7 Tottenham Hotspur Players of Last 10 Years Who Never Won over the Fans
A decade ago Tottenham Hotspur began a campaign that would secure them European football for the first time in seven years. Only once since then have the north London club not competed on the continental stage (in 2009-10).
Compared to the first 10 or so years of the Premier League era, Tottenham have accordingly been recruiting in more expensive and varied markets as they attempt to sustain their loftier position. Naturally, not all of the glamorous, big-name signings have worked out quite as well as hoped.
Compiling a list of seven Spurs players who did not win over the fans in that period, it has been intriguing to look back over the differing reasons as to why they did not capture the imagination.
There are plenty of players less productive or successful at White Hart Lane who became more popular. That there is no exact science as to why some endear themselves more than others is typified by some more than adequate—and in one case, arguably quite influential—performers taking their place on this list.
The seven chosen are intended to represent a broad spectrum of circumstances throughout a changing era in north London. You can certainly argue for plenty of others who did not win over Tottenham fans but, beginning with a recent departure and going back from there to 2005, those who follow exemplify those varying reasons as well as anyone.
Emmanuel Adebayor
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Tottenham's announcement on Sunday that they and Emmanuel Adebayor had mutually agreed to cancel the remainder of his contract ended a tumultuous four-year relationship. Perhaps fittingly for such a story gone wrong, it began so promisingly.
Adebayor made a scoring debut in a 2-0 win away at Wolves in September 2011. The striker joined fellow new signing Scott Parker in helping inspire an instant improvement after Spurs had lost their first two games 3-0 and 5-1 to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively (their season-opener against Everton was postponed because of riots).
If his antics at Manchester City had not already, Adebayor's 18 goals as part of an entertaining side went some way to making up for his Arsenal past. The loan from City was turned into a permanent deal in 2012 and he was primed to push on in the Lilywhite half of north London.
Instead, Adebayor gradually went about proving himself as frustrating a figure for the White Hart Lane faithful as he had been for their Emirates Stadium counterparts. A struggle for form gave way to serious disagreements with his second Spurs boss, Andre Villas-Boas.
A resurgence followed in the second half of 2013-14, only for another dip in performance to follow (perhaps influenced by off-the-field issues).
Tottenham supporters have shown their willingness to back struggling strikers in the past. Be it battling through dry spells (Helder Postiga and Roberto Soldado) to not being fancied by the manager (Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko). So long as the player displays commitment, character and/or a willingness to graft, he will not be given up on easily.
Adebayor never quite convinced in any of these departments. Deservedly or not, acrimonious conclusions to his spells with Arsenal and City had given him a reputation that counted against him when things went wrong.
Paulinho
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Paulinho was to be a victim of the hype surrounding his initial arrival at Tottenham following a strong 2013 Confederations Cup. It was always going to be difficult to justify comparisons, via the Mirror's Darren Lewis, to one of the Premier League era's great midfielders, Frank Lampard.
The Brazil international's first season showed some promise. A respectable eight-goal return demonstrated the forward aspects of his box-to-box reputation, notably scoring a late winner in an early game away at Cardiff City.
Midway through the campaign Paulinho shone in a 3-0 home win over Stoke City, drawing a glowing appraisal from then-head coach Tim Sherwood, per BBC Sport's Mandeep Sanghera.
Injured late in the game, it was almost as if the moment shattered the briefly found confidence which had seen him run the Potters ragged up to then.
Spurs fans would not see Paulinho so good again. After a slow start following his participation in Brazil's disappointing World Cup, he did find a place in his latest coach Pochettino's plans, covering adequately for new first-choice midfielders Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason.
But more had been expected of a reported £17 million acquisition who had earned his status as one of South American football's brighter emerging talents with a successful spell with Corinthians that included winning the 2012 Copa Libertadores.
By the time Paulinho left this summer, most had given up on him delivering on this promise in England.
Vlad Chiriches
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In January 2014 Vlad Chiriches enjoyed probably his best game yet as a Tottenham player. The previous summer's signing helped his team see out an impressive 2-1 win away at Manchester United as both clubs sought to re-energise their respective top-four pushes.
Chiriches' central-defensive partnership with Michael Dawson was looking encouraging (Spurs had only lost one league game with the two together). At Old Trafford, the Romanian gave one of his most-assured performances yet.
A 5-1 thrashing by a brilliant Manchester City at the end of the month just about marked the end of that duo. Injuries would ensure their periods of fitness did not coincide and Chiriches' struggle without the Spurs skipper beside him would continue into the next campaign.
Without the departed Dawson's steady, controlling presence, Chiriches' more erratic tendencies were left unchecked. New boss Mauricio Pochettino gave him his shot in games against West Brom and Besiktas but he looked all at sea. Unsurprisingly, the patience of Spurs supporters was beginning to wear thin.
Covering at right-back initially produced some improvement from Chiriches, the defender perhaps benefiting from the fractionally less responsibility out on the flank. With the returning, natural full-back Kyle Walker soon taking his place it was not a role he was able to properly work on improving in.
Subsequent appearances in the New Year were less steady. Despite a solid effort in the previous week's draw with Burnley, a nervy outing away at Aston Villa saw Chiriches jeered by some of the visiting fans crowd when replaced by DeAndre Yedlin late in the game.
Chiriches' unreliability proved his downfall at Tottenham. Sent off a month later as Spurs lost 3-0 away at Stoke City, he would not play again for the club.
Clint Dempsey
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Unlike Chiriches and Paulinho, Tottenham fans had a good idea of what they would be watching with Clint Dempsey.
In the best part of six years with Fulham, the USA international had been an integral part of a side who battled their way from relegation struggles to the 2010 Europa League final. He scored 60 times in that period, his 23 in 2011-12 convincing Spurs to bring him across the capital.
