Rafael Van der Vaart’s bright start to the season has sparked huge debate over whether the new Spurs signing can replicate his Dutch counterpart Dennis Bergkamp, and light up the Premier League in style.
Since his last gasp summer move from Real Madrid, Van der Vaart has gained many plaudits for his excellent start to the season, where he has reinvigorated Tottenham’s offensive firepower, with a number of adept displays. To date he has two goals, one assist, and has played a pivotal role in many of his team’s surges forward. His deft touch, carefully timed runs, and ability to pick out a perfectly weighted pass, have raised considerable comparisons with the Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.
The Dutch master, famed for his exquisite touch, attacking style and peripheral vision, is permanently stamped in as one of the greatest foreign imports to grace the Premier League. His sublime skill and gifted technique propelled Arsenal towards three Premier League crowns and four FA Cups. Bergkamp often orchestrated play from just behind the striker, a position that enabled him to assert his presence on any game. Van der Vaart appears to be operating in the same territory, with similar results. With the gap between the midfield and forwards allowing him to utilise his intelligence and playmaking instincts to full effect.
With just over a handful of games played for his new club, Van der Vaart has already been championed as the missing ingredient in Tottenham’s concoction of talent. His intelligence, vision and skill are attributes that have often eluded Tottenham’s inconsistent strike force. The talent has always been there, but on many occasions their strikers have been unable to live up to expectations, and have welted away under the pressure. If Van de Vaart continues to produce consistently high-level performances, it will only inspire his fellow strikers. If they then start firing on all cylinders on a regular basis, the Tottenham fans are in for an absolute treat.
Despite Van de Vaart’s early signs of excellence, questions have been raised over his suspect temperament. In Wednesday’s bittersweet Champions League encounter with FC Twente, he bizarrely missed a penalty, scored a cracking volley, and got sent off, all in the space of twenty minutes. Reckless challenges and sly elbows were something that plagued Bergkamp throughout his time with Arsenal. Van der Vaart needs to learn to keep his emotions and temperament in check, otherwise opposing players will hastily exploit this vulnerability.
Whether Van der Vaart can come close to emulating his Dutch idol remains to be seen. He still needs to adjust to the rapid pace and athleticism of the Premier League, which is something he himself has acknowledged. At the moment he’s more accustomed to the highly technical, slower paced game played in La Liga, where players are allowed more time and space on the ball. Van der Vaart has nonetheless adapted relatively quickly, but still needs to put in the hours in training, and work on transferring his ingenuity to the high-tempo style of the Premier League.