Micky van de Ven role questioned as Dutch pundits identify Netherlands left-back problem

Micky van de Ven’s use at left-back for the Netherlands has been questioned, with Dutch pundits Marciano Vink and Kenneth Perez arguing that the Tottenham Hotspur defender is not a natural solution for the position.

Van de Ven predominantly operates as a centre-back for Tottenham but has been deployed on the left side of the Netherlands defence under new manager Xavi.

That positional change has now become a talking point during the international break.

Speaking on ESPN’s Voetbalpraat, Vink made his position clear.

“I don’t see Van de Ven as a left-back,” he said.

Perez agreed and suggested the problem extends beyond the Tottenham defender himself.

“Neither do I. We really have a problem at the left-back position.”

The criticism is specifically about Van de Ven’s suitability at left-back rather than his overall ability as a defender.

The source does not provide detailed criticism of individual mistakes made by Van de Ven or identify a particular match in which his performance at left-back was considered responsible for a poor result.

Instead, the concern appears to be primarily positional.

Van de Ven plays centrally for Tottenham, while the Netherlands are asking him to perform a different role internationally.

Perez suggested Xavi may ultimately want a player offering greater quality in possession from that position.

“I think Xavi wants a bit more footballing quality in that position,” he said.

That comment provides some indication of what the Netherlands manager may be looking for, although Perez is offering his own interpretation rather than revealing Xavi’s tactical instructions.

The discussion also moved towards Tottenham’s poor league position.

Both Van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are currently playing their club football for Spurs, while Van Hecke has started the Netherlands’ two most recent matches alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Perez believes Tottenham’s struggles are relevant when assessing the pair internationally.

“In the back four, you’ve got two players from Tottenham Hotspur, a team sitting in twentieth place,” he said. “And one of them is even the captain…”

However, that is Perez’s assessment of the potential significance of Tottenham’s form. The source does not establish that Xavi has downgraded either defender because of Spurs’ league position.

There is also uncertainty surrounding Van Hecke.

The Tottenham centre-back has started alongside Van Dijk in the Netherlands’ previous two fixtures but left a recent training session early.

That could potentially affect Xavi’s defensive options, although the source provided here does not confirm the nature or severity of Van Hecke’s problem.

It also does not establish that an absence for Van Hecke would automatically result in Van de Ven moving into central defence.

For now, the more immediate debate concerns where Van de Ven should play.

At Tottenham, the answer is generally centre-back. For the Netherlands, Xavi has been using him at left-back.

Vink and Perez clearly believe that experiment is not providing the solution the national team needs.

Van de Ven’s role will be worth watching as Xavi continues to shape the Netherlands team inherited from Ronald Koeman.

The debate is less about whether the Tottenham player belongs in the national squad and more about where his attributes are best used.

A move into central defence would put him in his familiar club position, but the material provided does not indicate that Xavi is currently planning such a change.

For now, the Netherlands’ left-back position remains under scrutiny, and Van de Ven is at the centre of that discussion.