What Happens Now for Tottenham’s Janssen?

A question lingered on the periphery of Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday: just what will happen to Vincent Janssen now?

The Dutchman started the match from the bench on the day, dropped in favor of in-form winger-cum-striker Heung-min Son.

At first blush, this was peculiar. Janssen, of course, had been brought in over the summer to fill the understudy role to Harry Kane. Were injury to have befallen Tottenham’s star striker last season –as it has this current one — it’s safe to assume that the club would not quite have reached the heights they did.

Prior to the match against City, Janssen led the line for Tottenham against Gillingham, Middlesbrough and CSKA Moscow over the previous week and a half. He scored his first goal for the club — albeit from the penalty spot — and seemed set to start once again against City.

Only Mauricio Pochettino had something else in mind. He went with the scoring threat of Son at the top of the formation, a move that allowed him to fit the South Korean in the same attacking lineup as Érik Lamela, Moussa Sissoko, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

And it worked, spectacularly. Son was as influential through the center of the attack as he was on the left, setting up the assist for Alli’s goal. Janssen, meanwhile, had to content himself with a 90th minute substitution onto the field.

Son’s hand hand — er, foot — likely wasn’t the only deciding factor in Pochettino’s decision on Sunday. Over those three starts, Janssen failed to make much of an impression. Perhaps he looked a threat against League One’s Gillingham, but he struggled to wade through the densely packed defenses of Boro and CSKA.

In the latter match especially, Janssen looked unsure about how best to play his role. His back stayed to goal, apparently in an attempt to act as a focal point for Son, Alli, Sissoko and Eriksen. Added together is uninspired flick-ons and inability to evade CSKA’s aging defensive core left an impression of a striker just slightly out of his depth at this stage.

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Pochettino’s dissatisfaction with Janssen was evident in the 67th minute when he pulled the striker in favor of winger Georges-Kévin Nkoudou. Son tellingly moved to striker and scored the winning goal minutes later. 

How much of an indictment all of this actually is of Janssen remains to be seen. This is still, after all, the same player who scored 27 goals in 32 starts for AZ Alkmaar last term. That should prove a more reliable indicator of his long term quality than a few middling results in stressful circumstances.

In the short term, however, Pochettino has some decisions to make. Is it safe to say that Son would continue to thrive against defenses less vulnerable to the press than City’s? How damaging would it be to Janssen’s psyche to be benched in favor of a player not even recognized as a striker?

These are potential dilemmas that will, with any luck, quickly become moot. Kane’s injury will keep him out of contention for far less time than first feared if Pochettino can be believed. Perhaps the England striker returns before the month is out, and Janssen can continue to adapt to the Premier League as a substitute or occasional second striker.

Until then, Tottenham’s immediate priorities likely dictate a bit of timeshare between Janssen and Son.

When play resumes after the international break, Tottenham take on West Brom. That looks like a perfect opportunity for Janssen to earn some needed experience against tightly packed, muscular defenses. What’s more, even if Janssen himself can’t find a way through, Tottenham have enough resources elsewhere on the pitch to be confident enough regardless.

Next: Tottenham: Pochettino Looking for Consistency

Three days later, however, Tottenham take on Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga side aren’t likely to defend quite like West Brom. They themselves will attempt to press Tottenham from back to front, and Tottenham will attempt to do the same. Son is a much better fit for such a contest, and it should be expected that he’ll start in the same role there as the one he played in against City. Janssen can once again expect to watch the match from the bench.

All of which is to say, essentially, that Janssen still has much more to prove before he can be rightfully considered Kane’s go-to cover. The English game is different than any other on Earth, and it takes time for some players to find their balance. Janssen might not have found his yet, but Tottenham and Pochettino need to be patient.