Captaincy and defence but no defence for the for the captaincy

I like to think when the players were asked in September ‘Who should be the next Spurs captain and who deserves to be his deputy?’ There was a strong comedic value to such a question. For instance, Pochettino being dressed as a clown while Miguel D’Agostino repeatedly bludgeoning him with a rubber chicken, in such circumstances the player’s, recognising and reacting to the new coaching teams slightly peculiar sense of humour respond “Imagine if Kaboul were captain and Ade his deputy”. Sadly I doubt such a scenario ever took place and the imagination and intelligence of the players and management must be brought into question.

“A leader is a man who makes decisions. Sometimes they turn out right and sometimes then turn out wrong; but either way, he makes them” — Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co., Leaders are Made . . . Not Born, Leadership in the Office (AMACOM, 1963)

This quote dates back to an age of glory for Tottenham Hotspur, Jimmy Greaves was top scorer in the First Division with 37 goals, we became the first British club to win a major European competition and Danny Blanchflower was our club captain. Fast-forward 51 years, the pitch at White Hart Lane is too small; the home crowd haunts the players; we’ve been beaten at home by the likes of West Brom and Stoke whilst yet again utterly destroyed by the top teams. Worst of all, Younes Kaboul is club captain.

[linequote]Right now it feels that Kaboul is being edged out and frankly I agree with this[/linequote]

I don’t blame him for this gross error I blame the rest of the team for throwing the rabbit in front of the headlights. For a player that makes so many individual mistakes to captain the side is a mistake itself, only last year at Anfield Kaboul scored an own goal that looked like Frank Spencer attempting a Marseille turn in front of his own goal. Going back to the quote “A leader is a man who makes decisions” and Kaboul fails miserably at this. In trying to both defend and captain he actually fails at both.

As a defender and captain, Kaboul’s first priority should be taking charge of his defence, knowing the men that constitute our back-line. This has never looked the case, well maybe briefly at the Emirates, but never enough. He could not play alongside Vertonghen, as the latter became something of a mutineer, believing he, not Kaboul should have been chosen for the captaincy. Right now it feels that Kaboul is being edged out and frankly I agree with this, he has neither the leadership nor defensive qualities to warrant a place in our starting eleven. Who then could wear the Captain’s armband? Furthermore, going forward how should our back-line set-up?

Unfortunately I don’t feel there are many candidates for the captaincy at present. Lloris is having an outstanding season, imagine where we would be this season if Ian Walker were in goal, on second thoughts don’t dwell on that. In truth Lloris will probably go to Madrid at the end of this season, after all such promises have been made to motivate our players in the past and why buy Vorm if not for the expectation of losing Lloris?

[fullquote]Unfortunately I don’t feel there are many candidates for the captaincy at present[/fullquote]

The fact he could be leaving soon rules Lloris out of the captaincy in my opinion. I’ve heard Kyle Walker’s name being thrown into the hat, this is an interesting idea and possibly a candidate in years to come but for a player just returning to fitness and having serious question marks over his defensive work I’m inclined to say not yet. In terms of future captains I see potential in both Ryan Mason and Eric Dier.

I think Mason’s heart beats to the tune of ‘When the Spurs go marching in’ and coupled with his high energy and his fighting attitude he could and probably should be club captain in a few years time. With his long list of fitness issues, Mason, for the time being must focus on this and his overall game before thinking of the captaincy. The same can be said of Dier and Eriksen.

Dier could be an outstanding centre-back, considerably better than at right back anyway and Eriksen is just incredible, a super talent that must not be held back by the constraints and expectations of a captain. Personally, I would give the captain’s armband to Vertonghen. I know much has been made of his attitude and unwillingness to sign a contract extension but I would give him the armband if for no other reason than his reaction to our last-minute winners at Hull and Swansea.

[fullquote]With his long list of fitness issues, Mason, for the time being must focus on this and his overall game before thinking of the captaincy[/fullquote]

So Eric Dier has played and failed at right back, his lack of awareness in the Newcastle game was enough to make Kaboul proud… probably. I think the majority of Spurs fans gave up on Kyle Naughton a little while ago, he is simply not a top-flight defender or player for that matter. So whilst waiting for Walker to return to fitness and Yedlin to sort out his visa we continued up a river without a paddle.

Meanwhile, 249 miles to the north of White Hart Lane a 22-year-old academy product, Ryan Fredericks, is lapping up the plaudits in Middlesbrough. Prior to his recent injury Fredericks was gaining quite the reputation in the Northeast as an exciting player competent in both defensive and attacking duties. Considering Pochettino has thus far proven himself as a promoter of our youth and buys into the “One of our Own” philosophy I question why such a player was not brought back and given a shot at the very least.

[linequote]Promoting youth to provide vitality and passion and subsequently lead and inspire will give this team some backbone once again[/linequote]

It’s not just at right back that problems occur; the left back berth is another problematic position. Danny Rose, the winger turned defender that earned praise whilst on loan at Sunderland is dynamite going forward but desperate going back and should probably be played as a winger. I think Ben Davies is the better long-term option at left back and has looked pretty good recently but is something of an unpolished gem, he makes some defensive mistakes i.e. Bony’s goal at the weekend but looks the more natural defender of the two. Let’s not forget he also gave the assist for Eriksen’s goal.

I believe there is hope for both the captaincy and the defence at Spurs, continually promoting youth to provide vitality and passion and subsequently lead and inspire will give this team some backbone once again, something Danny Blanchflower knew all about.