Decorated darts superstar, Michael van Gerwen has received a blunt assessment of his recent form after Sky Sports commentator Rod Studd claimed the Dutchman is now capable of oscillating from imperious brilliance to complete disarray within the space of only a few days.
The three-time World Champion has endured another deeply underwhelming campaign by the extraordinary standards he established during his era of prolonged dominance, with mounting concerns surrounding both his consistency and long-term standing within the sport’s elite hierarchy. Van Gerwen currently has £419,500 in ranking prize money to defend before the conclusion of the season and is provisionally projected to fall as low as world number 20 following the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
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Once regarded as virtually untouchable during the apex of his career, the Dutchman has not captured a ranked televised major title since 2022 and has thus far failed to reach a quarter-final on the major stage throughout the current campaign. His fluctuating performances have increasingly become a source of scrutiny amongst analysts and former professionals, many of whom continue to acknowledge his immense natural ability whilst simultaneously questioning the sustainability of his present level.
Speaking on the Weekly Dartscast, Studd delivered an uncompromising appraisal of Van Gerwen’s erratic displays, arguing that the principal issue undermining the Dutchman’s ambitions is no longer talent, but rather the alarming unpredictability of his performances.
He said: “He went from throwing like a dream to throwing like a drain in a matter of days.
“It’s inexplicable really, isn’t it? But I suppose it’s not inexplicable because it’s what Michael has been doing.
“He’s been throwing in a shocker perhaps once in every five or six games.
“In tournaments, when you’re trying to win a tournament like the [World] Matchplay, you’ve got to win five games. It’s tough if you’re going to throw in a shocker in one of those five.
“So, it’s tough for Michael to win tournaments throwing so poorly once every five or six games.
“If he could replicate what he’s doing at his best, then my word, he’d be a danger to everybody.”
Despite the criticism, Studd was equally emphatic in stressing that Van Gerwen still possesses a ceiling few competitors in world darts are capable of approaching when operating at maximum capacity. Even amidst his recent inconsistency, glimpses of the devastating force which once terrorised the professional circuit continue to emerge sporadically.
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One such reminder arrived during Players Championship 15 in Leicester, where Van Gerwen produced a breathtaking display to dismantle Martin Schindler 7-0 in the semi-finals whilst averaging in excess of 122 – a level of scoring and finishing precision virtually unparalleled within the modern game.
Reflecting upon that performance, Studd insisted the Dutchman remains capable of overwhelming even the sport’s foremost contemporary names whenever he rediscovers his optimum rhythm.
He added: “But I don’t care who you are, if you’re on the wrong end of what he produced in that semi-final in Leicester.
“Luke Humphries, [Gerwyn] Price, [Wessel] Nijman, they’d be in trouble.
“There’s no question about it. So, it’s the consistency that Michael’s lacking. And if he knew why it was happening, well, I’m sure he’d fix it.”
Further compounding an already disappointing season, Van Gerwen also failed to qualify for Premier League Finals Night after concluding the league campaign in sixth position – only the third occasion in his distinguished career that he has missed out on the competition’s decisive evening.
For a player whose name once appeared almost permanently engraved upon major trophies, the current predicament represents a striking alteration in trajectory. Yet despite the mounting uncertainty surrounding his long-term prospects, Van Gerwen’s enduring capacity for moments of incandescent brilliance ensures he remains one of the most dangerous and enigmatic competitors within professional darts.
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Images: PDC (main) Weekly Dartscast ( Insert)
