Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen has endured a tricky Premier League campaign
Phil Taylor has warned Michael van Gerwen the fear factor has gone - and opponents are no longer cowed into submission by the sight of his green shirt.
Van Gerwen has suffered a mini-dip in form, crashing out of the Masters, UK Open, Belgian Open and making little headway in the BetMGM Premier League, where he faces Nathan Aspinall in Nottingham on Thursday. And 16-times world champion the ‘Power’ - who enjoyed almost a decade of intense rivalry with Clog Almighty - says it’s the end of an aura for MVG.
Taylor, whose six Premier League tiles were eclipsed by Van Gerwen’s record seventh in 2023, said: “If I had to pick a Premier League champion now, I’d go for one of the Lukes - Littler or Humphries.
“I actually tipped Michael to win it earlier because his form appeared to be enjoying a bit of an upsurge. But I know exactly why he’s finding it harder to win tournaments now: When you are younger, you don’t fear anybody - you went up there, you never thought about it, you were free as a bird and you just did it.
[
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“I used to stand behind Michael when I was playing against him and think, ‘How have you just done that?’ He was brilliant, out of this world.
“But now he’s getting older and he’s thinking about it - whether it’s changing his darts, tinkering with his throwing action or whatever and some of the players have told me, ‘We don’t fear him any more, [Luke Humphries](http://Luke Humphries) and Luke Littler are above him in the rankings now, they are calling the shots.’
“It’s a bit like playing Manchester United at Old Trafford - opposition teams used to line up in the tunnel and know they were getting beat before a ball was kicked, but now the fear factor has gone.
“Don’t get me wrong, Michael is still a fantastic player, one of the best, but players have worked out how to beat him and he’s not having things all his own way.
Phil Taylor
Phil Taylor claims Michael van Gerwen's fear factor has gone
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“It’s not just about your ability - it’s about your equipment, your shoes, your shirt - you’ve got to get everything right, live a boring life and dedicate yourself to winning like a tennis player or cricketer or a top footballer.”
Van Gerwen, 35, has not won a world title since 2019 or a TV major since 2023. Teenage world champion Littler complained last month that opponents are now playing out of their skin against him, and Taylor believes Van Gerwen is suffering from a similar infamy syndrome: Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me.
He said: “I know how it works - I had people trying to knock me off my perch for almost 30 years, and nothing lasts forever. Watching the professionals now, the only time the two Lukes get beat is when they miss doubles.
“Other than that, unless you go out there and hit 118 averages, they are going to be the ones to beat, more so than Michael - and the Premier League table is already shaping up that way.
“I’ve heard there are some really good young players coming through, and that might be the biggest threat to the Lukes, but the old brigade had better take what they can, look after their money, bank it, pay their taxes and say their prayers.”
Thursday's games (Sky Sports Darts, 7pm): Luke Humphries v Luke Littler, Rob Cross v Chris Dobey, Stephen Bunting v Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
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