Tottenham Hotspur: Full Report Card for Every Position for September
Truncated by an international break, Tottenham Hotspur's September was not as fruitful as they will have hoped.
Just two points from three Premier League games was not ideal, especially as two of those opponents—lower placed Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion—were perceived as winnable games. The month ended more positively, though, with a good point and performance at Arsenal, as well as progress in the Capital One Cup.
Over the following pages, we take a position-by-position look at how each individual Tottenham player fared over that period in the third report card of the season so far (carrying on from pre-season and August).
Each player's grade will be based on their performances so far this season, but with a particular emphasis on the previous month's work. Also, part of the criteria is a recognition of their current standing in their playing positions, as well as the amount of time they have actually played.
New signings Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli are included for the first time this season, having both made their debuts since their late-August arrivals. With right-back Kyle Walker's long-term injury still keeping him out, he is omitted for now.
We begin with Spurs' goalkeepers.
Goalkeeper
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Brad Friedel: B
With Michel Vorm now fit enough to play, Friedel's involvement is likely to decrease from here.
He is still included on the report card for now, with his grade in recognition of his continued valued presence—a break glass in case of emergency player for head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Hugo Lloris: A+
The costly goals Tottenham conceded in September had little to do with Lloris. The keeper was little troubled by Sunderland and conceded twice only because of lapses in concentration by his team-mates. He might have kept a cleansheet against West Brom too, but for a similar lack of focus from those in front of him.
Lloris was excellent in a busier 90 minutes against Arsenal, though. As tallied on TottenhamHotspur.com, he made five saves against the Gunners, helping his side earn a valuable point. The Frenchman remains as vital to Spurs' good health as ever.
Michel Vorm: B-
Vorm was finally declared fit enough to play for Tottenham in September. On the bench for the first three games of the month, he made his debut in the Capital One Cup win over Nottingham Forest.
The 31-year-old was not especially busy, but he has at least made a start in north London now. "It was a special night, my first game for Spurs and hopefully more to come," he told his new club's official website.
Centre-Back
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Vlad Chiriches: C+
Chiriches got his chance to impress his new boss in September as Pochettino handed him starts against Sunderland and West Brom. He played well enough against the Black Cats, but his more erratic tendencies on the ball and positionally came to the fore in the loss to the Baggies.
The Romanian and Younes Kaboul have not looked especially comfortable together, dating back to last season. With the latter Pochettino's officially appointed club captain, Chiriches may be looking at fewer starts moving forward.
Federico Fazio: B
The summer signing from Sevilla has been worked hard in both of his Tottenham starts so far. A lively Partizan Belgrade gave the Argentine and his defensive team-mates barely a moment's rest. Nottingham Forest were not as frequent in their attacks, but their directness caused problems all the same (notably a Ben Osborn run that ripped Spurs completely apart before he hit the bar).
Fazio is still clearly getting to know those around him, a process that will not be helped by infrequent appearances. He looked solid enough clearing his lines, though, and should prove useful to Spurs once he adjusts to life at his new club.
Younes Kaboul: B
Named Tottenham's new club captain in the wake of Michael Dawson's sale, Kaboul's performances have improved after a shaky start to the season. He was excellent, bordering on heroic, in his work keeping Arsenal out and put in a good effort against West Brom too. Well, for the most part.
His part in letting James Morrison escape for the Baggies' winner was a reminder of the lack of focus that too often creeps into his game. If Kaboul can maintain concentration similar to that he showed in the north London derby, Spurs will be much the better for it.
Milos Veljkovic: C
Veljkovic may make his way off this list by next month if he continues to be ignored. The 19-year-old's previous involvement shows he is on the periphery of contention, but the teenager's next first-team chance could be a little way off in coming.
Jan Vertonghen: B+
Pochettino opted to stick with Chiriches on the left-side of central defence for the West Brom game after a minor injury saw Vertonghen miss Sunderland away.
