Spurs have 'one of the best' defenders in the world, Ange describes future duo

In past seasons for Tottenham, no area of the pitch has received as much scrutiny as the defense. In recent times, however, the narrative has seemingly changed.

With the arrival of Micky van de Ven, the fastest player the Premier League has ever seen, Spurs' back-line has been completely revamped. With the Dutch footballer standing alongside World Cup winner Cristian Romero, Tottenham's defense looks like a force to be reckoned with.

In his press conference leading up to this weekend's clash with Wolves (via Football London), Ange Postecoglou delivered his take on the development of the two players:

"Yeah it’s been really pleasing... centre-back partnerships most of the time, they tend to build together because you need so much understanding in a crucial part of the game where a lot of it is almost unspoken. You need to be able to understand each other’s game and I think they compliment each other really well.

We've seen a few times this season where the communication has unfortunately fallen apart, especially on set-pieces, where Spurs conceded both of their goals during their dissapointing 2-2 draw to Everton earlier this month. However, with that being said, it's really all part of the process, according to the manager:

"I’ve been super impressed with Romero this year. I already knew he was one of the best defenders in the world, but the way he’s tackled the whole leadership area, really become disciplined in his play and not just Micky but the other players, how he’s kind of really guiding them in the right way. Especially Micky, and Micky I’ve already spoken about, the way he has adjusted to the Premier League has been outstanding. So it is great for those two. We missed them, both during the middle part of the year, so it is good to have them both back out there."

The truth, as Ange describes, is that VDV is still in his first season of Premier League football and Romero is only just now stepping into his newer leadership role in the absence of club veterans like Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane, and Eric Dier. Both players have also been working to recover from their earlier injuries, which saw Micky miss out on ten games, and Romero three. Despite the setbacks, their progression has been impressive, leaving many to wonder how much they'll grow from here.

On top of the solidity in the back which the two defenders have been working to provide and improve upon as the season has progressed, Tottenham have only further reinforced their ranks, signing the highly-rated Radu Dragusin from Genoa CFC during the January transfer window.

Arguably, the Romanian footballer hasn't received a fair shot at Premier League action since his arrival, with just eight minutes of play thus far. However, despite getting overshadowed by the starters, it's clear that with any injury or suspension that may come in the future, the former Serie A player will be the immediate back-up option.

The reality of the extremely competitive English professional football league is that, in order to go up against top sides, you need to have a deep bench made up of players who would normally start for most other teams. This is very much the predicament Dragusin has found himself in, and while it may not be the ideal spot for such a young player, it certainly gives him the opportunity to prove his ability, while offering Tottenham the risk-management they need to stay competitive.

Spurs will take on Wolves this weekend, who they previously lost to in a 2-1 defeat. While the goals have been flowing in North London, with the team now having found the back of the net in 36 straight matches, the defense will be crucial to success as Tottenham look to further solidify their top-four spot against the trailing Aston Villa.