DARTS STAR QUESTIONS MVG FORM AT OCHE
16/03/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
MICHAEL van Gerwen’s form at the oche has been called into question by Vincent van der Voort.
‘The Green Machine’ finished as runner-up at this year’s World Championship, but his performances in 2025 so far have left plenty to be desired.
Seven-time Premier League winner Van Gerwen was knocked out of the second round in the Players Championship Six on Wednesday, losing 6-5 to Ryan Meikle.
World No. 3 Van Gerwen was dumped out in his opening match at the Belgium Open last weekend, having won just one match at the UK Open the week prior.
And the three-time world champion is still without a nightly victory in this year’s Premier League.
‘Mighty Mike’ has not reached the final of a tournament since his Ally Pally loss to Luke Littler.
According to Vincent van der Voort, a close friend and compatriot of Van Gerwen’s, the 35-year-old has “lost his aggression”.
Van der Voort said on the Darts Draait Door podcast: “He’s not stepping onto that stage with a do-or-die mentality anymore.
“There’s no aggression, no fire to show that he’s still the dominant force he once was. It all looks a bit routine, a bit obligatory.
“It’s about how you approach the game, the energy you bring. But Michael doesn’t seem to feel that himself.
“That’s understandable—how you appear on TV and how you feel internally can be two very different things.
“That’s why I tell him: watch yourself back on TV. He used to be a bouncing ball of energy on stage.”
He added: “If there’s one thing he’s never been, it’s submissive. That really surprised me. There’s no aggression in his game anymore, and he needs that.
“He used to want to devour his opponents—I just don’t see that in him right now.”
‘The Dutch Destroyer’ did conclude by suggesting Van Gerwen’s drop in form could be down to issues that don’t necessarily present themselves first-hand.
He said: “You have to consider his family, the relentless schedule—it’s easy for us to sit back in a studio and comment, but he’s the one who has to go out there and do it. Talking about it is the easy part.”
Van Gerwen returns to action tomorrow (Monday) at the Players Championship Eight in Hildesheim, Germany.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
