Thursday 7 April, 2011


Blog: From MVB to MVP


Scott Fleming marvels at the reformed character at the heart of Milan’s midfield and Scudetto charge – Mark Van Bommel

What’s the most incomprehensible aspect of Mark Van Bommel’s career? Is it the fact that he somehow managed to avoid a red card at the World Cup last summer despite repeated and blatant fouls? Or is it the fact that he was once deemed fit to play for Barcelona?

His cynical, no holds barred style seemed completely at odds with the beauty and the idealism of Barca’s tiki-taka philosophy. His move from the Philips Stadion to the Camp Nou in 2005 appeared to be the equivalent of the Royal Ballet recruiting a UFC fighter. It just didn’t make sense. Not until he signed for Milan in January.

The Rossoneri seemed almost embarrassed to announce the transfer. Little wonder, given the fact that Adriano Galliani had publicly pish poshed the idea of signing the Dutchman. “He is an important player, but his age is such that we aren't thinking about it, no.”

Lo and behold, less than two weeks later Van Bommel became a Milan player. Fans and journalists alike let out a collective groan. He was considered too old, too similar to Milan’s other midfielders and above all, too uncompromising.

For Van Bommel it was nothing new. Despite winning countless trophies, playing with some of the world’s prestigious clubs and captaining his country, MVB has always been known, first and foremost, as a hatchet man. It’s no exaggeration to say that the 33-year-old is one of the world’s most unpopular footballers, vying for supremacy of that select club with Marco Materazzi and El Hadji Diouf.

The former PSV man was a quick fix – that was the consensus. With Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf injured at the time Milan were expected to make use of Van Bommel in the short term then discard him in the summer when his six month deal expired. Those low expectations sunk even further when he was sent off on his Serie A debut in Catania, even though it was a harsh red card and a case of his reputation preceding him.

He was immediately drafted back into the first XI on his return from suspension however, and that’s where he’s stayed ever since, defying expectations and gradually chipping away at negative perceptions.

“The club were right to buy him,” said Massimiliano Allegri after the 1-0 win at Juventus in March. “He is a very intelligent player who already understands Italian football well and gives good protection to the defence.”

Van Bommel has been selected by Allegri in every game he’s been available for, and during that time he’s collected just three yellow cards and the aforementioned solitary red. It’s not just his reduced card count that’s endeared him to the Diavolo support, it’s his work rate, his range of passing, and the little artistic flourishes that suggest him and Barcelona weren’t so incompatible after all.

His bad reputation will live on, and you have to admit he’s earned it, but Van Bommel’s spell in Lombardy has served to remind us of the considerable talent that has been obscured by all those crunching tackles over the years.

If we should keep him, one between Ambrosini and Gattuso must leave. I don't want our midfield's average age to be 33. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

both can leave (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)