Bostock Can Solve Spurs' Woes

So, after a preseason filled with hope and expectation, Spurs predicted season of success has unfortunately failed to materialise. The only thing the club have achieved so far—if you can call it an achievement—is successfully reminding the world of the year the Titanic sank.

1912, apparently—a fact the newspapers trotted out incessantly last week to illustrate the last time Spurs had such a poor start to a season. Of course, the North London club’s 2-1 defeat to Stoke on Sunday ensured that you now have to go right the way back to 1908—when, presumably, one of the Titanic’s designers was overlooking the destructive power of icebergs—for the last time things were going so horribly wrong at the club.

The defeat at the Britannia Stadium was a source of great frustration for the Spurs faithful. While a visit to the Potteries will not be high on any club’s wishlist this season, the manner of Spurs’ loss was still extremely disappointing.

Gareth Bale’s sending off and the resulting penalty from Danny Higginbotham, ensured Spurs got off to perhaps the worst start their fans could have wished for, but they surely would have at least expected the remaining 10 players to put up a real fight.

While the defence were resolute—both Vedran Corluka and Heurelho Gomes picked up injuries in the line of duty—there was a distinct lack of attacking intent. Even Darren Bent’s goal was laced with luck, and other chances were few and far between.

Juande Ramos, a man who was brought to the club under much fanfare this time last season, is now under considerable pressure. He needs to turn things around, and quickly. They say that “desperate times call for desperate measures”, and surely times can’t get much more desperate down the Lane.

As a result, it must be time that a couple of youngsters get the chance to reinvigorate the first-team. Like the effect Jamie O’Hara had on the side last season, the promotion of a few key performers from Spurs’ "developmental" squad could help oversee a turnaround in results. One player in particular deserves a chance—John Bostock.

Bostock has enjoyed a fantastic run of form since joining Spurs from Crystal Palace in the summer, including scoring a hat-trick in an academy match and scoring on multiple times for the reserves—culminating in grabbing the winner against Middlesbrough reserves last week. For a central midfielder, it is an impressive goalscoring record, but his all-round performances have also turned heads.

Perhaps most importantly, Bostock has already had some experience of first-team football with Spurs, having been involved with the squad throughout their impressive preseason. If he was to be called upon, he should fit in seamlessly.

The big question surrounding Bostock, however, is his age. Still only 16, many fans believe he is too young for the Premiership, and experiencing it at this stage in his development could do more harm than good.

But there is another saying in football, “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough”, and there is not a lot more that Bostock could have done to prove he is good enough for the Premiership, and deserves to get a chance to show it.

He has starred in the reserves for Spurs—at the same time as Didier Zokora and Jermaine Jenas have failed to stamp their authority on Premiership matches. What is the purpose of the reserves, if not to give squad players the chance to show they deserve to play every Saturday afternoon?

Of course, there will be doubts about the ability of any young player to adapt to the rigours of top-flight football, but Bostock is not any young footballer. Few 16-year-olds have the physical strength to cope with the rough and tumble of the Championship, but Bostock did that from the first minute of his Palace debut.

In subsequent appearances, he also demonstrated that he already had the technical ability to play at a higher level.

Tottenham surely did not sign Bostock to be the crown jewel in their reserves, and he has already shown himself to have great ability. Ramos played many young players while at Sevilla—Jesus Navas, Diego Capel, Dani Alves—so why not roll the dice this time?

At the end of the day, if Tottenham are looking for examples of the impact youngsters can make on a team, they needn’t look far. Just across North London, Arsenal have long been pioneers in the promotion of youth players—including giving initial opportunities to a certain 16-year-old Spanish central midfielder, Cesc Fabregas.

Look how that turned out.

Bostock might not be on the same level as Fabregas (after all, few players in history have been), but few Palace fans would disagree that he is an outstanding prospect. At this stage in his development, he looks to have all the tools to go to the very top. If that is the case, he should be able to make an immediate impact at White Hart Lane.

With Bale and Michael Dawson suspended for the foreseeable future after their dismissals at Stoke, surely Bostock must find his way onto the Spurs bench—starting with this weekend’s match at home to Bolton. If he subsequently has the opportunity to get on the pitch, then maybe Ramos will be encouraged with what he sees.

After all, the Spaniard needs to do something quickly, before he sees his team sink even quicker than the Titanic. There are arguably many potential solutions to the current crisis—John Bostock could be one of them.