Vincent Janssen Is Central to Tottenham's Different Options in Kane's Absence
Forget football cliches, Tottenham Hotspur are entering Hollywood trope territory in the aftermath of Harry Kane's recent injury.
The striker's challenge with Sunderland's Papy Djilobodji could be viewed as a Sliding Doors moment, a "what if?" question where his not getting hurt leaves the north Londoners not having to get by without him.
Or, more pertinently given the actual outcome (and for those of you more into your science fiction than romantic comedies), how about the "If-Then-Else" episode of the recently concluded television series Person of Interest, in which various outcomes for the show's heroes in a desperate situation are seen via the evaluations of the protagonist artificial intelligence.
Given Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino's absorption in his sport and job, you suspect he has little time for pop culture. Pondering things that cannot be changed will do little for him, either.
Figuring the various ways his team can come out of Kane's absence unscathed is something he will definitely be considering.
Speaking after the Sunderland game and prior to the midweek EFL Cup win over Gillingham, Pochettino was hesitant to give a time frame on when the 23-year-old could return.
"He's got an ankle problem, and we need to assess every day and we'll see", he said. "But it's impossible today to give a time for recovery." That outlook has not changed in the latest update.
Of the myriad permutations that could get Spurs by until that point—which, regardless of how well they do, they will hope is sooner rather than later—the central figure in most is Vincent Janssen.
Pochettino reiterated how the Netherlands international was signed "to have the opportunity to play with Harry and to play alone too. I think that was the quality that we tried to find in the player that we wanted to bring."
Yet it is also clear the Argentinian is counting on his squad as a whole.
"If you have some problems like we have against Sunderland, it's important that players are ready to compete," Pochettino said of the opportunity Kane's injury has presented to Janssen and others.
"It's a good opportunity for different players to have the possibility to [show] their quality and challenge for and compete for a place in the starting XI."
Ahead of Tottenham's first Premier League match without Kane—the visit to Middlesbrough—what are the different personnel and tactical options they can consider moving forward without their talisman?
First up, a more detailed look at the new man Janssen.
Vincent Janssen
The above Bleacher Report "Stat Stories" video painted a picture of panic for Tottenham having to do without Kane. They cited their poorer record in games when he did not score and Janssen's own failure to find the mark early on this season.
Without him, Spurs have got by, not least in the League Cup this week. As for the latter, his scoring record pre-Gillingham was not the whole story.
As Pochettino pointed out this week, there was excitement around Janssen's lively first two appearances in the 1-1 draw with Everton and the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
In the season-opener, his introduction helped Spurs come back from a goal down, with his engaging of the Toffees defence driving them back towards their own box. He was just as aggressive against the Eagles a week later in his White Hart Lane bow, with the home side keeping up the pressure before Victor Wanyama's header secured the win.
The other side of Janssen's game has crept in a little more problematically since then.
His boss described his style as that of "a fighter," and the negative of that has been seen in his 2.4 fouls per game, tallied by WhoScored.com, putting him up among the division's "dirtiest" players.
That combative streak also feeds into decision-making that treads a fine line between impetuousness and instinct—both seen in a chance against Sunderland when the substitute did well winning the ball but then blasted over when he should have returned Erik Lamela's pass.
With the issue of figuring out a balance and understanding with Kane put to the side for the time being, the focus will now be on getting the best out of Janssen.
The League Cup game with third-tier Gillingham was an ideal opportunity to get firmly on the same page with his team-mates and fill Kane's boots. His hold-up play and movement was typically strong from the off, but he snatched at some early chances, notably putting a couple of free headers wide.
The 22-year-old found a little more composure thereafter, forcing a good save from Gills' Stuart Nelson and then, after rounding the goalkeeper, he had one cleared off the line by Deji Oshilaja. His second-half penalty to give Spurs the third of their five goals was well deserved given his earlier efforts.
"Of course it will be difficult to step in for Harry, but if he does what he's good at and do what he did today, I think they'll be some good games for him," Christian Eriksen said post-match.
"He has had a lot of chances to score today but was unlucky," Pochettino offered after. "But the important thing was this was in the box, and he created a lot of chances. For the future, it's important he feels confidence and for the team will help a lot for us."
Heung-Min Son
So what of the alternatives instead of Janssen if he was to struggle or get injured?
Heung-Min Son has excelled in recent weeks in attacking midfield. He scored twice in the 4-0 win over Stoke City and, after a quieter outing against Monaco in the Champions League, was terrific in a non-scoring display against Sunderland (see his statistics above).
The signing of Janssen had already seen talk of the versatile South Korea international being utilised up front kept to a minimum. His good recent performances in a supporting role, predominantly coming in off the left-wing, suggest the status quo should be maintained.
The option of playing him further forward is there if Spurs need it, though.
Son showed his explosive potential leading the line in only his second appearance for the north Londoners last season, scoring twice in a Europa League win over Qarabag. In rare opportunities playing in a more advanced or central role thereafter—Leicester City away in the FA Cup, the home leg against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League—he hinted at the speedier approach he could provide.
Even if Janssen generally does well, using Son up beside him or as a way of changing the tempo after a solid shift—either replacing the Dutchman as a substitute or just moving up as someone else comes on—are different wrinkles that could also keep Spurs fresh and firing while Kane is out.
Shayon Harrison
Tottenham academy striker Shayon Harrison has followed up some impressive work with the senior squad in pre-season with a solid start to the Premier League 2 campaign, scoring three times. He also struck in the under-19 UEFA Youth League defeat to Monaco last week.
Pochettino has kept an eye on the intelligent youngster and intended to use him against Gillingham, had he not been injured.
"Unlucky for him because if not he would be in the squad tomorrow," the manager said of the 19-year-old.
Later on he confirmed he did not yet know how long Harrison would be out for after what assistant manager Jesus Perez called a "groin problem."
If Kane's absence lasts longer, Harrison will hope he gets another chance to prove he is ready to compete for first-team minutes.
Attacking Midfield Options
Ahead of the midweek game, Pochettino confirmed his team will not play any differently with Janssen than they would with Kane.
"It's true that they are different, but we can play in the same way," he said. "I think that Vincent arrives in a good moment because he is ready to compete."
While Tottenham will not differ too much stylewise, Janssen's shot does come at a point when the makeup of the attacking midfield that will support him is uncertain.
Albeit against lowlier opposition, Eriksen and Lamela were at their creative, free-flowing best against Gillingham. The former scored twice and the latter set up three and scored one, both combining well with Janssen and the other midfielders.
Along with Dele Alli, those two have been synonymous with the fluid possession and off-ball pressing that have become trademarks under Pochettino.
Yet there have been days when they have found themselves stunted and uninspired. One such match was against Monaco in the Champions League, and Spurs followed that up with a win over Sunderland in which Son and Moussa Sissoko were the two doing good work either side of Alli.
The more straightforward, power-based display was the ideal response. Up top Kane had his best game of the season, too, benefiting from the directness and movement that allowed him to more naturally pinpoint moments and areas he could look to upset the Black Cats' defence.
The greater grit of Spurs' play and the frequent supply of crosses would seemingly suit Janssen as well. The scrappy striker would certainly relish the chance to get among opposition defenders in their penalty area, not just battling it out on the edge and in channels.
Other potential factors in all this, at least for Middlesbrough, include the availability of others like Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele. Hurt against Sunderland, both face late-fitness tests.
The likes of Josh Onomah and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou will also be eager for further involvement following their appearances against Gillingham.
The match at the Riverside Stadium will give us our first major idea for over two years of Tottenham sans Kane. They will hope by the time he does return, he is not required to be the hero having to save the day from disaster suffered without him.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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