The Key Questions about the January Window

So Jim White day has been and passed, and we’ve decided to go with what we had, rather than take the risk of improving the squad. Opinions seem split between those that wanted the ‘2nd striker’ and those that ‘trust in Poch’.

Article by Jason @e_spursthailand

If I’m honest, I’d be in the ‘2nd striker’ camp, whilst still being happy with what Poch wants to do. After all, my call for Berahino was not based on personal choice, rather that of him being the Poch choice just a few months ago. I wanted to see our head coach fully backed by the chairman.

In fairness, it would seem again from WBA declining bids from Stoke & Newcastle, including £21m cash-up-front immediately from Newcastle, that they were unlikely to give way unless a massive £30M bid was made, and it was highly unlikely our chairman would sanction such a bid, and some would say rightly so.

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There are those that would say our attacking options so far this season have seen us climb to 4th, and therefore justifies the faith in the players we already have, but in a season where so many other top-4 candidates have struggled, there are those that would say had we made additional attacking purchases maybe a few of those draws would have been turned into wins. We could have even more points on the board, thereby completely cementing our top-4 place and even giving us the lead at the top as we head into the last 15 fixtures, and really having title aspirations. Whilst 5 points clear of 5th has given us optimism, imagine being 5 points clear of 2nd !!

As always, if’s, but’s, and maybe’s!

But there are a few questions to rise from the non-movement window.

Clinton N’jie joined on 15th August, Heung Min Son joined us on 28th August. On 27th August, Pochettino made the famous quote “There are always a lot of players around the world that you can sign. But it’s like when you are in love with some lady – there are a lot of women around the world but you want only one.” Beyond signing Son, we continued to pursue and bid for Saido Berahino. So it begs the question, if Poch really was happy with the squad at his disposal on August 28th, why he still wanted Berahino. We know Poch doesn’t want to waste money, and doesn’t want just anyone, but he obviously felt spending the additional £22M was worth it and would improve the squad, and Berahino was indeed that “one”.

And so we come to January. No actual bid this time made for Berahino. Has Poch changed his mind, has the “bad attitude” of the player put us off, or does the Pritchard loan signal an attempt to heal the bad blood between the clubs and a summer 2016 move for the same player.

Then we turn to Moussa Dembele, a deal of £1.7/£5m depending on who you believe was agreed with Fulham, and the player undertook a medical. Whilst the player is out of contract in the summer, the fee was hardly a drain on resources of a premier league club in our own financial position. But the move broke down when Fulham insisted on the player returning on loan for the rest of the season, and given Fulham’s league position, and their own transfer embargo, and indeed our own handling of the Dele Alli purchase, this seemed a perfectly reasonable request. Therefore, if Poch is indeed very happy with the squad he currently has, why was this so much of a problem to us to have him return on loan. If we wanted him at WHL for the rest of the season and available for selection, this means Poch did feel an improvement could be made to the squad.

There are those that say we shouldn’t worry about if Kane gets injured. If, doesn’t mean he will. He hasn’t been injured yet, so why worry about him being so. But, we had 6 weeks without Son, 8 weeks without Chadli and likely to be more with Njie, and now 8 weeks without Vertonghen. Injuries do unfortunately happen, and they can be long term. Square pegs in round holes, stop-gaps, work sometimes, but would they work over a 6-8-10 week period. Do we have a player in the squad capable of actually leading the line, scoring the type of goal Harry did against Arsenal last season. It’s not just the goals an actual striker scores, it’s the natural runs he makes that the presence and respect he has against central-defenders, his ability to hold the ball up, that dictates how you can actually play. Kane’s game is so much more than just scoring goals.

Chadli & Son may well, in fact, have a decent chance of matching the goal total Harry could bring, but can they honestly replace his all round game. If strikers are purely measured on goals, we might just have well kept Defoe!

And finally, there is the question of Paul Mitchell’s little black book. Did it really only contain the name of Berahino in the summer. Did it really only contain the name of Dembele this January. Were there really no other names in that book that were worthy of making a least a bid for, of at least trying to sign? Does the little book only actually contain one single page?

Whilst we may all be happy with what we have got, why would any of us turn down the chance to improve? That one option we decided not to pursue may well have delivered those additional 4-6 points that at the end of the season that could prove to be so decisive. 

For me, I’d have at least tried to give myself that option.

For those that feel Kane and 3 false 9s in Chadli, Son & Njie is enough, and we didn't need anything else, presumably they would be happy if we also ignore the summer and go into next season with just that?

As Abraham Lincoln famously said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

And if you feel summer is the time to strengthen, then why ignore 15 league games and 2 cup campaigns and our best chance of challenging for the title to at least try to do so.

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