The Belgian was reliable enough against Partizan Belgrade and Nottingham Forest, though, and was sensibly brought back in to play Arsenal. He was more of a calming presence besides Kaboul than Chiriches was, and should keep his place heading into October.
Full-Back
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Ben Davies: B-
Still on the outside looking-in when it comes to league play, Davies' cup form may leave him waiting for the call there a little while longer, yet.
He had an off-day against Partizan in the Europa League in his shakiest appearance of the season so far. The Welshman was more himself against Forest, though, and will look to build on that the next chance he gets.
Eric Dier: B
Dier was dropped for Arsenal as Pochettino opted for the comparative experience of Kyle Naughton at right-back.
The versatile 20-year-old played decently in September as he continued to settle into life in the Premier League. Though clearly a talented defender in the making, he is still learning to balance defensive responsibilities with the instructions to attack from full-back. His work has largely been encouraging, though.
Kyle Naughton: B+
The right-back took up cup duty in September as Dier kept his place ahead of him in Premier League play. Though less eye-catching going forward than his younger team-mate, Naughton right now is a safer pair of hands (or should that be boots?) defensively.
Pochettino's decision to start him against Arsenal suggests he thinks so too. Naughton did a solid marshaling job and subsequently should get the chance to reassert himself in the league for Spurs.
Danny Rose: B
Davies' less-than-completely-convincing work so far has meant Rose has remained first-choice left-back in the league partly by default. On balance, he was better in September than August, though.
Against Sunderland, Rose was a frequent threat down his left-flank, providing a useful attacking outlet that helped stretched the north-east club. He defended decently in the draw with Arsenal, though he still has work to do if he is to become a dominant full-back rather than an occasionally good one.
Central Midfield
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Nabil Bentaleb: B-
Bentaleb's solid start to the season gave way, as expected, to more experienced team-mates moving ahead of him. The 19-year-old continued his first-team apprenticeship in cup action in tough outings against Partizan and Forest.
The young midfielder does not shy away from getting involved, an eagerness that should see him fare well. The potential scale of his influence on both sides of the ball is still being established, though. Watch this space.
Etienne Capoue: B+
Capoue's continued role as first-choice defensive midfielder in the league is giving us a good body of work to study compared to last season, when injuries kept ruling him out. The evidence suggests, at 26, he is unlikely to become a dominant presence in front of the defence.
Against Arsenal, particularly, he did highlight his value disrupting the rhythm of opposing teams, and at least trying to protect his back-four as much as possible. The challenge for Pochettino will be finding ways of ensuring he is not isolated in these efforts.
Mousa Dembele: B-
Dembele was fine against Sunderland and decent early on versus West Brom. The issue is someone as gifted as him should be achieving recognition for performances far beyond just acceptable reviews.
You could argue he is restricted by a central midfield role that denies him the chance to influence further forward in the manner, say, Christian Eriksen is allowed. But that did not stop Ryan Mason doing so when he got his chance in September. It would be nice to see more from Dembele, but perhaps this is as good as it gets.
Ryan Mason: A
The aforementioned Mason's promising pre-season was ended by a knock suffered just prior to the Schalke friendly. After a couple of under-21 games to regain his fitness, he was given his chance off the bench against Nottingham Forest. He took it with a superb goal and positive performance that turned the game around for Spurs.
Rewarded with his first Premier League start at Arsenal, Mason did not look out of his depth whatsoever. He got stuck into the Gunners in his own half, and used the ball sensibly and creatively. The 23-year-old still has work to do to prove himself long-term, but he as at last got his chance after just four previous Spurs appearances since 2008.
"I’ve waited a long time and now I want to make the most of it," the midfielder told TottenhamHotspur.com.
Benjamin Stambouli: B
Stambouli could prove to be a player capable of replacing the departed Lewis Holtby and Sandro in the affections of Spurs supporters. The Frenchman shares their work-ethic, and the latter's fondness for tackling.
