Latest news with #MickyvandeVen
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Tottenham sign Japan defender Kota Takai (20) from Kawasaki Frontale
The 20-year-old has agreed a five-year deal and will compete in central defence with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin. Tottenham have not disclosed a fee. The Premier League club said: "We are delighted to announce the signing of Kota Takai from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale, subject to international clearance and work permit. "The Japan international defender has agreed a deal with the club that will run until 2030." Takai made his international debut in September in a 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over China having helped his club side to an eighth-placed finish domestically last season. Takai, who has made four senior appearances for his country, was named Japan's young player of the year in 2024 having broken into Kawasaki's first team two years previously. He made a total of 81 senior appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring four goals, and helped them reach the 2025 AFC Champions League final. He is the club's second signing since Thomas Frank was appointed as head coach in place of Ange Postecoglou earlier in June, after Mathys Tel's six-month loan from Bayern Munich was made permanent.
Qatar Tribune
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Tottenham to sign Japan defender Takai from Kawasaki
PA Media/dpa London Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Japan international defender Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale, the PA news agency understands. The 20-year-old will move to north London in July for a £5 million ($6.8 million) fee and will compete in central defence with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin. He made his international debut in September in a 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over China having helped his club side to an eighth-place finish domestically last season. He is the club's second signing since Thomas Frank was appointed as head coach in place of Ange Postecoglou earlier in June, after Mathys Tel's six-month loan from Bayern Munich was made permanent. In 2024 he was named Japan's young player of the year having broken into Kawasaki's first team two years previously.
Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Thomas Frank's Tottenham in-tray: Lift post-Ange mood and do not play his football
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new head coach, describing the Dane as 'one of the most progressive and innovative' managers within the game. Here, Telegraph Sport assesses Frank's top priorities before his first season in north London. Lift the post-Ange mood Within certain sections of the club and large chunks of the fanbase, there was genuine sadness at the departure of Ange Postecoglou. Many of the supporters wanted the Australian to stay after his Europa League triumph, while a series of key first-team players have made their own views clear following his exit. Micky van de Ven, for example, has said the decision to sack Postecoglou was 'strange'. Cristian Romero, meanwhile, posted a farewell message to Postecoglou less than an hour after Frank's appointment was confirmed. In his post, Romero wrote: 'Ange, thank you for these two incredible seasons. You're a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best. From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist.' Ange,thank you for these two incredible seasons. You're a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best. From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist. Beyond everything, we won a trophy and went down in… — Cuti Romero (@CutiRomero2) June 12, 2025 None of this makes the situation any easier for Frank. To some, he might feel like the new step-dad who is trying to replace the beloved father of the squad. A managerial change is normally made when a club is at a low ebb, and when there is real appetite for a new voice and a different direction. For Frank and Spurs, it is a totally different scenario. The Dane will need to play it extremely delicately and sensitively if he is to quickly win over the players and supporters. Resolve Son's future One of the most pressing concerns for Frank will be the future of club captain Son Heung-min. As revealed by Telegraph Sport earlier this month, there is a real possibility that the 32-year-old, who has one year remaining on his existing contract, might leave this summer. From a business perspective, this window represents an opportunity to generate a transfer fee that would help the club to reshape the team. But would the loss of Son be a major problem for Frank? As he looks to win over the Spurs squad, does he not need to bring the South Korean onside? An alternative argument is that this summer represents a fresh start for Spurs, and that the departure of Son could accelerate it. After all, what better way to signal a new era than to say farewell to the player who best represents the previous era? Either way, it will not suit Frank or Spurs to have this situation dragging on throughout the summer. A swift decision is required. Add tactical flexibility The most frequent criticism of Postecoglou was that he was simply too stubborn with his tactical approach, and too insistent on only playing a certain way (high energy, high defensive line, high risk). Was this a fair accusation? Overall, yes. Spurs were more