ENFIELD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Vincent Janssen of Tottenham during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on October 20, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham question: Is Vincent Janssen confident or delusional?
Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen still hasn’t scored from open play
When Vincent Janssen arrived at Tottenham this summer, Spurs fans finally believed the club has purchased quality cover for Harry Kane. Unfortunately, the Dutch international has struggled mightily since his arrival. He still doesn’t have a single goal from open play since donning a Tottenham shirt.
The good news, is that both manager Mauricio Pochettino and Janssen himself belief that he’s going to eventually start to score. In particular, the Dutchman’s self belief was very evident when he rushed to take the penalty in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Liverpool yesterday. To his credit, he knocked it solidly past Simon Mignolet to bring his club back into contention.
Ultimately though, his performance against the Reds didn’t do anything to provide Spurs fans additional confidence in his abilities. He played an energetic match and looked good with his ability to hold up play, but it didn’t lead to any actual goals. That’s a bit of an issue for a single striker.
At this point in the season, it’s fair to at least ask the question of whether or not Janssen is confident or delusional. He’s only played nine matches for Spurs, but we’ve seen quite a bit of him on the pitch. His performances have certainly divided opinion amongst the Tottenham fan base.
I have to admit I’m torn on the question of Janssen. There is a lot to like about his game. He provides a very physical presence in the box, and he’s shown glimpses of really creative link up play. Janssen is exactly the type of striker that I’d like to see Pochettino have as an option off the bench.
Unfortunately, there’s just as much to dislike about the way he plays. For one, he really has below-average pace for a Premier League centre forward. He could get away with that lack of speed against Eredivisie opposition, but it’s a real issue against English defenders. I have sincere questions about whether or not he’s just too slow to thrive in the Premier League.
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Perhaps I could overlook that if he seemed to be a top-class finisher. It’s not as if Zlatan Ibrahimovic moves well at this point in his career, but he’s still finding a way to score some goals for Manchester United. Janssen hasn’t shown the ability to take the few chances that he earns. That’s very troubling.
Tottenham’s hope is that Janssen’s struggles are just based on the time necessary to acclimate himself to life in England. For those who want to believe in Janssen, he’s shown enough to make a reasonable argument that he’s going to become successful.
Unfortunately, with each passing match I become more and more convinced that he isn’t going to make it at Spurs. While he doesn’t play like Roberto Soldado, he’s starting to cause the same feelings when he strides onto the pitch. If Janssen doesn’t kick on soon, it may be too late for him ever to succeed at Tottenham.
