Tottenham Badly in Need of Injection of Width in Post-Andros Townsend Era

Andros Townsend knows better than most how quickly things can change in football.

In 2013-14, he went from a young hopeful on the fringes of Tottenham Hotspur's first team to an England star in just a few short months. He then proceeded to get caught up in strategic issues affecting the last days of Andre Villas-Boas' tenure as Spurs boss and, subsequently because of injuries, lost his place in Roy Hodgson's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.

The year just past in Townsend's career has been just as eventful, after life at Tottenham was passing him by, he moved to Newcastle United and is now at Crystal Palace. He is set to return to White Hart Lane for the first time this weekend, the club having experienced plenty of change since his departure in January, too.

For one thing, the ground itself is now missing a chunk in its north-east corner, the latest step in stadium redevelopment. Since the start of the year, Spurs have also experienced their first proper title race since before their ex-player was born—creating a new set of expectations moving forward—and have also qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2010-11.

Fascinatingly, while it was the right time for the two to part ways after so many years, Townsend's absence has been felt to a degree. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino may be acknowledging this with the reported pursuit of Marseille winger Georges-Kevin N'Koudou.

The N'Koudou saga that has been played out in various media outlets over the last month (Pochettino, as always, remaining noncommittal) has threatened to match the eventual tediousness of last summer's interest in West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino. That deal never came to fruition, but at the time of writing, Sky Sports HQ is reporting this one will happen (see above).

N'Koudou is an exciting prospect for sure.

The 21-year-old has been a regular in Ligue 1 over the last two seasons. After transferring from Nantes, he stood out as one of the few positives in a rough year for Marseille last time out.

While not a one-note player by any means, it is his strengths as an out-and-out winger that may be exciting Spurs.

Pochettino appeared to be moving away from this type of player. Before Townsend was even moved on, the Argentinian also let the right-midfield mainstay Aaron Lennon go, joining Everton full-time after an initial loan spell.

Bringing N'Koudou in would, on paper anyway, restore a kind of natural width and explosiveness in transition Spurs have been without in attacking midfield since then.

So, what has changed in between times that Pochettino may feel he needs such a player again?

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A big reason for signing N'Koudou will be that he is a talent the north Londoners believe they do not want to miss out on.

Allowing Clinton Njie to be a makeweight in the deal—as is being speculated—is not a decision they will take lightly given he remains a potentially strong option as a wide-attacker, despite his injury-hit first season in north London (his assist for Erik Lamela in the 4-1 win over Manchester City or strong work in the home victory over AS Monaco are good examples of his ability).

The reasoning behind those who left previously has not changed or diminished either.

Both Lennon and Townsend departed after seeing their playing time decrease under Pochettino.

The former's time with Spurs was just about coming to its natural conclusion after nearly a decade with the club. They were heading in a different direction with their new boss, and others were deemed better-suited to taking them there, but after so long, a fresh start was probably the best for him, too.

The biggest shame with Lennon's exit was not the decision itself being taken but the sad petering-out of his stay. His final appearance was a drab Europa League loss to Besiktas out in Turkey, and his final months were spent training with the reserves.

"I went back in for pre-season and there were a few of us told they were not going to be in Tottenham's plans," a philosophical Lennon told the Independent's Tim Rich last September. "Certain managers just don't fancy you and it wasn't just me—there was a complete overhaul with a totally new squad."

That Townsend's Tottenham career ended so unceremoniously was entirely on the shoulders of the academy-product-turned-first-teamer.

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Poor form saw others preferred ahead of him, and his response after not featuring in a win over Aston Villa was to throw a temper tantrum, arguing with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner during a post-match warm-down.

Although also punishing his behaviour by initially dropping him from the squad, Pochettino then struck a conciliatory note as he reintegrated him.

"When you behave in the wrong way, obviously you need to pay," he said, per Sky Sports. "I can understand because I was a player and when you're not playing you are not happy."

Alas, a full rapprochement was not to be, and Townsend spent his last days trying to stay fit playing as the designated overage player in the under-21 team.

Speaking recently, he reflected on the uninspired form that took him to this point, admitting to the London Evening Standard's Giuseppe Muro he was "not playing well enough at Spurs."

"It is no secret how difficult a spell I was having at Spurs the last two or so years," he added. "I was not really getting the best out of myself. To go to Newcastle and rediscover that form was great for me."

Townsend's regression from a decent contributor in games like the win over Sunderland, to a tepid showing in what proved his final appearance in a Europa League loss away at Anderlecht, was made all the more galling by events before his departure.

Tottenham hit an early December rut, drawing with West Bromwich Albion and losing to Newcastle. The team's aspiration for relentless attacking play had and would continue to mostly serve them well, but here they were, stifled by well-organised defensive resistances, and a possible game-changer in their winger was nowhere to be seen.

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Tony Pulis' stubborn West Brom side would again hurt Spurs the following spring.

A week after the 4-0 win over Stoke City showcased Pochettino's attack at its brilliant best—hypnotic interchanges of position, purposeful passing and defence-unnerving width from marauding full-backs—the Baggies shut the Lilywhites down in a 1-1 draw that severely damaged their title chances.

Spurs gave it just about everything they had.

Danny Rose and Kyle Walker threw themselves forward with usual frequency, and Mousa Dembele attempted to drive his team on from midfield. The attacking-midfield quartet of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Erik Lamela moved the ball about as precisely and eye-pleasingly as usual but were limited against their well-prepared opponents by their more intricate, less-eruptive style (substitutes Nacer Chadli and Heung-Min Son provided much of the same).

It is not a desperate issue for Pochettino and his team who, after all, did finish 2015-16 in third place. In this season's opening-day 1-1 draw with Everton, they reiterated how effective they can be going forward.

Lamela's goal came from Walker getting down his right flank and sending in an inch-perfect cross. New signing Vincent Janssen's encouraging debut suggested his presence alongside Kane could develop a welcome new wrinkle for their attacking strategy, too.

But just having that option of an attack-focused player who can get down the wing, beat a full-back and float a cross in or cut inside and test the goalkeeper himself, that could go some way to helping Spurs avoid predictability.

Townsend remains a talent, and he will be eager to show this weekend he is still capable of reaching the heights he tantalisingly, if inconsistently showed at Tottenham.

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In his Crystal Palace debut—a 1-0 loss to those darn Baggies—he was a tad rusty and out of rhythm, unfortunately conceding the free-kick that led to Salomon Rondon's winner. Some nice combinations with Joel Ward and Jason Puncheon out right, followed later on by trademark forays inside after he switched to the left, showed Townsend is a threat Spurs must not overlook, though.

Had he stayed in north London and got his act together (or not let things deteriorate in the first place), he may have been lining up against the Eagles this weekend. As it is, in N'Koudou, Spurs may end up with a player capable of even more potent wing play.

"Upgrade" is probably not the right word for someone relatively unproven, but the Frenchman does appear a player with greater potential upside.

He shares with Townsend the ideal winger's traits of fronting up to an opponent and inviting them to try and take the ball off them. He too has the pace to then take it beyond and also likes to venture inward and hit defences in central positions.

Where N'Koudou differs is a greater willingness to get down his left flank and send crosses in. His touch is notably silkier and his thinking a split-second faster, generally avoiding the more ungainly dribbling mishaps that still undermine Townsend's game.

The blend of deceptively simple decision-making and more refined footwork should make N'Koudou a fine addition to the Tottenham attacking ranks if he joins. A rapid outlet for team-mates looking to set a move in motion from deep, his ability to stretch games via both his on- and off-ball presence may be the ingredient that frees the likes of Alli, Kane and Lamela even more productively, too.