rugged and defensive-minded on their way to Europa League glory but, looking at their Premier League performances under Postecoglou's management, there is no doubt that they were generally a tactically inflexible side. Frank, by contrast, is arguably the most adaptable coach in the Premier League. At Brentford he was able to shift the team's style between matches, conjuring different tactical plans for different opponents. Sometimes he would play with an aggressive, possession-based style. In other games he would deploy a back three and sit deep. The sooner Frank can introduce these different approaches to his new team, the better. Spurs need to be far less predictable and much more malleable. Unleash Solanke Of all the players in the Spurs squad, Dominic Solanke should perhaps be the most excited by the thought of working closely with Frank. The new Spurs head coach has a phenomenal track record of improving strikers. It was under Frank's guidance, for example, that Ollie Watkins became a prolific scorer in the Championship (which ultimately led to him transferring to Aston Villa). Frank also brought the best out of Ivan Toney, who joined Brentford from League One side Peterborough United and left them as an England international. It speaks volumes of Frank's coaching ability that three of his forwards reached double figures for Premier League goals last season. Bryan Mbeumo scored 20, Yoane Wissa scored 19 and Kevin Schade scored 11. Spurs spent an initial £55 million on Solanke last summer and he has since scored nine goals in 27 Premier League games. Frank will need more from his centre-forward, and history shows that he should know how to squeeze goals out of him. Manage the schedule None of Frank's plans will work if he suffers from the same injury problems that Postecoglou faced last season, and it will be fascinating to see how the new head coach handles the relentless schedule that faces teams in the Champions League. Frank does not have experience of juggling the demands of Premier League football with midweek European commitments. He will need to adapt his methods accordingly – he will have much less time on the training pitches, for example – and also find a solution to the fitness issues that derailed Spurs last season. For Frank, this scheduling issue represents the biggest step into the unknown. Fix the defence Perhaps the most obvious point of all: Frank must make Spurs a better defensive unit than they were under Postecoglou. Spurs conceded 65 goals in the Premier League last season, which was at least 20 more than each of the top four teams. Frank's tactical flexibility (see above) should help in this regard but it will be interesting to see whether he prioritises defensive solidity over attacking invention in his first few months in north London. It would be no surprise, given the weaknesses of the team he has inherited, if his early focus is on defensive shape and building more resilience at set-pieces. Do not expect Spurs to become boring and cagey all of a sudden, though. Indeed, Brentford were one of the most fun teams to watch in the division last season: there were 123 goals (66 scored, 57 conceded) in their 38 games, a total surpassed only by Liverpool and Brighton.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp hits out at club's players for showing support for sacked Ange Postecoglou as he tells them they should have 'tried harder'
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp doesn't have much time for Tottenham stars who have showed public support for Ange Postecoglou following his sacking. Postecoglou led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years in his second season but a dire Premier League campaign saw him lose his job. There were joyous scenes in that part of north London after Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final last month. However, Daniel Levy and co chose to part ways with the 59-year-old two weeks later with the club's 17th-placed finish in the top flight the determining factor. Spurs stars have taken to social media to show their support for Postecoglou in the time since while others have taken thinly veiled swipes at ownership. Micky van de Ven labelled the decision to part ways with Postecoglou 'strange' while Cristian Romero took to Instagram minutes after the appointment of Thomas Frank was confirmed this week, making reference to the many obstacles that exist at the club. Yves Bissouma also revealed some emotional private messages between him and his former manager in which he expressed his gratitude. Redknapp, however, isn't a fan of this public well-wishing after seeing the performances of the team throughout the majority of the campaign. 'That's football, that's what footballers do,' he said at a Soccer Aid training session on Thursday. 'Oh we love the previous manager well why didn't you try a bit harder you might not have finished fourth from bottom. 'It's the same old message you know. The king is dead, long live the king. That's football. 'They all come out and say the manager was great and then the new manager comes and he'll great.
Evening Standard
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Christian Romero: Spurs star issues Ange Postecoglou farewell shortly after Thomas Frank takeover confirmed
Micky van de Ven described the move as 'strange' in an interview with Dutch television, while Pedro Porro wrote: 'Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated. Wishing you all the very best, boss.'
