Vertonghen has done enough to earn move away from Spurs

‘Loic Remy makes close to an instant impact as he makes a fool out of Vertonghen's defending inside the box to easily turn the defender before slotting across goal into the bottom corner.’

This was the Daily Mirror’s online commentary of the Frenchman’s goal against us on Wednesday.

Rewind three months back to October for our game versus Manchester City. Sergio Aguero turned Jan Vertonghen inside out to slot home both his, and City’s fourth. What followed was something quip from ESPN commentator Chris Waddle.

Waddle passionately said in response to the Belgian’s defending: “Jan Vertonghen! Champions League? You’re having a laugh!”

The owl’s got beaky about the Belgian

Waddle’s comments were at the forefront of my mind after a similar analysis came from ex-boss Tim Sherwood, who was commentating on Wednesday’s match for an overseas channel.

After Remy had pulled down Jan’s pants, Sherwood added: "Vertonghen is so poor. Can't move his feet. He looks elegant with the ball but he just can't defend, this guy.”

And maybe Sherwood has a point. For all Jan’s qualities in putting the ‘ball-playing’ into ball-playing centre-half, what he lacks are the basic attributes needed in a central defender: strength, concentration, bravery, organisation and desire.

Not a captain, not a Champions League player

You only had to look at the other end of the pitch when Remy scored to see the faults in Jan’s game. For the opposition, John Terry and Gary Cahill are ample with the ball at their feet, but they are without a doubt the greatest centre-half pairing in the modern game because they are the best in the business at defending.

Comparing Jan to these two makes sorry reading – the gulf in class is remarkable.

Doubts over Vertonghen’s credentials and long-term future were cast a long time ago in a tunnel at Anfield prior to a Spursy capitulation. This underlying taste of a disinterested and distanced Jan found its way to the Tottenham toungue again, when Mauricio Pochettino picked Kaboul, Lloris and Adebayor over the Belgian for senior roles this season.

Amidst reports that the players had told Pochettino that they were against our number five being captain or vice-captain, the Argentine followed Sherwood’s suit by effectively playing down the defenders importance to us in the long run.

It now seems that fans also share this sentiment, with 63% voting in a Daily Mirror poll that Vertonghen will leave Spurs in January.

Best of a bad bunch

For all his faults, Jan is without doubt our best central defender on his day. Without him we’d be left with kamikaze Kaboul and clumsy Chiriches, while Fazio and Dier are still adapting to life in this league.

Our boss was quick to defend his player, post Sherwood’s comments, saying: "People can have their opinions but I am very happy with Jan. I am not aware of these comments. I give my opinions in private.

"I think Jan in his first season was maybe the best central defender in England. Maybe last season he was not as good, but he is still a very important player for us."

Not good enough for Champions League, but good enough for Spurs

However the season unfolds, I have no doubt that Jan Vertonghen will leave us sooner rather than later – whether it’s for a club competing in the Champions League is another matter.

I recall a few words from Matt Le Tissier back in the summer, in response to Southampton players wanting to leave in order to get Champions League football. Le Tiss said it would be refreshing for players to concentrate on trying to get into the competition with their current club, rather than taking the easy option with a transfer away.

Maybe Jan could take Le Tiss’ advice and work hard to get us into Europe’s elite competition, but with fans and pundits admitting that we are not good enough for the Champions League, then maybe the same could be said of Jan Vertonghen.

 

Totally agree. Often he looks like he can't be bothered! I'd rather someone who has half the ability and twice the appetite to win and gratitude to the club. Coys

 

Totally agree with the last comment - Daws for example??

 

Jan flatters to deceive his talent with the ball at his feet masks his shocking defensive deficiencies ie- marking, reading the game etc
He has a streak of laziness about him aswell like he feels hes to good to throw himself into a challenge/block and that the others should be doing this nitty gritty stuff.
The fact he is our best centre half doesnt say alot about him it says alot about our clown defence. Hes been sulking about for months and like the article says id rather see a no nonsence solid defender than 1 that looks good on the ball but lost at sea when defending.

 

I'd rather not. Talent beats hard work more often than not. Hard working talent is dominant. That is what needed.
Good post, josh. Jan impersonates Spurs no matter how hard it is to take.

 

Jan has been mostly decent this year and whether we like it or not is still the best CB at the club. Yes he was turned by Aguero and Remy, both times he was caught one on one in a high line defence and paid the price. None of our CBs are particularly quick and mobile and often found vulnerable with a simple and quick ball over the top usually with our FBs jogging back from a forward position. For me the best defensive efforts this season against Arse and Everton were both games where we sat the defensive line back and were hard to break down using physicality rather than mobility ( Kabouls best game this year ) and then hitting them with pace, against Everton we gave them something like 70% possession early in the second but controlled them and never gave them a real chance. We just don't have the right CBs for this high line business, or maybe we should buy that CB who never gets turned by the likes of Aguero when one on one and no support, now what was that players name again anyone ?

 

Jan was never a top-class defender in his time at Spurs. He scored a couple of goals at the beginning which endeared him to some fans and it became taboo to criticise the guy. Even when he was guilty of mistakes it was usually Dawson that got the blame for them, being the last man trying to clean up at the end.
He always said he should be a central defender but plays left back for his country!
His attitude has stunk for a good while, however had seemed to improve recently after being left out of the starting 11 for a while. The Remy goal did show his defensive weaknesses which prove he is not a world-class centre back and playing for Spurs (and the Europa League) is probably about as good as it will get for him.
If he went to Barca, as was the talk for a while, he will undoubtedly be shown up and disappear without trace in a very short time. If he stays and shows commitment, all well and good, if he wants to go, good riddance.

 

If he wants out maybe he's just not trying very hard any more, which would account for Remy getting past him easily.

 

Super Jan is the embodiment of what is wrong with the playing staff at the moment. He looks good when the going is good, but disappears at the first sign of trouble. He is a senior player, along with Kaboul and Adebayor. I would expect him to show leadership at the back, especially when we are going through a rough patch, just as I would expect Ade to show leadership up front just like Drogba, Costa and Benteke do every week. I suppose I could dream of going to Mars in a spaceship as well! Instead, poor Jan gets rattled and brushed off the ball whenever we come under serious pressure. The last straw for me was in the 2nd half at Asteras when, once again, he was bullied off the ball by their 2nd rate striker for a clear run on goal.
We keep hearing from 'his camp' that he wants to play Champions League football. As another England hero, Alan Shearer, said on MOTD after the debacle at home to Stoke, "Some of these Spurs players give the impression that they want to play in the Champions League, but they want somebody else to work hard and qualify for it first". The only player today who should be thinking of Champions League football at WHL is Hugo Lloris, and it will be a miracle if he's still with us come next August.
Vertonghen should be sold as soon as we get any offer north of £12m. He is completely overrated, especially by himself!

 

Just makes me pine for Ledley more and more............