Article by Sean WalshThe international break- something I’m sure everyone hates. Deprivation of Premier League football, boring Saturday’s, watching England get outplayed by a side whose childhoods consisted of washing cars for less than minimum wage (thanks for the details, Alexis Sanchez). Then of course, the unnecessary injuries, and Tottenham luck being Tottenham luck, we’ve suffered a big blow in the shape of Christian Eriksen.
Whilst playing in a ‘friendly’ against Norway, Eriksen was the victim of a stupidly late challenge, which is reported to have damaged his ankle ligaments (which seems to be the new metatarsal). Just another reason why internationals not long after qualifying campaigns end are futile.
For those who have Twitter, they would’ve seen the meltdown of Spurs fans last night; endless streams of tweets questioning the severity of the injury, countless waves of people desperately trying to convince themselves it’s all a hoax, umpteen supporters on the verge of breaking point after last week’s defeat.
The reaction surprised me a little- Eriksen’s performances had come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with a lot of people wondering what he did to earn a start against Newcastle. On the other hand, Eriksen created the most chances in that game, so perhaps those people were quick to backtrack on their comments. Nevertheless, with a squad so deep and talented as it has been in a very, very long time, I would’ve expected people to deal with the news a little better; there are several other potentially successful teams we could field, particularly the players lining up just behind Roberto Soldado.
Candidate 1- Lewis Holtby
After an uneasy settling period last season, Lewis seems to have found his feet at Tottenham Hotspur. A player who can operate deeper in the midfield as opposed to his usual No. 10 role, the German offers what Spurs fans cry out for- commitment. No matter what team we’re facing, no matter what the score, no matter how long is left, Holtby will work like a terrier to get a hold of the ball. Combined with a good eye for a slotted pass in behind the defence, Holtby is becoming a fan favourite at White Hart Lane, and I’m sure he’ll be most people’s favourite to replace Eriksen, especially since he’s dumped the Dane from the starting line-up already this season. On a personal note, I don’t think he is the favourite. In my opinion, he’s better off playing deep alongside either Sandro or Capoue, being able to utilise his work rate more efficiently, and not leave Soldado isolated. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lewis and think he’s a cracking player, I just don’t think the No. 10 role’s for him.
Candidate 2- Gylfi Sigurdsson
Again a player who’s life in North London didn’t get started the way he would’ve hoped, our Icelander has been proving a hit recently, with goals against Norwich and Chelsea to boast, as well as an absolutely monstrous strike against Hull in the Capital One Cup. Gylfi has certainly been living up to his £8million price tag recently, with a lot of people happy to see him in the starting line-up, albeit starting in a less than favourable position. Now imagine if he were to play in a more comfortable role- how much more damage could he do to the opposition? A killer strike, a good relationship with ol’ Bobby Soldier, and a splitting pass that we’ve seen glimpses of- Sigurdsson could prove a point to any doubters left out there (particularly my brother who refused to stand when the goal vs. Hull went in…) . The one thing he doesn’t have on his rivals for this position is a dominant physical attribute. Let’s face it, he’s no Usain Bolt, or even Jermaine Jenas when it comes to running. Yes, he’s tall, but I think people can glide in front of him too easily and dispossess him; he’s not one to outmuscle an opponent. An interesting contender, nonetheless.
Candidate 3- Erik Lamela
Huh, I’m seeing a pattern here in terms of settling in…
Oh well. Now before I start, I want to say that Erik Lamela can play in the hole. In fact, it was only last season when he moved out to the flanks.
Let’s get down to business, then. Lamela has been the name on the fans lips ever since he became our record signing, even when he wasn’t playing. People have been begging to AVB, “Start Lamela!”. The response of the man we all love has left some people baffled however. ‘He needs to adapt to the English style’. Okay, admittedly that’s true, but 90 minutes on the bench certainly isn’t going to help that. We have seen glimpses of the man that rubs shoulders with Lionel Messi internationally, with a certain Moldovan club the most notable victims. It was only Sheriff. Physically, yes. Mentally, no. That performance gave Erik a whole lot of needed confidence (I wanted to cry for him after he missed a penalty in the shoot-out vs. Hull, but I’ve said a lot about that story now so I’ll continue with the article). A goal right in front of his family and girlfriend specifically put a smile on the young man’s face. What would give him even more confidence is a start against Manchester City- a real test, but one I’m sure he’d pass with flying colours. If he were to take that No. 10 role, he’d be able to run at a vulnerable City defence more, one lacking Vincent Kompany. An exciting prospect is a link up with Soldado; Lamela mentioned in a previous Q&A that Soldado was his best friend at the club because they speak the same language. Now, you might think that this has little impact, but you’ll be surprised. No one else in the team will have an understanding like they do. Roberto will be more able to communicate with his No. 10, and be able to point out where he wants his service, something that’s been quite lacking recently. It could mean the end of our goal worries. A wildcard candidate for some, but the favourite for me.
Whatever AVB decides to do, I’m sure we will be fine in having someone step in for a few weeks; onwards and upwards.
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I would normally think this would be a perfect time for AVB to try out someone like Lamela and Sigurdsson interchanging between the hole and the left flank. However the next fixtures are going to be tough. He'll go for Holtby and try to add a bit of steel and fight.
ReplyDeleteHow about Dembele at no 10??
ReplyDeleteDembele and Holtby are CM, not really CAM. Perfect candidate will be Lamela, he sees those tight passes, and can also thread them through nicely.
ReplyDeleteDembele does well to get to the final third, but then runs out of juice and passes either sideways or backwards - doesn't have the off-the-striker mentality.
Holtby on the other hand, can fill the void, but again, he's not as offensive as Lamela and as it stands we need a player with pure-offensive ability, which Lamela will provide.
I just feel either Dembele or Holtby can play along Sandro. Possibly Holtby, as he can pass those neat balls to Lamela, and switch Dembele for Sandro in the latter stages.
Sig and Townsend needs to swap wings from time to time, if they can't threaten the opposition goal in the first 45mins, it's a sign that they should switch around and try to deliver crosses instead of cutting inside and taking a pop.
Paulinho IMO must be paired up with Sandro if we want to hold on to a win. Only start them two together if we're facing an offensive team. That's my thought on how we can score more... wait, score goals from now on..