Where Does Tottenham Turn After Dembélé Ban?

The drama surrounding Tottenham’s behavior during Monday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea could have far reaching implications for Mousa Dembélé.

In accumulating nine yellow cards before the end of the match, Tottenham will be obliged to pay a nominal fine. The club as a whole should feel lucky that, at the moment, that’s the full length of the punishment they will receive for the players’ behavior on Monday.

It won’t be the full extent of what they can expect. While Érik Lamela should escape punishment, the same could not be said for Dembélé. His attempt to poke or claw at Chelsea striker Diego Costa’s eye at the end of the first half seems set to earn the Belgian a prolonged stint on the sidelines.

While initial speculation settled on a three match ban for the offense, the Football Association has stepped in to suggest that it doesn’t believe such a ban might be enough.

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As part of its announcement of the charges leveled at both Tottenham and Chelsea for the clubs’ failure to control their players, the FA included the following statement about the fate awaiting Dembélé: “It is alleged the player’s behavior constituted violent conduct in circumstances where the standard punishment of three matches that would otherwise apply is clearly insufficient.”

No firm details regarding the length of the ban, but it seems that Dembélé will at least miss the last two matches of the season while also missing the opening of next season. The Sun reported earlier on Wednesday that Dembélé could be subject to a ten match ban, one similar to that which was handed to Luis Suárez after the former Liverpool forward bit Branislov Ivanovic in April of 2013.

Such a lengthy ban might not have a tremendous bearing on the last two games of this current term, but it could mean that Tottenham are without one of their most critical players until mid-October. Being short a regular starter so early in the 2016/17 season is not something Mauricio Pochettino or Tottenham as a whole can simply shrug off.

Spurs fans with decently long memories might think back to last September for reassurance. Dembélé was forced off the pitch in the August 29th match against Everton due to injury and didn’t feature again for Tottenham until the 2-2 draw against Swansea on October 4th. Of the five games in all competitions that Tottenham played during Dembélé’s recovery, they lost one and won four – three of which came in the Premier League.

Dembélé failed to feature in a further three matches throughout the season, and it’s there where concern might begin to creep in. Those three matches include the heated 1-1 draw against Everton in January, and the shock losses to Newcastle in December and West Ham in March.

Those latter two matches proved to be the exception to the rule in a season that has otherwise seen Tottenham in impressive form, but there are few real conclusions to draw from them. Dembélé’s presence would certainly have helped matters, but it’s difficult to point out how his absence caused those losses outright.

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In any case, the prospect of as many as eight matches without the Belgian should have wheels turning in Pochettino’s head. How do you establish an early season rhythm without the player who so often sets the beat to which Tottenham play? Which player currently on the roster could possibly replicate Dembélé’s contribution over that time period?

Perhaps most importantly to Dembélé: does Tottenham turn to the transfer market for a remedy? While Dembélé proved himself vital this season, at 28-years-old he’s also not getting any younger. Sooner or later the club was going to have to find a player to serve as his heir apparent, and a two month ban might be the perfect excuse for them to get a head start.

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