Palace Loss Should Prove a Useful Experience for Tottenham Midfielder Stambouli

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Benjamin Stambouli had just conceded the penalty from which Crystal Palace would draw level. His reaction to referee Anthony Taylor's decision was pure disbelief initially and anguished in the minutes which followed Dwight Gayle's goal. The Frenchman was adamant he had legally tackled Joe Ledley.

Stambouli's attempts to rectify the situation will have been familiar with every competitive footballer (professional or amateur) who has made a costly mistake. There was an extra urgency about his attempts to push Tottenham forward, a visible desire to make things right. Unfortunately for the 24-year-old, he would be substituted on the 75th minute and had to watch on helplessly as Jason Puncheon scored Palace's winner.

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Frustrating as the experience was for Stambouli, it should ultimately prove a useful one. Especially when you consider its place in the context of his ongoing Premier League apprenticeship.

A Capital One Cup and Europa League regular since his September transfer from Montpellier, Stambouli had to wait three months between his league debut at Sunderland and his next appearance in the competition.

His subsequent appearances have underlined early impressions his blend of defensive aggression and tidy ball work can be utilised well in north London. They have also confirmed his complete adjustment to the speed of English football will take some time yet.

The aforementioned second Premier League appearance was off the bench at Swansea City. With the game tied at 1-1, Stambouli helped Spurs regain the initiative and put the Welsh club on the back foot. A turnaround which resulted in Christian Eriksen's late winner.

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The situation was not so urgent when he was again brought on as a substitute a week later. Spurs were 2-1 up at home to Burnley when Stambouli replaced the injured Ryan Mason.

He did steady work, helping see the game out, so it was not a surprise to see him start the next two fixtures when injury and illness saw previously starting central midfielders Mason and Nabil Bentaleb sidelined.

Not as effective in a messy Boxing Day clash against Leicester City, Stambouli was withdrawn at half-time. Against Manchester United two days later, he enjoyed a more satisfying afternoon in arguably his toughest test yet.

Via a story from L'Equipe, the Mirror's Neil McLeman led with Stambouli's charming Playstation come-to-life experience against the star-studded Red Devils. It is a telling evocation of one of the more immediately noticeable personalities in this current Tottenham squad.

Just as revealing as regards to Stambouli's professional side was his reveal of the details behind a not always successful, but admirably hard-grafting defensive midfield effort stifling his opponents on the day:

"

I was asked to man-mark Rooney. He is very strong—a legend in England. But you can't spend the 90 minutes watching him. If you let these players express themselves, you are dead. 

Even while being man-marked, he was playing everything one-touch. He sees everything. Keeping him quiet is complicated. If you did not see much of him, all the better!

"

The presence of a player capable of stopping the opposition playing is no small thing for a Spurs side who have struggled to do so this season. The energetic Mason is the only one to match Stambouli for combative consistency.

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There is a flip side to this, though. In the same interview, Stambouli also gave another insight into the possible reasoning behind one of the less auspicious trends of his recent appearances.

"The coach asked us to go to war," Stambouli noted of a day in which he was booked. In his two games since then, against Burnley in the FA Cup and Palace on Saturday, Stambouli was yellow-carded twice more.

Stambouli's penchant for a tackle has not been so well honed on English football pitches he is not immune to making late or risky challenges. Though it was debatable whether he actually fouled the theatrical Ledley at Selhurst Park, the decision to attempt a sliding tackle in the box was certainly impetuous.

If the Palace game proves to be a lesson in picking his battles more wisely, its use as a marker of his progress and appeal should not be forgotten either. Stambouli enjoyed a fine first-half as he broke up play and helped push his side on. The positive of a figure who brings to mind the best of previous Spurs cult heroes and fellow defensive midfielders Steffen Freund and Sandro was seen in a 40th-minute sequence.

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Stambouli lost possession around the halfway line and immediately vented his displeasure. His responsibilities quickly overrode this frustration and he charged back to tackle Puncheon. From there, the Frenchman proceeded to hold off two initial challenges before he twice turned the hapless Barry Bannan to free himself from the crowded area.

Heck, that was not just Freund/Sandro-like, there was something a little bit David Ginola about that.

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