Paul Merson doesn’t understand why Erik ten Hag and Manchester United didn’t sign Micky van de Ven prior to his summer from Wolfsburg to Tottenham Hotspur.
It never rains, but pours at Old Trafford, that’s why the roof needs fixing because Manchester United were slapped 3-0 by a second-string Newcastle United side on Wednesday night and booted out of the EFL Cup.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were the two selected to start at the heart of Manchester United’s defence, with Jonny Evans on the bench and Paul Merson just doesn’t think that’s good enough, as he told Soccer Special on Sky Sports (01/11/23 at 10:20 pm).
The outspoken pundit thinks Erik ten Hag should have brought in Micky van de Ven during the summer transfer window because he is now ‘one of the best centre-halves in the league’ for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur.
A player who has been told that he is quicker than Mohamed Salah, it has been some start to life in the Premier League for the 22-year-old.
Micky van de Ven is sitting loud and proud with Spurs at the top of the Premier League table, but when Man United were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Newcastle, there were some interesting comments from Paul Merson.
Micky van de Ven and Manchester United
“I would be asking questions,” said Merson. “If I owned the club. I would be sitting there now and I would be going to you as the manager ‘Why didn’t we get the lad at Tottenham? He’s Dutch. You are Dutch. You know the league. You know the players. Why is he at Tottenham and he isn’t here? And we haven’t got a centre-half’.
“No disrespect to Evans. But you are playing a 30-odd-year-old next to Maguire. Varane can’t get fit. Lindelof, I don’t think is a real centre-half, if I am being totally honest. I wouldn’t mind him marking.
“Then you are looking at this player (Van de ven), who is one of the best centre-halves in the league, at the moment. And he isn’t playing for Man United.
“He wasn’t £80-90 million. Serious questions.”
Tottenham and Man United gap
Yes, the duo are already out of the League Cup, but at least Spurs have the Premier League to shout about from the top of their lungs.
High-flying leaders Spurs are already 11 points clear of eighth-placed Manchester United and this is despite the London club losing Harry Kane.
The two sides are miles apart in many, many aspects, as Man United have a serious fight on their hands, regarding finishing in Europe because things aren’t looking that well, as of this moment.
Yes, someone like van de Ven walks into the Man United team, but he made the right choice signing for Spurs.
