Wayne Mardle alongside Rod Studd examined the key talking points from the World Matchplay and one of those was Michael van Gerwen and his status as the top player in darts.
Now World Number Three and seeing Peter Wright streak further ahead in the Order of Merit alongside Gerwyn Price, many argue he is not the player he once was and Mardle agrees with that sentiment saying that the intimidation factor in particular isn't there anymore.
"He's now only a world class darts player, he's not the best darts player anymore, he's one of many. But there are things this week I've seen that me personally I don't like," said Mardle to Sky Sports.
"We know that where he was practicing, it was away from everyone, it's away from the players he used to intimidate on the practice board, now he wants to be away from that and it says to me he hasn't got the confidence now to intimidate them on the practice board, maybe he's feeling that little bit inferior, I don't know.
"He's on a board, away from everyone where nobody can actually influence what he's doing, it's all about him which I get. But he always influenced the others. Now he's not doing that and that for me is a lack of confidence within him as a person and a darts player. My narrative is that he's just lacking confidence."
Futures of Durrant and Gurney
But from Van Gerwen lacking confidence at the top of the Order of Merit, he also spoke about players he is worried about in terms of their futures in the game with Glen Durrant and Daryl Gurney standing out.
"I'm kind of worried about Glen (Durrant). He's tried hard to get his game back and said he's a bit happier, he thinks he's just going to take a few months to kind of be a guide as to where his game's at. But it was the fall off, the fall off was in weeks. He's never blamed COVID, he's never blamed that which again as a narrative is easy to do. The man said it wasn't that so I believe the man," he continued.
"Daryl Gurney has just been very, very average for too long and I'm one of those that I think he comes back actually, I sense a man that has so much quality and he doesn't kind of look to me that he's bereft of all confidence. Duzza is that little bit different. Again he's of an age, the older you are the harder it is to get it back. He'll work, but again time will tell, about like Van Gerwen and Beaton, Lewis, Whitlock."
I hate to admit it but i think its unlikely we'll see the MVG of a few years ago when every match was an event and you thought he might average 167. he's lost parts of every part of his game. his heavy scoring has left him there's loads of non-treble visits which used to be counted on one hand over a match a few years ago. his set up play isn't as sharp, those vicious two-dart 87's and 94's just don't go in anywhere near as frequently anymore. he misses clutches of doubles regularly. he either needs to practice double 16 for a month straight or leave it alone because its getting him into trouble. the reduction of scoring means the missed doubles sting him because opponents are on their doubles and get given extra opportunities. Everything gets amplified by the way players aren't anywhere near as scared of him as they used to be and so the cycle continues. he's still a top, top player of course. he just made the semi of a major. but it was the first time for a long while that i looked at the semi final lineup and thought, 'MVG is the least likely to win the tournament'. mardle usually talks balls but i think the practice board comment is an interesting one. opponents regularly came out beaten before they played The Power and to a lesser extent against MVG. if his practice routine is perceived as another sign of fragility in MVG by the other players this only helps fuel their fires and makes things tougher for Michael. Hope he comes all the way back. MVG in full flow is the best thing to watch in darts by a country mile.