal came in the 64th minute, nine minutes after Johnson’s red card
- The Dutchman now averages a goal in every three games this season
In his post-match comments, Frank has swept their previous controversy under the rug, claiming van de Ven looked like Lionel Messi against Copenhagen.
Frank said, as quoted by football.london: “It seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scored a fantastic goal.
“I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he’s angry after a game.”
Van de Ven has already tallied two goals more than his best scoring season at Spurs, but what’s been the biggest difference this campaign?
Frank has transformed Van de Ven at Spurs
Right now, it would be hard to argue against the fact that Van de Ven is Tottenham’s best player.
This season, the centre-back has taken his game to the next level and is the Lilywhites’ top scorer, looking a genuine goal threat every game.
The difference is Frank. For all the stick he gets, the head coach needs to be praised for the work he’s done with Tottenham’s backline, and Van de Ven in particular.
With Van de Ven still only 24 years old, the Dutchman is showing promise that he can one day captain Tottenham full time, as he looks like a true leader at the moment for the Lilywhites.
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