A DECADE ago, being compared to Manchester United might have been a huge but fitting compliment for Michael van Gerwen.
But now it’s a sign of how two giants of sport are spluttering below their past glorious heights.
Phil Taylor says he knows what Michael van Gerwen is going through[/caption]
The last of Van Gerwen’s three world titles came six years ago[/caption]
Darts legend Phil Taylor, a 16-time world champion, believes opponents no longer “fear” triple Ally Pally king Van Gerwen.
And The Power likens that loss of aura to the fate suffered by United when rival teams visit Old Trafford.
Just months ago Taylor backed 35-year-old MVG to turn the tide by winning this year’s Premier League.
But now the retired Stoke hero struggles to look beyond the two Lukes – 2024 world champ Humphries and reigning Ally Pally title holder Littler.
Van Gerwen passed Taylor’s record of six Prem titles by picking up his seventh crown as recently as 2023.
But although he is still the World No. 3, the Dutchman’s form has become erratic over the past few months.
He crashed out of the Players Championship 6 on Wednesday, losing 6-5 to 61st-ranked Englishman Ryan Meikle.
Taylor said: “I actually tipped Michael to win it earlier because his form appeared to be enjoying a bit of an upsurge.
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“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.
“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.”
Taylor added: “Some of the players have told me, ‘We don’t fear him any more – 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.”
But the 64-year stressed that Van Gerwen can remain a force in the game.
He said: “Michael is still a fantastic player, one of the best, but players have worked out how to beat him.
“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.”
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title – which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May.
He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player.
He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
