It Was Only 33 Minutes But Etienne Capoue Impressed For Tottenham

It’s never a good idea to express an opinion of a player on his first performance, remember Mido’s two goals on his debut against Portsmouth, but in the 33 minutes that Etienne Capoue was on the Selhurst Park pitch on Sunday but he made a big impression on me. In yesterday’s HotspurHQ poll, Capoue also impressed readers with 58% voting for him as the most impressive of the four debutants against Palace.

Etienne Capoue [ Acknowledgement to @balesleftpeg @edgey642]

With Etienne Capoue only completing his transfer from Toulouse to Tottenham on Thursday due to the internationals last week, it was not unexpected that he didn’t start the match against Palace. There had been a thought that he might have to be pressed into service in central defence due to Spurs injury problems but the return of Jan Vertonghen to fitness meant that Capoue was listed as one of the substitutes.

In an interview Capoue acknowledged that the move to Tottenham was high risk especially in a World Cup year but he indicated that it was the right thing to do for his career and showed a determination to succeed. His remarks were reported on Twitter by @HotspurRelated, Capoue said,

"Tottenham was the perfect club with which to take a step up in my career. If you want to succeed, you have to take risks, even in a World Cup year….Competition is what is needed in a group, and I will do everything to win my place."

Capoue made over 30 League appearances for Toulouse in each of the last five seasons and he with his versatility he will bring competition for places in Tottenham’s defence and midfield.

Debut

Not for Capoue the customary final ten minutes on your debut to get a feel of playing in the Premier League. Instead, he didn’t have long to wait coming on early in the second half to replace Mousa Dembele with over half an hour to play against Palace. Capoue made an immediate impression, winning the ball and making a forceful run forward. He continued to be a powerful presence in midfield for Spurs as they pressed for a second goal but also as they withstood the late efforts by Palace to snatch a draw.

In those 33 minutes which Capoue played he impressed me with his all-round contribution and it looks very promising for the months ahead. As I wrote after the match – he was very strong in the tackle, quick to the ball, accurate in his passing and very powerful when going forward. A very good all-round display which augurs well for the coming months. On that display he’ll be forcing his way into Andre Villas-Boas’ starting line-up and could be a very important player for Spurs this season.

Speaking to L’Equipe, his comments were reported by SkySports and he clearly enjoyed his first experience of Premier League football in England. He said,

"There is a lot of intensity. My team-mates helped me a lot to feel at ease. Moreover we started with a win, which is perfect. I needed to go abroad and I have been lucky to join the best league in the world. England, with the atmosphere and fans very close to the pitch, is what any footballer dreams of."

The stats from the game support the impressive display of Capoue – his passing success rate was 90%.

He worked hard during his time on the field but accepted it as part and parcel of his midfield role, telling the Tottenham club website,

"It was hard work out there, but that’s my job, to defend and then join the attack."

Perhaps the most impressive stat concerned the number of interceptions Capoue made in the 33 minute appearance. According to an article written by Clinton Awuah for the English Premier League Index, ‘Capoue made more interceptions in his 33 minute appearance (6), than West Brom (5), West Ham (5) and Sunderland (4) made as a team in their entire matches which is just staggering.’

A very impressive debut, leaving us looking forward to more and hopefully Capoue will be able to build on that opening day experience.