Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the Tottenham Hotspur side in many ways in his few years in charge of the club and has been immensely helped by Daniel Levy, the owner of the White Hart Lane outfit. The duo has managed to establish a strong but young squad who enjoy their responsibilities and their start to the season shows that it is a model that is working. The manager added a number of players who fit the bill in the off season and not many have been able to impress the manager early this campaign. One such player, who has been ineffective for the side this season is Dutch international Vincent Janssen.
The Dutch 2016 ‘Talent of the Year’, Janssen made a move to the Premier League earlier this summer on a £17m transfer and is yet to score for his side in the Premier league. He has however opened the scoring for the Spurs converting a couple of League Cup penalties this season. Those goals are the only contribution he has made to the Tottenham side this season and there are increasing doubts about his ability to fit into the squad and help his side in their search for silverware this season.
At 22 years of age, Janssen has already achieved a lot in his short career, playing at every level for his country. He has 4 goals in 8 appearances for his senior national side and has already proven himself to the football world. However, his move to Spurs has not yet taken off and there are a few things why it has delayed.
Starting with his style of play; Janssen, who is known for his hold up play and acute passing, is not a player who perfectly fits into Pochettino’s style at the club. Spurs are a team that rely on a high-intensity game with crisp passing. Janssen is a decent passer of the ball but he has often found himself in a position where he lead the line for his side and with no disrespect, Eredivisie is less competitive than the Premier League without any doubt. In the Premier League, the amount of work a player does is very exhausting, and the pressure from the supporters and the media can easily hinder a player’s form, take Pogba for instance.
With 27 goals from 34 games in the domestic league in Netherlands last season, Janssen is a prolific goal scoring with a poacher’s instinct but the few games that he has played for Pochettino’s side, he has shown a weakness in front of goal that has allowed defenders to dominate him.
The Premier League is not an easy place to play your game but Janssen is one of the most gifted players in his country and will be expected to bounce back and produce some decent performance for his side. He was supposed to be a backup for Harry Kane, a player who provides some dynamism in attack for his side but the injury to the England international has pushed the 22-year old summer transfer into the mix in the league and it comes as no surprise that he has struggled so far this season. It is still too early in his career and Janssen will know that he will have to work hard to fit into the style at the club but at his age, he will only get better and will surely turn out to be a decent option in attack for Pochettino.
Do you think Janssen will be a key player for Spurs in years to come?