da supremo： Finally Tottenham are beginning to resemble a Mauricio Pochettino side, following their industrious and organised yet elegant and efficient 2-1 win over Everton at the weekend.
da betcris： But the Argentine gaffer was given a rather modest transfer budget during the summer, eventually spending around £35million, and clearly wasn’t allowed to make the wholesale changes he desired.
Consequentially, there’s a number of lingering issues, ranging from viable transfer targets to the make-up for the White Hart Lane Roster, the Spurs boss needs find resolution to.
The quickest way to do that is via the transfer market, so here’s a list of FIVE lingering issues Pochettino must resolve in January.
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Get rid of Emmanuel Adebayor
Priority one for Tottenham in January has to be orchestrating the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor.
A lack of depth up front combined with the Lilywhites’ overinvestment in £27million striker Roberto Soldado has given the Togo international a stay of execution until now. Bt the 30 year-old devilishly revelled in Tim Sherwood’s dependency on him for goals last term – safe in the knowledge that he would unlikely be dropped in spite of some completely anonymous displays – and under Mauricio Pochettino he’s netted just twice in ten appearances.
There’s also very bizarre stories emerging about the Togo international’s mum using black magic to ruin his career, as if he needed any help:
Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor claims his MUM caused goal drought with black magic curse http://t.co/u0YjShwy8x pic.twitter.com/ryGKkExuoC
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 1, 2014
Clearly, Adebayor’s mind is preoccupied – still earning £100k per-week (in part subsidised by Manchester City), the Lilywhites need to get him off the wage bill as soon as possible.
The only problem is – who would buy a high-earning, goal-shy centre-forward that’s now left Arsenal, Manchester City and Spurs on rather sour terms?
He’s been linked with ‘Arry Redknapp’s QPR recently, which seems like a rather likely scenario, as well as a Galatasaray, but other reports claim Adebayor is prepared to rot in the reserves and see out the rest of his contract, which expires in 2016.
If that’s the case, perhaps Spurs should consider a termination.
Midfield overhaul
What is going on with Tottenham’s midfield?
The Lilywhites splashed out a combined £41million on centre-mid powerhouses Etienne Capoue, Paulinho and Mousa Dembele, but none can get a look-in over academy duo Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason – decent prospects by all means, but nowhere near the level you’d expect to be starting regularly at a top six club.
Worryingly, this isn’t just a Pochettino thing – all fell out of favour with Tim Sherwood for significant periods last season too.
Clearly, the Lilywhites need a bit of a midfield overhaul; depending on Bentaleb and Mason for the rest of the season can only spell disaster. But who could they realistically sign in January?
Well, reports this morning claim Franco Baldini has already wrapped up a deal for PSG’s contract-rebel prodigy Adrien Rabiot:
Here’s a clip of the 19 year-old in action:
What a scoop that would be, but any report from the Metro has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Fellow contract rebel Fabian Delph remains an alternative. Performances for Aston Villa earned him the Villain of the Year award last term and more recently a spot in Roy Hodgson’s England squad. But most importantly, the 25 year-old’s industrious-yet-marauding style, epitomised best by this goal against Chelsea last year:
…would fit perfectly into Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy.
After that, there’s the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Joao Moutinho and Morgan Schneiderlin – all rumoured to be on the move in the coming transfer window – but they’re valued at £19million upwards.
Should Spurs cash in on Jan Vertonghen?
On paper, Jan Vertonghen is still by far Tottenham’s best defender, but the Belgium international hasn’t come anywhere close to matching the talismanic form his debut Premier League campaign over the last 18 months, as shown below:
His pathetic attempt to stop Chelsea’s Loic Remy yesterday evening pretty much sums it up:
Meanwhile, the 27 year-old has just ended contract talks at White Hart Lane on a rather sour note:
So January seems like a logical time to sell. Put it this way; right now, the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City will be interested in taking a punt on Vertonghen, but that won’t be the case in the summer if his lukewarm form continues.
Of course, the only stumbling block is finding a viable replacement mid-season. Perhaps West Ham’s Winston Reid or Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar? The centre-back duo are both about to enter the final six months of their respective contracts.
DeAndre Yedlin – is he needed and what does this mean for Kyle Naughton?
Tottenham wrapped up a deal for Team USA World Cup starlet DeAndre Yedlin during the summer and now that the MLS season has come to a close, he’s free to move to the Lane in January, having also attained an EU passport.
Apparently, the 21 year-old right-back is raring to go and he’s certainly an impressive talent – just look at his recovery speed in this short clip:
But another MLS campaign would hardly dent Yedlin’s development, considering he could well spend much of his first season at White Hart Lane on the bench or in the reserves.
That being said, Mauricio Pochettino has been forced to field centre-backs Eric Dier and Vlad Chiriches at No.2 this season, with Kyle Walker absent through injury, so the American international could slot into an immediate first team role.
What does that mean for Kyle Naughton however? Versatility is the only attribute prolonging the 26 year-old’s Lilywhites career and in my opinion, he’s Spurs’ worst defender by quite some way.
Mirror Football believe he could be shipped off to Swansea City as a consequence of Yedlin’s arrival:
Should Spurs return for Jay Rodriguez?
The Lilywhites were strongly linked with Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez during the summer until the St. Mary’s outfit issued a rather stern, non-negotiable hands-off warning:
Indeed, the 25 year-old was in stunning form under Mauricio Pochettino last season, netting 15 times to become the third-top scoring Englishman in the Premier League, and had it not been for an ACL injury, would have likely made England’s World Cup squad. Here’s a look at the Three Lions man in action:
So with the winger-forward set to return to action in the New Year, should Spurs revive their interest in Rodriguez, as reported by the tabloids?
He’s proven under Pochettino and addresses two gaps in the Spurs’ squad, namely the strike-force and the left-wing role – although to give credit where it’s due, Nacer Chadli’s been fantastic out wide this season.
That being said, Rodriguez has just missed the best part of nine months through injury and there’s no guarantee he’ll be the same player.
Furthermore, the Saints are likely to command around £20million for his services.
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