Latest news with #MickyVanDeVen
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Who were the fastest and slowest players in the Premier League?
Speed has become such a defining aspect of Premier League football for years now. Whether it's lightning-quick wingers tearing down the flanks or centre-backs chasing down counterattacks, speed can be the difference between winning and that in mind, let's have a look at the fastest players in the Premier League this Hotspur's Micky van de Ven was the fastest player in the top-flight during this campaign, reaching a top speed of 23.1 miles per hourManchester City midfielder-turned-right-back Matheus Nunes was the second-fastest, just ahead of Nottingham Forest's speed merchant Anthony only does Bryan Mbeumo run a lot and sprint a lot, he's fast too…the whole package! As for the slowest players, the above data looks at outfield players that racked up at least 10 full games' worth of minutes – to give them a chance to build up some that metric, Wolves' 35-year-old defender Craig Dawson was the slowest player, reaching a top speed of 18.4 miles per City's Bernardo Silva and West Ham's Tomas Soucek may be among the slowest players, but they were also two of the hardest runners - covering over seven miles per 90 minutes - which shows they were built for stamina over speed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Tuesday, May 20
Photo by David Lidstrom - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images The Hoddle Headquarters' hype train is rolling on — Our boys have landed in Bilbao! Your hoddler-in-chief's hype has not died down one bit since yesterday's hoddle. In fact, it has only increased. As of this post we are 36.5 hours away from kick-off, which means it is time for final preparations. Final training, final sleeps, final stretches and the final chance to get your things in order to watch the Europa League final. Advertisement So what's your hype level entering today? Do share in the comments below. Fitzie's track of the day: Jet, by Paul McCartney & Wings And now for your links: Alasdair Gold: 'Micky van de Ven explains why he ignored warnings about joining Tottenham and why Postecoglou is right' The Athletic ($$): 'Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur: An unlikely partnership with two unlikely redemption arcs?' The Guardian: ''We deserve a trophy': Van de Ven claims Spurs are determined to end drought' Dan KP: 'Pedro Porro warns Spurs of 'magnificent' Ruben Amorim ahead of Europa League final' Independent: 'How 'scandalous' Europa League final left Tottenham and Manchester United fans scrambling' Advertisement More from
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Am I dreaming?'
Am I dreaming?Did Brennan Johnson really bundle the ball over the line? Is Micky van de Ven secretly an acrobat? Has Ange Postecoglou just completed the most spectacular mic-drop of all time?Let's be honest - it was not an enjoyable watch... until it it was substitutes and staff sprinting onto the pitch to jump, cheer and dance with the rest of the fans were crying tears of joy and relief, and there were limbs and drinks Son Heung-min was lifting the trophy, accidentally cutting his head on it, and sobbing all the happy tears onto his dad's I am not dreaming. A Tottenham Hotspur captain has lifted a European trophy once again – and the consequences are is a victory of epic proportions – not simply because it has come after 17 years of trophy-less seasons – because of what it signals for the future of our now have a winning foundation to build upon. It does not mean all the old issues suddenly disappear, but it does mean that the mood shifts, that we shrug off that 'Spursy' tag, that we know what it takes – and how it feels – to be also means Champions League football and more money to who will be in charge to benefit from all of this next season remains to be seen – and the fanbase seems more divided than ever about it after Wednesday way, Ange has delivered what no other manager could for too long – and for that we should all be moments have not come around very often for us Spurs fans and so, whatever the future holds, let's enjoy the here and glory, Tottenham more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
An appreciation of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, Tottenham's Europa League-winning rocks
Brennan Johnson scored Tottenham Hotspur's winner in the Europa League final against Manchester United but it was a different moment most people were talking about afterwards. In the 68th minute, Bruno Fernandes chipped a free kick into the box and it bounced awkwardly off the left shoulder of Guglielmo Vicario. Rasmus Hojlund headed the loose ball over Tottenham's goalkeeper and it was looping into the net until Micky van de Ven produced an incredible piece of athleticism. The 24-year-old defender sprang into the air and swung his right boot at the ball to prevent Hojlund from equalising. The Netherlands international was basically horizontal at one stage. Van de Ven landed awkwardly on his back in the net and writhed around on the floor in pain for a few seconds but finished the game. It was a crucial contribution from a player who has struggled with a hamstring injury this season. Spurs had three shots, 27.7 per cent possession and completed 115 passes in their 1-0 win against United — all of those figures are the lowest Opta has on record by any team in a major European final since the 2009-10 season. They sacrificed the ball, which meant that their defence had to be impregnable. Advertisement Van de Ven's clearance was iconic but his centre-back partner, Cristian Romero, won the player-of-the-match award. Romero has made a few high-profile errors this season, including losing Gabriel from a corner for the Brazilian's goal in September's defeat by Arsenal. Last month, he publicly flirted with a move to La Liga. None of that matters anymore. With Son Heung-min on the bench, Romero captained Spurs in Bilbao and produced a peerless performance. Last week, Kevin Danso told a group of reporters, including The Athletic, that the Argentina international was 'world class'. 