Wim Jonk Was Right About Van De Ven But We Ignored Him.

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]The Meong said that Van de Ven used to have a terrible starting position against his opponents, but that because of his pace, no one stood a chance against them in a 1-v-1. Now, imagine what happened when the same center-back that recorded the highest top speed in the history of the Premier League gained the experience to never make a mistake against his opponents. What you have is a defender no one can get past by.

[00:00:25]Tottenham are currently fighting for survival in the Premier League and most people are blaming the team's defense, but what most people are forgetting is that in a 1-v-1, Van de Ven is unplayable and De Zerbi is reminding everyone of just how dangerous he can be. In the final years of his career at Volendam, Van de Ven was still playing for the club's reserve team. His career was going nowhere. Something had to change, but no one believed in him.

[00:00:54]Then, Wim Jonk arrived and gave Van de Ven that belief. Under his guide, he became so technically dominant that he started carrying the ball from his own box into the opposition's penalty area.

[00:01:06]This was a center-back who scored goals like prime Lionel Messi. He recorded a top speed of 35.97 km/h. Liverpool were interested, but it was Tottenham who snatched up his signature. In his first season in England, he recorded the highest top speed of any player in the league's history, 37.38 km/h. The Tottenham fans adored him, but why was his speed so important?

[00:01:33]Postecoglou's Tottenham played with a high defensive line. The fullbacks would invert into midfield and Van de Ven was left alone to cover ground that in any other system would require at least three defenders. In a system like this, one mistake can lead to a goal, but when you have the pace of Van de Ven, situations like these are never a problem. Against Brentford, Kian Lewis Potter was sprinting at full speed towards goal. Van de Ven started behind him, but by the time he reached the goal, Van de Ven was already ahead of him. Here's something the stats don't show. Alejandro Garnacho found himself chasing down the ball. The moment he saw who was behind him, he immediately stopped. There's no stopping Van de Ven in a 1 V 1. That season, Tottenham conceded 61 goals, a number too high for a team competing for top four. But, make no mistake, without Van de Ven, that number would have doubled. In the following season, Tottenham won the Europa League, and Van de Ven was crucial throughout that run. In the final against Manchester United, he was surreal. That win ended Tottenham's 17-year trophy drought, but it doesn't happen without Van de Ven. In the 69th minute, Vicario parried the ball away from goal into the path of Rasmus Højlund. Højlund headed the ball on first contact, but Van de Ven was quickest to react with an overhead clearance. That moment was the difference for Tottenham. Ange Postecoglou described it best.

[00:03:05]>> On Van de Ven, where do you think he [music] can get to? He's top. Once he gets going, he's technically he's good.

[00:03:10]His ability to cover ground, though, is just phenomenal, mate. You set him up against any striker in the world without any fear.

[00:03:17]>> At 6'4, Van de Ven shouldn't move the way he does, and that's the scariest part. So, what happens when a 6'4 center back with unstoppable pace starts running towards goal? The answer is Manchester United at Old Trafford. He won back possession of the ball, ran the full length of the pitch, getting past four Manchester United players before laying off the ball for Brennan Johnson to score the opening goal. When you think of his club teammate Romero, he's the exact opposite kind of defender.

[00:03:48]Romero uses the slide tackle as a last resort to take out his opponents because he can't do what Van de Ven does. He'll take a red card if it means stopping a goal. Van de Ven's recovery pace allows him to tackle opponents without making a mistake. Romero has had six red cards since joining Tottenham. Van de Ven has only had one throughout his entire career. So, what exactly does Van de Ven do when he's faced with a 1 v 1? He sends a message to his opponent that he'll take the ball before they even have a chance to react. He slightly opens up his body to instantly sprint if the attacker knocks the ball past him.

[00:04:29]Instead of standing directly in front of the attacker, his positioning gives him that split-second reaction time. Van de Ven will give you space knowing that he'll get there before you. He's the last player you want in a foot race.

[00:04:43]But, what happens when you run so fast that even your muscles can't keep up?

[00:04:48]The answer is Chelsea at home in the league. Romero in that game got given a red card. No surprise there, but Postecoglou didn't change tactics. He doubled down. The team were forced into playing the rest of the game with a high line while already being a man down.

[00:05:05]This resulted in Van de Ven being forced into covering so much ground that his body physically couldn't keep up. Just before half-time, he was subbed off on a stretcher. That injury ruled him out for 2 months and Tottenham were battered 4-1. That theme continued into the '24-'25 season. Whenever Van de Ven pushed his body beyond its limits, it would always end with setback. Those injuries took a toll on his body forcing him to adjust his running technique. He wasn't as explosive. So, what happens when a defender who built his whole game around his speed is asked to run a little bit less? What you get is Newcastle United 4 Tottenham nil. Isak made Van de Ven look ordinary in that game. He had him on the floor and everything. They had him looking like prime Harry Maguire. Those injuries affected his match sharpness. Van de Ven still won Tottenham's player of the year for 2024, finishing that season with a tackle success rate of 72%. But, the 24-25 season was a complete disaster.

[00:06:13]Van de Ven went from making 27 league appearances in the 23-24 campaign to just 13 in the following campaign.

[00:06:22]Despite lifting silverware with Ange, the injuries still persisted. Because of the team's style of play, something had to change, and that change arrived with Thomas Frank. He gave the team defensive structure that was the foundation Van de Ven needed to stop the injuries. The biggest tactical adjustment Thomas Frank made was moving away from Ange's high line and moving the team's defense closer towards goal. He built a system that protected Van de Ven. By Match Week 7, Spurs were scattered in the league.

[00:06:54]Van de Ven was Tottenham's top goalscorer with six. Tottenham finished fourth in the UCL league phase. But, around the time all this was taking place, Tottenham's midfield was slowly falling apart. Without Maddison and Kulusevski, Tottenham had no creativity.

[00:07:11]At one point, the team were relying on center-backs just to get goals. Thomas Frank left the team in 16th place, four points away from the drop zone. His replacement, Igor Tudor, somehow did worse. Five league games, one draw, four defeats. The team lacked an identity, and Van de Ven was left exposed. Roberto De Zerbi, a manager known for playing expansive football, stepped into a side battling relegation. And since then, he's given the players purpose. He's simplified his approach, played players in their correct positions, and Van de Ven has been the standout. De Zerbi's pressing system has brought back the very best version of Van de Ven. He isn't spencing as much compared to his time under Ange. He's putting himself in better starting positions to handle his opponents. Wim Jonk said that Van de Ven used to have a bad starting position, but that his pace would always bail him out. Under De Zerbi, he not only has better positioning, but he understands when and how to use his pace without physically straining his muscles.

[00:08:18]That'll be it from me, guys. If you guys did like this video, click subscribe. If you want to see more videos just like this one, check out my last recent video.