Spurs Roster Evaluation Part II – Midfield and Attack

Article by Brent Weber - 23.09.13

In an earlier article, I evaluated the defence. In part II, I am moving my attention to the midfield and attack of our current roster. Thanks to AVB, Baldini, and Mr. Levy, we have dramatically improved in the midfield, wings, and striker areas. Spurs management did an incredible job preparing for the inevitable departure of Gareth Bale and we were able to get 7 players this summer for less than £10 million in net spending. We are no longer a one man team and we have scoring threats all over the pitch.

Midfield

The midfield has essentially been completely reconstructed. Getting Sandro back is like a new signing. Paulinho and Capoue were tremendous signings and huge upgrades from last year. Dembele struggled a bit in the first 3 matches, but played a solid match against Norwich, looked sharp against Tromso, and I am confident he will return to form consistently. The nice thing is that AVB has plenty of options in this area and should be able to keep these players fit and rested through a long campaign. This group is strong, physical, athletic, and deep. I personally think we have the best midfield in the Premier League because of our depth.

Midfield: Strength

Wingers

In addition to the new signings of Chadli and Lamela, Townsend has returned from his loan spell and is off to an impressive start. Siggy is back filling in at various roles. Lennon is currently injured but has always provides good service from the right side. The key to this group will be Lamela. He is a gifted player and was impressive at Roma. He was impressive against Tromso and looks natural and fluid with the ball at his feet. As he settles in, his performances will only improve. Similar to the midfield, we have strength in numbers and versatility in this group. Most of these players can play either wing so the line-up combinations are endless. It will be fun to watch this group improve through the season.

Wingers: Strength

Attacking Mids

The acquisition of Eriksen was HUGE. He is total class! I can’t believe we got him for £8 million. He is skillful on the ball, an excellent creator, and a scoring threat. Every time he touches the ball, I wait for something magical to happen. The goal against Tromso was impressive. This signing will prove to be our best signing of the window and possibly the best value signing in the Premier League. Lewis Holtby is getting some valuable minutes in Europa and I love his game. He is a high energy player, has a high work rate, and is a good passer. He is not quite at the same level as Eriksen, but he provides good cover and versatility. Siggy has also filled this role early in the season, but I feel that he is better on the left. We struggled in the first 3 matches without creativity, but now that Eriksen is settling in and Holtby is gaining confidence, we will be fine.

Attacking Mids: Strength

Strikers

Soldado was a great signing for Spurs and he is tremendous talent. Now that we have Eriksen, service should improve and I can easily see him finishing with 15 – 20 goals this season. I was disappointed that we did not sign another striker before the window closed. Defoe is a good substitute, provides good energy off the bench, and has a nose for goal. He played well on Thursday, made some good runs and nice finishes. The competition for playing time seems to have motivated JD. I just wish JD would let his play do his talking and stay out of the media. I have absolutely no concerns with Soldado. The obvious concern is depth and quality behind Soldado. We must bring in another striker in the January window!

Strikers: Strength (As long as Soldado stays fit)

I really like our team! Eriksen was the final piece to the puzzle and he will make this team go. We have tremendous depth and versatility in the midfield and the wings so fatigue and fitness should not be a concern as in the past. I don’t think AVB and Baldini are done reconstructing. I think a striker is an obvious need in January. Adding LB cover would be nice, but I will say that Rose has exceeded my expectations. I could also see Spurs bringing in another creative attacker. That being said, we have enough talent on the roster to compete with every team in the league regardless of activity in January. AVB has lots of weapons at his disposal. We have tremendous talent at every position. It will take time for these weapons to be fully effective and mesh, but once they do Spurs will be a very dangerous team!

Share on Google Plus