Thomas Frank given truly bizarre Micky van de Ven advice, he’s being wasted at Tottenham
Micky van de Ven’s latest goal has Tottenham supporters wondering if he could be used elsewhere on the pitch under Thomas Frank.
Frank has overseen a steady start to his reign at Spurs, and his Dutch defender has been a pivotal part of their successful results so far.
Having scored six goals in all competitions, Van de Ven’s wonder goal against Copenhagen has left fans thinking that he might be their most clinical finisher.
Van de Ven‘s goalscoring exploits have been hugely beneficial to Tottenham‘s progress this season, and former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has alluded to the idea of playing him as a striker.
Van de Ven has all the qualities to be a top striker
Van de Ven’s pace and power are second to none for a Premier League centre-back, and for him to be Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions is remarkable.
With three Premier League goals, Van de Ven has found the back of the net more than any other defender this season.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 7 November, Saunders suggested to Alan Brazil that he is best suited to play up front.
He said: “Has it crossed your mind that he can play up front? He can head the ball, he’s a great finisher, and he’s quick as lightning. Van de Ven might be wasted at the back.”
Whilst the claim is completely odd, there are surely some Spurs fans who would be quite bemused by the idea of him playing as a number nine.
He has also registered the most expected goals (xG), the most non-penalty xG, and the most xG on target of any defender in the top flight in 2025-26.
However, it feels foolish to dismiss his defensive capabilities, and with set-piece situations feeling more important than they’ve ever been, Van de Ven is definitely needed at the back.
| Stat | Van de Ven |
| Goals | 3 |
| Expected goals | 1.55 |
| Expected goals on target | 2.73 |
| Shots | 7 |
| Pass accuracy | 92.3% |
That said, there is definitely room for improvement for the centre-back. Indeed, among his peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, Van de Ven is in the bottom 35 percentile for tackles.
As per FBref, he is also in the bottom 12 per cent for interceptions and bottom 23 per cent for clearances per 90 minutes.
At the same time, Van de Ven certainly passes the eye test, no doubt helped by his contributions in attack.
With 0.21 non-penalty-goals per 90, he is in the very top one per cent of centre-backs in that particular metric.
This is obviously a suggestion that Frank won’t pay attention to, as he looks to get the best out of Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.
Van de Ven’s importance in defence cannot be understated, and it’s up to the actual strikers to exceed his goalscoring tally.
Tottenham’s striker woes have led to the Van de Ven claims
Tottenham’s issues this season have been down to a number of reasons, yet the inconsistent performances of their attackers is something that has to change.
Richarlison’s performance against Newcastle was woeful, and he was hugely criticised for his ineffective display as Tottenham crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
Kolo Muani is adapting to the Premier League quickly; however, he is still waiting for his first goal in Spurs colours.
With Dominic Solanke out injured, Frank is desperate to have a goalscorer that he can rely on ahead of a tough run of fixtures.
Luckily for him at this moment in time, Van de Ven is stepping up superbly.
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