Dempsey did solid work in north London with his new boss Villas-Boas, scoring 11 times in all. Yet his efforts would be overshadowed by those of one of his new team-mates.
Gareth Bale netted 26 frequently spectacular goals in a campaign that gradually saw him transform from an often outstanding but sometimes peripheral performer into the team's key attacking player. Literally so, with the Welshman moving from the flank to a central role that only increased his ability to brilliantly fire on helpless opponents.
Dempsey continued to find ways to contribute even as he was pushed slightly to the side by Bale's greater prominence.
A late equaliser against Manchester United and a goal in a 3-1 win over Manchester City that kept alive Spurs' top-four hopes stood out in the Premier League. He kept up his fine Europa League scoring record too, notably a brace as a side without Bale lost on penalties at Basel.
Perhaps a big fish in a small pond at Fulham, Dempsey was never quite able to establish his identity at Tottenham. Both he and Bale left in summer 2013, the American's return to Major League Soccer flying under the radar in comparison to the latter's big money move to Real Madrid.
Darren Bent
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It was a transfer that highlighted the increasing premium placed on talented English players. Tottenham, looking to add increased firepower as they tried to crack the top four, paid Charlton Athletic a club record fee of £16.5 million for Darren Bent in summer 2007.
The striker had scored an impressive 16 in a struggling Addicks side, so there was logic to the signing. But given in the same summer Arsenal's star-man Thierry Henry (scoring 13 playing less than half the games Bent had) went to Barcelona for reportedly £400,000 less, eyebrows were raised over their respective valuations.
It was an unwelcome and unfair comparison to be subjected to. One that was unfortunately highlighted further when Bent missed a late chance to equalise off the bench against Henry's former club soon in his first north London derby
Unwelcome and unfair comparisons became the England international's lot in his time at Tottenham.
Initially competing with Dimitar Berbatov, Defoe and Robbie Keane for first-team minutes, their departures during his first year looked to have freed up space for Bent to truly prove his worth. On paper, 17 goals in his second season compared to eight in his first suggests he did.
Except, both Defoe and Keane were brought back by the recently appointed Harry Redknapp in January 2009. And Bent would score just five times in the second half of the season.
The most unflattering comparison of all came when Redknapp publicly criticised his inherited centre-forward after a missed opportunity to grab a winner at home to Portsmouth. "You will never get a better chance to win a match than that," he said, per BBC Sport. "My missus could have scored that one."
Many will have thought that assessment harsh. But it was testament to Bent never really catching on at Tottenham that few were too saddened when he was moved on at the end of the season.
Hossam Ghaly
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Joining fellow Egyptian Mido in north London, Hossam Ghaly was an option boss Martin Jol would call on throughout 2006-07.
Competition for places in midfield was tough. Even with Michael Carrick sold to Manchester United, Ghaly was up against Edgar Davids, Tom Huddlestone Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy, Teemu Tainio and fellow new signing Didier Zokora.
Nonetheless, Jol liked Ghaly's adaptability and tenacity as a player. Arriving from the Dutch Eredivisie, he adjusted decently enough to the English game and also performed well in the club's return to Europe. The first of his three goals for Tottenham came opening the scoring in a 2-0 win away at Besiktas.
Spurs supporters did not fall head over heels for Ghaly, many indeed were skeptical. Over time, though, his increasing Premier League aptitude may well have won them over.
Those hopes did not come to pass.
Spurs were hosting Blackburn Rovers that May as they pursued a second season back in the UEFA Cup. A goal down with an hour played, Jol chose to withdraw the under-performing Ghaly, himself a first-half replacement for the injured Steed Malbranque.
Angered, Ghaly took off his shirt and threw it to the ground as he crossed the touchline. Any goodwill to the 25-year-old from the fans was killed in that moment, their ire at him disrespecting their colours quickly coming to the fore.
Ghaly would apologise, citing being upset at struggling on the night as reason for his tantrum. Jol would defend him too, both per BBC Sport.
It was not enough to convince the fans to forgive the player. Ghaly was not seen in a Tottenham shirt again.
Jermaine Jenas
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Up to now this list has been made up of misfits and players ill-fated by circumstances at least somewhat beyond their control. In comparison, Jenas was by most standards a success.
Signed in 2005 following a name-establishing spell with Newcastle United, the then-22-year-old featured prominently as Tottenham went right to the wire in a memorable pursuit of Champions League football.
He was a midfield mainstay as the club became competitive at the upper echelon of the top-flight for the first time in over a decade. A significant performer at home and in Europe, highlights would include several goals against Arsenal, including one in the 2008 League Cup semi-final win. Spurs would go on to win the trophy, Jenas having been an ever-present in the run.
Injuries began to affect the England international, but he was still on hand to help Spurs finally make the Champions League in 2010, subsequently appearing eight times in the run that followed.
Yet, compared to other players of the era, Jenas never quite achieved the same popularity as some of his team-mates.
It was always going to be difficult to become as beloved as the club-produced captain Ledley King was and still is. But there is an argument to be made he was at least as vital overall as the likes of Berbatov, Dawson, Defoe, Keane, Aaron Lennon and Paul Robinson as Spurs progressed in the latter half of the decade.
The feeling that Jenas could have been even more as a footballer is probably a key reason. As tidy and willing a worker as he was recovering the ball and facilitating others, fans expected more creatively from a player blessed with skill, good shooting and a useful turn of pace.
Speaking in a BBC Sport Q&A last year, Jenas alluded to the challenges of fulfilling hype created during his time at Newcastle United and latterly injury problems as being behind any underachievement. As he noted, though, he has enjoyed a good career and success current Spurs players have yet to match with the club.
All things considered, Jenas will probably take that over having his name sung on a regular basis.
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