The former Montpellier man showed the latter straight away off the bench against Sunderland, winning four out of five attempted tackles, per Squawka. Stambouli was just as hungry to get involved in cup games with Partizan and Forest. If anything he was perhaps a little too eager as he tried to force passes. A decent enough start altogether.
Attacking Midfield
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Nacer Chadli: B+
Tottenham are still trying to find a happy balance with their attacking options this season. One thing they definitely have to smile about is the goalscoring threat provided by Chadli.
He scored the opener away at Sunderland, and again versus Arsenal. Disappointingly for him, they did not contribute to winning efforts. Individually the Belgian will be pleased to be making himself increasingly indispensable to the Spurs cause with his goals and improving overall work.
Christian Eriksen: A-
Eriksen is part of the above noted attempts to get the right formula in the Tottenham attack.
There have been setbacks, notably in a collectively impotent display in the Baggies defeat. When the Dane has been involved and on-song, however, Spurs have looked a lot better.
Eriksen scored and was instrumental in an hour's dominance up at Sunderland. Against Arsenal he made the tackle that led to Chadli's goal. His influence is only likely to increase in this side.
Erik Lamela: B+
There was plenty to like about Lamela's performances in September. He set up Chadli at the Emirates Stadium, while his mazy dribbles and perseverance to win and keep possession have shown a welcome fighting spirit.
Moving forward, the aim must be to refine his attacking efforts. Lamela sometimes holds onto the ball too long, losing it when a pass would have kept Spurs in play. His daring is one of his team's best weapons right now, but improved judgement over when to release the ball would aid his individual play and that of his team's.
Aaron Lennon: C-
Lennon featured in all of Spurs' September games, though only as a substitute in the Premier League. Pochettino clearly values his experience (he was captain versus Forest), and sees him as someone who can adapt to just about any game scenario.
Not playing every match is not helping him find any consistency in his game, though. The trouble for the winger is, performing as uninspired as he has in 2014, it is going to be difficult for him to earn those chances.
Paulinho: C
Paulinho has essentially become the cup deputy for Eriksen and Co. in attacking midfield (though he did get some league minutes in the West Brom loss).
The Brazilian has played well in short spells, notably in a bright opening out in Belgrade. The energetic forwards runs and good link-up play have been sporadic at best, however. Without more consistency from him, he is looking at life as a back-up and not much more.
Andros Townsend: B
Townsend's grade is as much to do with the heart and effort he continues to show, as the quality of his performances. There was little of particular note against Partizan, but there was nobody trying harder to break through.
He was better a week later in the Forest win, crossing well, he also hit the bar and teed up Roberto Soldado for the striker's goal. League starts might prove to be rare for Townsend for the time being, but if he continues to work at his game and maintain his admirable desire, those chances should come.
Up Front
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Emmanuel Adebayor: C
There was little to get excited about with Adebayor in September. He was average as Spurs dominated Sunderland for large spells, but was just about non-existent in the following two league games.
Service was not particularly good at home to West Brom, while at Arsenal he was always going to have to be patient with the home side enjoying most of the possession. Nonetheless, Adebayor was lethargic in his touch and showed minimal inclination to get in positions that might cause those two sides problems. Spurs need more from him.
Harry Kane: B
September was a mixed month for Kane. His last contribution was sealing the 3-1 win over Forest with his second goal of the season. His first was inadvertently hitting the own goal that cost Spurs a win versus Sunderland.
In between, Pochettino continued to prefer Adebayor in the league, while Kane did not even make the bench for Arsenal. The young striker is going to have to continue to be patient and work hard to make the most of his opportunities.
Roberto Soldado: B-
Injury disrupted Soldado's September so things have not changed a whole lot since last month.
For 82 minutes he was at his lazy worst in the Capital One Cup win over Forest, giving those behind him little to work with in the way of reachable movement. He reacted well to score his goal, but will need to show more overall if he wants to earn a regular starting place.
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