Is Giovani Dos Santos Fighting a Losing Battle at Spurs?

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Recognise that fella in the Spurs shirt firing the ball towards goal? No...I thought you might not.

Since his £4.5 million move from Barcelona to Tottenham Hotspur in June 2008, Giovani Dos Santos Ramirez has scored just one goal from 13 league and cup appearances and suffered the ignominy of being farmed out to Ipswich Town on loan. This less than 12 months after scoring a hat-trick in Barcelona's final 2007-08 La Liga match.

Despite impressing in his first preseason, Dos Santos paid a heavy penalty for Tottenham's disastrous start to last season in the Premier League, and the subsequent sacking of Spanish boss Juande Ramos.

Despite impressing during his fleeting first-team appearances, new manager Harry Redknapp decided that the 20 year-old Mexican was unlikely to figure in his immediate plans, ahead of the in-form Luka Modric. As a result, he went on loan to Roy Keane's Ipswich Town in March, where he scored four goals in eight games.

In the offseason, Giovani starred in Mexico's CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph, scoring twice and being named MVP of the tournament. Last weekend, he scored a cracking goal and set up the other two, as Mexico beat Costa Rica 3-0 to continue their fine progress in the qualification stage for South Africa 2010.

Nevertheless, with Luka Modric injured last week, Harry Redknapp decided to raid his former club Portsmouth for the third time in a year with the £2.5 million capture of Croat flyer Niko Krancjar.

Redknapp has stated today that, with a good effort in training and a strong attitude, Dos Santos has a 'part to play' this season for Tottenham. If a runout at the Keepmoat Stadium in the League Cup is what Redknapp is alluding to, Dos Santos should feel aggrieved and insulted, and is likely to look for a January exit.

I believe that the majority of Spurs fans would be deeply disappointed with such an outcome, given the wealth of talent that 'Gio' clearly has. 

For me, he is comparable with Aaron Lennon, a player who many are waking lyrical about this season. Both are very quick, excellent dribblers and dangerous given a yard of space. Both still disappoint with their final delivery, and need to baulk up further. Lennon has 15 goals from 171 league and international appearances; Dos Santos has 12 from 63.

In light of these statistics, it would seem that the latter has been unfairly treated, and is a neglected resource.

With the inspirational and influential Modric crocked until Christmas, it is now or never for Dos Santos at Spurs.

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