'From the outside looking in, you'd think he's very aggressive but he's one of the calmest guys in the changing room,' Danso said. 'Everybody at the club and anybody who watches football knows he's a brilliant passer and a great defender. A defender needs that (aggressive) side to him to give the strikers a bit of fear, (thinking) 'Oh, he could come in at any time'. He's a great talent. 'He's not the most vocal. That's why I said he's one of the calmest guys. There are different kinds of leadership and he leads by example by the way he plays.' At full time, Romero was kicking the ball around in the centre-circle with his son, Valentino, while most of his team-mates were celebrating with the fans — Van de Ven jumped into the stands. This wholesome interaction, and Danso's stories of his laid-back nature, contrast with his behaviour towards United's strikers. When Amad whipped a cross into the box in the 30th minute, Romero used his body cleverly to prevent Hojlund from shooting and was accidentally elbowed in the face. When Harry Maguire was deployed as an emergency striker and started throwing his body around, Romero pushed back. They clashed on multiple occasions, including when Maguire appealed for a penalty after grappling with Van de Ven. Romero initially protected his team-mate before Danso shoved Maguire away. Advertisement A couple of minutes later, Maguire was booked for a foul on Romero when they were challenging each other in the air. Romero has been guilty of getting wound up by opponents and recklessly charging into tackles during his time at Spurs. On Wednesday, he taunted Maguire but importantly stayed in control of his own emotions. The England international shoved Romero at full time and they had to be separated by members of each club's staff. Looking back on this wild season, one in which Spurs have won a trophy for the first time since 2008 but lost 21 league games, it feels like December's defeat by Chelsea is the key turning point. Van de Ven and Romero came back from injury yet broke down and did not return to full fitness until March. Their absence triggered a collapse in form and they lost six of their next eight games. Spurs hired external specialists to help them understand how to better manage Van de Ven's body and his extreme speed. The defender insisted he was 'feeling well body-wise' and said that 'I want to play every game' before the second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt. But Postecoglou carefully controlled their game time. They only registered 45 minutes each in the league between the quarter-final second leg against Frankfurt and the final. Everything rested on their shoulders. It felt like a risky move not keeping them sharp with competitive matches but all of Postecoglou's decisions over recent months have been vindicated. Last season, Van de Ven and Romero started together 25 times as Spurs finished fifth. Arsenal duo Gabriel and William Saliba and Everton's James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite were the only combinations to start more games (both 34). That partnership was the bedrock of Tottenham's encouraging first year under Postecoglou but they have only started together 11 times in the league this campaign. Advertisement The Athletic asked van de Ven last week about his relationship with Romero. 'We just feel each other in the game,' Van de Ven said. 'If he does something, I know how to cover him. On the other side, it's the same. He knows how to help in every situation. That is just the feeling we have grown into each other. From the beginning, I also felt a strong connection with him, but the more games you play together, the more you start feeling each other and know each other's qualities, and where you can help each other. It's an unbelievable connection that I have with him now.' It is so much more than an unbelievable connection. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen's partnership was immense but they never won a trophy with Spurs. Van de Ven, a fan favourite from the moment he arrived in north London from Wolfsburg in July 2023, should look forward to having a statue of his ridiculous clearance built outside the stadium one day. Romero's legacy is secured too. They have completely different approaches. Van de Ven uses his speed to cut out counter-attacks while Romero can break lines with his passes and then produce a crunching tackle on an opponent. Together, they are a golden combination who missed too many games through injury but, when it mattered the most, they delivered.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Van de Ven clearance 'poetry in motion'
Former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly described Micky van de Ven's goal line clearance as "poetry in motion" in their Europa League final victory over Manchester Red Devils came close to an equaliser through a Rasmus Hojlund header, however, Van de Ven acrobatically cleared off the line midway through the second to BBC Radio 5 Live, Kelly said: "Absolutely amazing. It was a momentous occasion for Spurs fans."It was really enjoyable to watch as a Spurs fan. Often you feel there's a soft underbelly and we're going to be turned over, but it was the complete opposite."Van de Ven's clearance off the line was poetry in motion, better than a goal. There was a side of Ange Postecoglou and his tactical awareness to do those things... You just felt maybe it was something we can work on, we can take leads and hold on."I was so nervous, but the joy we felt at the end to see Son Heung-min lift the trophy, what a way to finish if it is his last year with the club."
