AZ Alkmaar Chief Backs Vincent Janssen to Perform Well for Tottenham
Vincent Janssen is doing his best to score for Tottenham but maybe his best attribute is to help in the build-up play instead.
With one goal in 10 games this season, Vincent Janssen hasn’t been able to find the back of the net that much this season. Which is quite apparent.
And although Tottenham paid £17 million to sign the Dutch striker from AZ Alkmaar back in July, Janssen’s work rate, plus being a complimentary backup to Harry Kane, has been worth it.
The 22-year-old’s teammates and coaches all like him (here, here and here) since he joined this past summer. While this won’t translate into goals any time soon, being a hard worker will eventually get the Dutchman the playing time that he craves.
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Because of Janssen’s slow start in his debut season for Spurs — goalscoring-wise — it’s not surprising that AZ Alkmaar’s chief, Max Huiberts, has backed his former player to adapt to the Premier League.
He of all people saw firsthand what Janssen was capable of doing last term. A Golden Boot award-winning season with 27 goals in 34 league games (32 in 49 appearances in all competitions) after, yes, a slow start.
“[…] He was the top scorer in the Netherlands [last season] and the number one striker of Oranje [the Netherlands national team],” the 45-year-old said (via Evening Standard).
“I am sure that he will adapt quickly to the level of the Premier League.”
Janssen has blended into the squad very well — goals notwithstanding — and has provided Mauricio Pochettino’s side with another scoring threat.
The added depth at the striker position, again, is something that Tottenham needed.
Scoring goals will eventually come but for the time being Vincent Janssen’s ability to hold the ball up and let his teammates find spaces to retrieve a pass and create a goalscoring chance is still valuable to have on this team.
Three days ago, respected Dutch journalist Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf and former Holland international Kees Kist both noted how Janssen has already improved since leaving the Netherlands and moving to London, England.
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As Verweij recalls of Kists’ notes from the Dutch’s 4-1 win over Belarus last Friday, Janssen always found himself in good positions to get the ball from a teammate or set them up by holding the ball up.
Throughout the 10 games Vincent Janssen has appeared in this year, it’s true that he is always in a good spot to score a goal.
Yet, for one reason or another the ball doesn’t find itself in the back of the net because of a save, a deflection, or it’s a near miss. But, it says a lot that all of the opportunities Janssen is producing has helped Tottenham keep their opponents on their heels.
In a way, the Dutch striker is acting as some sort of bait. With the 22-year-old managing to force his way deep into the attacking third it allows the likes of Son Heung-Min and Spurs’ other attackers more freedom to dribble into open space as the defense has now become stretched.
They’re worried about Spurs’ striker who is a natural goalscorer despite his current form. Teams aren’t going to relax and give him an opportunity to score a tap-in from six yards out.
With the Dutchman’s playing style similar to Harry Kane’s, Pochettino’s second line of attack have all racked up at least one goal: Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Érik Lamela who have two each.
The threat of a striker who can score and also be deadly with a simple play of holding the ball up, speaks volumes. Perhaps Vincent Janssen has found his niche, so to speak, as a set-up man for Tottenham.
As a striker Janssen should score, but he doesn’t have to, to justify his high price tag. It helps no doubt, but there are other valuable things that the 22-year-old does that tends to go unnoticed.
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Most notably, being involved in the build-up play that allows other Spurs players to score. A perfect example was against Middlesbrough where Janssen found an on-rushing Son Heung-Min who scored in the seventh minute.
It’s these little moments that is already making Vincent Janssen a good purchase despite scoring one goal in 10 games. Though if his past two seasons in the Netherlands’ first and second division are anything to go by, after a slow start the Dutchman finished the season very strong.