Michael van Gerwen can be wound up ahead of Peter Wright clash, says Wayne Mardle
But that doesn't mean he'll lose!
Wednesday 4 March 2015 17:49, UK
Michael van Gerwen is vulnerable to losing his cool as Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright have proved, says Wayne Mardle.
Live Premier League Darts
The world No 1 meets Wright, who he shares a chequered past with, live on Sky Sports on Thursday as Premier League Darts passes through Exeter, having drawn a fiery encounter against Lewis last week.
Mardle concedes that the sensational Dutchman has almost no weaknesses but his tendency to let opponents rile him up could be targeted.
“It can be exploited,” he told Sky Sports. “If he knows your game, and you do something that isn’t normally in your repertoire, he will think it’s aimed at him. I’ve noticed that time and time again.
“It certainly doesn’t mean he’ll lose, but if you can give Van Gerwen something else to think about that can only be a good thing. Even if you take the darts out differently – just do something!”
Disrespectful
Van Gerwen renews acquaintances with the colourful Wright this week, who he defeated in a heated match in Dublin last year.
“Wright was walking off the oche with one dart still in his hand, playing up to the crowd and Michael thought it was disrespectful,” Mardle remembered. “Michael over-reacted.
“Wright was a lot more confident back then, he might have been a better player then. He was on a roll, he was the player to beat. Top of the Premier League, everything was going swimmingly. The dynamics have changed – Van Gerwen is now the best in the world by quite a long way.”
It certainly doesn’t mean he’ll lose, but if you can give Van Gerwen something else to think about that can only be a good thing.
Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor faces James Wade in Exeter, another tie that evokes Mardle’s memories of squabbling at the oche from years gone by.
“The Taylor-Wade rivalry could simmer for another four or five years because they’ve had a past,” he said.
He added of darting mind games: “Peter Manley was at his best trying to put off Lewis. When Ted Hankey beat Simon Whitlock – that was a man getting into the mind of someone else.
“That’s a skill and not everyone can do it. Hankey and Manley took out fabulous finishes in those matches.
“The bottom line is, you can do all the shenanigans you like, but you have to produce the goods. Otherwise, all the gamesmanship in the world isn’t going to wash.”
Rivalry
The clash that kicked into another gear last week between Van Gerwen and Lewis has the longevity to match darts’ most epic rivalries, Mardle believes.
“A true rivalry is when you have no idea who’s going to win. If Van Gerwen plays Lewis 10 times they could win five each,” he said. “Van Gerwen and Lewis will compete, you’d think, for the next five to 10 years.
“This is a personality rivalry as well as a darting rivalry. It’s got all the makings of an Eric Bristow-Jocky Wilson or a Bristow-John Lowe. They’ll contest finals and world championships against each other. That’s what I call a rivalry.”
Watch Premier League Darts from Exeter on Thursday at 7pm at Sky Sports 1 HD.
