Article by Locky Peters @e_spurs_aus
New Signings: B -
This one is a little bit tricky. Many felt that with all the money coming in with TV deals and Champions League cash that the squad would be bolstered by some kind of marque signing in the summer. Others felt that with such a balanced and well glued team that such a signing would prove to be an imbalance. I fell within the latter group and considered the business that the club did end up doing to be sufficient, not amazing.
Vincent Janssen however, not so much. I am firmly in the ‘give him a chance’, camp of this discussion, but am finding it harder and harder to defend him. He was given his first start in months against Villa in the FA Cup yesterday, and while I thought it was unfortunate that he was subbed after only an hour, his performance left a very flat impression. He has only scored from the penalty spot, and has missed some truly glorious opportunities. He has so much effort in him though; you just can’t help but like the lad. He is trying so hard, maybe even too hard. He just seems to lack a little composure, and you can tell that the lack of goals is getting to him. Again I would stress that he is very young and is still a prospect, but if he was signed as competition for, or an adequate back up to Harry Kane – he fails in these regards to be a good signing.
Moussa Sisssoko is an interesting case. Following a draw with Liverpool in which many of our better players failed to perform to the standard that we had been expecting, Pochettino made it known that he wanted a player that could do something a bit different, a line breaking kind of guy. And on transfer deadline day we got our man, unexpectedly so some would say. The French International, Sissoko, was brought in for a reported 30 million pounds. Now much discussion has been made over whether this is some incremental deal, or whether it was that full amount. Either way it was some fee for a player many thought was just, not a Spurs kind of player.
I had no idea what to think at first, but felt that there must be a player there if Poch wanted him so badly. We were given mixed, if not low performances at first – culminating in a public reprimand by Pochettino following the Champions League loss against Bayer Leverkusen. Now here I feel was a real turning point. All of a sudden clubs like Juventus and Everton were apparently interested in taking him off our hands and fans felt he may be shunned out of the squad like Poch had done to players in the past, but that wasn’t the case. He took the challenge, he played his game and has started to become a real outlet in my opinion. He was the only player trying when he came on against United, he changed the game against Burnley and was a real driving force in the FA cup against Villa. He looks to be exactly the player Poch had been asking for after that Liverpool game. Now yes, before you say it, yes. I agree; he could be doing more, he could be slightly more refined and he needs to be less clumsy in regards to bookings. But if you forget about the silly inflated price tag that was slapped onto him, I think he has been a perfectly adequate addition to the squad.
Overall I will give our new signings a ‘B-. For the most part they’ve added something to the squad, or at least given signs that they will do so in the future – but apart from Wanyama, none have really lit up the place.
League Position: A
It was a tough one to call at the beginning of the season. So many of the ‘big teams’ had bolstered their squads with new management, big money signings or both. Many feared for little Spurs, assuming they would be swallowed up and settle back into fifth or sixth place. This has proved to be nonsense.
Tottenham currently sit in third. Seven points behind leaders Chelsea, who were thoroughly and clinically dispatched about a week ago, and two points behind Liverpool, who have proved that they can score goals but not defend them. All of a sudden Tottenham are back in with a very slight, yet realistic chance of winning the title.
Now they get an A for me here, instead of something more critical, due to a doctor’s note. The note clearly states that we have been stunted by injury for the majority of the season, and to take the time to imagine where we would be standing if we had not been so unlucky. Yes, obviously injuries are a part of the game and effect every club, but regardless of that, the fact remains that we have barely been able to put out the spine of the squad that did so well last season. The lack of this talent on the pitch for extended periods has been hugely detrimental and led to a particularly poor patch around July that left us without a win in ten games. The positive that can be gleaned from that bit of poor form was that we were not losing games despite being so understrength. When we weren’t winning games, we were not losing them. In particular we were not capitulating either, there were no thrashings and we always looked to be in every contest. We have built on this and now look to be stronger than ever for it.
So we sit half way through the season and we are in a better position than we were at this time last year. We have the best defence in the league and have spread our goals around more evenly that last term, we’ve got all our players back (minus Lamela) and we’ve only just managed to really click into gear! That’s why we get an A, we are for the most part exceeding expectations.
Europe: D- (pending)
The doctor’s note gets to make an appearance here too, but its effectiveness is lessened. While we managed to keep a float in the Premier League with admirable (but not inspiring) performances during that injury stricken period, the Champions League was utterly bereft of resilience.
It started badly, then got mildly better, then got worse and worse – bearing witness to easily our worst performances of the season. Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco made us look like chumps.
We did go out of the competition in style though, and Christian Eriksen’s return to form, as well as Dele Alli’s has continued exponentially since beating CSKA and getting a win at Wembley. So that was a welcome turn. We find ourselves back in the Europa League, facing Belgian side Genk in February. It may have annoyed some fans to have the distraction of Thursday night games back when we are challenging in the Premier League, but Europe is still Europe and if we managed to take this trophy it would be a truly welcome achievement for the Club and particularly for this group of players who really do deserve some silverware.
So it’s a D- for Europe, but that grade is pending on how we get on in the Europa League. It was our first season back, and it would silly not to look at how other English teams have struggled in the group stages recently. We’ve had a taste, and we would like some more please.
Overall Grade B+
I think the team is in a better position than they were last year, so I must conclude that progress is being made. While we might still be just a couple of injuries away from trouble, we are also just a solid run of form away from being first in the division. We aren’t reliant on foreign billions or glory from ten years ago – our squad plays for the team and for the shirt.
This season has been a pleasure so far and full of great moments, far outweighing the few bits of dull play or disappointing result. We are lucky to be Spurs right now, and we are being treated with some great football by one of the most complete sides in Europe.
They get a B+ from me now, with the lacklustre European campaign, a lack of adequate cover for Kane and some poor luck with injuries holding them back. We are only half way there though, and the final report looks to be shaping up very well indeed.
COYS
- Locky (@e_spurs_aus)
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We have good patches and bad patches (one win in ten, followed by five on the trot), good performances followed by poor ones (Chelsea then Villa being just the latest), and consistency is just as lacking as in the days of Redknapp or AVB. Pochettino will only prove himself for me by WINNING something - two trophies in twenty-five years is a pathetic total for a club of our size, and potential has got to be turned into silverware if the endless cycle of promise and ultimate failure is finally to end.
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