Roster Evaluation Part 1 - Defence

Article by Brent Weber

Thanks to the international break, I cannot watch Spurs this weekend, but it is a good chance to look at the current roster and evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. I was hoping for another LB and ST before the transfer window closed, but that didn’t happen. Overall the transfer window was pretty good to Spurs and I think management did an excellent job bringing in quality to prepare for Bale’s departure. We have added many new players and we have some definite areas of strength. Unfortunately we still have some areas of concern. In my next series of articles, I will evaluate each group of the roster and give my opinion on whether each group is a strength or concern.

Keeper

Hugo Lloris showed everyone during the NLD that he is one of the top keepers in the league if not in the world. He is a very aggressive, athletic, and instinctive keeper. He is a perfect keeper for the high-line defensive style that AVB coaches. Behind Lloris, we are a little thin. Although Freidel is an average back-up, he is getting up there in age and durability could be an issue. He will most likely only play in cup and early Europa league matches in order to minimize potential fitness concerns. Spurs could possibly to add depth here in January but I definitely think AVB will strengthen this area during the summer.

GK: Strength

Center Backs

This group is solid and competition for playing time will be tough at CB. Vertonghen is one of the top 3 CB’s in the premier league. Kaboul is still gaining fitness but when in form, he is a highly rated CB. I am not a huge fan of Dawson, especially in AVB’s high line system, but he does provide good leadership and cover. The key to this group will Chiriches’ development. If he is as good as advertised, Spurs central defense will be one of the best in the league. The strength of this group is the depth and versatility. Few teams have 4 good CB’s like Spurs. Vertonghen, Kaboul, and Chiriches all have ability to provide cover at LB as well. I think it is only a matter of time before Kaboul overtakes Dawson in the starting XI. Kaboul is more athletic and quicker so he has better ability to recover. Dawson’s margin of error is very slim. He is typically in good position but when he does make a mistake, he doesn’t recover well and we pay. No concerns with this group.

CB: Strength

Full Backs

I was shocked that we did not bring in another LB after loaning out BAE. I personally think this was a mistake. If there was no plan to bring in another LB, we should have kept BAE for cover. However, I am moving on and will trust Baldini and AVB’s decision. Rose has been decent through the first 3 matches. He has tremendous pace and shows very positive signs in attack. My concern with Rose is in defense. Walcott definitely got the better of him during the NLD, but Walcott is a tremendous player and he out play most LB’s in the league. The jury is still out on Rose, but considering he was out of AVB’s system last season and is still learning, I think he has potential to be an above average LB. Walker has also been inconsistent so far. He has been good in attack but slightly reckless on defense. He needs to be more consistent. Cover is the major concern in this group. It appears Naughton will be providing cover for both full back positions. I personally think Naughton is decent cover at RB. He is a more consistent defender than Walker, but he is much less effective in attack. He struggles at LB. It appears that AVB is also considering the use of Kaboul, Vertonghen, or Chiriches as LB cover. I don’t like the idea of using our best CB’s at LB, but we may not have another choice. Spurs should be looking very hard at bringing in another LB during the January window.

I have concerns with our fullbacks. We have an unproven starter on one side and an inconsistent defender on the other. In addition, there is lack of quality cover. The key to this group’s success is obviously Rose. If he can develop into a consistent defender while still providing quality attack up the left, we will be in good shape.

Fullbacks: Concern

As a whole, Spurs are solid in the back. We have a great keeper and good CB depth. We are suspect on the outside of the back four, but Walker and Rose are athletic and provide good attack, and should be able to make up for their defensive woes. We have only conceded 1 goal this season, which is in large part due to Lloris’ play. However, we have not played the best attacking teams yet so the one conceded goal is a little deceiving. It will be interesting to see how this group changes and performs after the international break. I really hope Rose continues to improve because his play will be vital in our ability to make the top 4 this season.

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