In last year’s player of the season poll on this site, Benoit Assou-Ekotto came second – albeit a very distant second behind eventual winner Luka Modric – and that was a measure of the esteem that most of the fans held him in at the time.
We’ve always known that BAE can be a little aloof – talking about playing for Spurs as just a job – but have his latest comments dampened his reputation?
After his quotes in the French media, here’s what the player had to say by way of a retraction.
“I am fully committed to Tottenham Hotspur and proud to represent the club in any match, whatever the competition.
“I am very much enjoying my time here. It is a wonderful club with great support and I am looking forward to recovering from my injury in time for next season.”
Ultimately it’s about what you do on the pitch and Benny has had another consistent year – ever present, pretty much until the last few games – and chipping in with a couple of important goals.
So, should we just put it down to Benny’s personality, which doesn’t fit the identikit premiership footballer most expect or is it time to look for another left back anyway?
He’s just like the rest of us. We’d all move on to another job if it offered more money and prospects. I for one love BAE’s honesty, we all know most footballers are after more money, wouldn’t you? The refreshing thing with BAE, is, he doesn’t give you some BS, he says what he thinks, and I respect that. Good luck to him if he goes, I hope he stays tho, he can make some silly mistakes but he does his job well.
Look elsewhere? Why? What has he done that’s any different to any other footballer, he is merely speaking his mind if he even did at all.
BAE is a superb footballer with style, vision and calmness personified. He has done an awful lot for Spurs and the way we play, always finds a Spurs player with his passes and gives his all. If he left we’d have a nightmare trying to replace him.
No, the guy played in all the Eufa Cup games. He has suffered at the hand of Bale whose meandering all over the park has been well noted.
He did have a couple of bad games however he played alongside an injured King covering huge amounts on the pitch.
He is an excellent left back we should keep him….if he puts the hair back in….better with braids benni dunno why you just are.
I Read that he wants to stay and loves playing for Spurs. He is a very good player and in my opinion now better than Evra and Cole.
Easy tiger!
Better than Evra(even though this season hasn( been his best) and Cole, don’t push it.
He’s good, I’ll admit but he’s not world class and wouldn’t get in the UTD, City, Chelsea and maybe not even in the Arsenal team.
He still caught out of position way too many times, and is often day dreaming!
Even though I love his honesty, that he’s only in it for the paycheque, I think that’s what holds him back. If he had a willing desire to be the best and give 100 per cent every game, he could be mentioned in the same sentence as cole, evra etc but not yet!
he would easily get into arsenal over gibbs and santos. comeon – give him some credit
I believe Santos yes, but gibbs I’m not 100 per cent, that’s why I said maybe.
BAE only plays well against the wigans and blackburns of this world, I’ve never seen him have a solid game against one of the top sides, and still leaves me feeling uncomfortbale when defending sometimes.
If he does need, and we don’t drop Bale back to LB(which I don’t think will happen because his head is too big) may I suggest Sisskho from Lyon. The guys an animal!
95% of players are in it for the pay cheque.
For a short time, Spurs have gathered a good squad, which includes some stars you feel might be irreplaceable. Benoit figures high on that list. Levy should use all his resources to ensure BAE stays at the Lane, with Bale, Modric, VdV, &c.
Yidtilidie-
“He’s good, I’ll admit but he’s not world class and wouldn’t get in the UTD, City, Chelsea and maybe not even in the Arsenal team.”
There’s also alot of player’s in their team’s that wouldn’t even get in our’s.
BAE is sometimes prone to the odd lapse of concentration true but so is Walker and those two have probably been our most consitent player’s this eason in my opinion.
Fair enough that’s your opinion, buts he’s not World Class. There must be a reason why no-one but us Spurs fans rate him, and he’s never linked with a big club.
I’d love to know the players in the UTD and City team you don’t thin would get in ours, and they have to be starting 11, no Adam Johnson’s(even though on a good day, he’d be pushing Lennon and Bale)!
Johnson is not in the same league as Bale. Bale’s crosses are the best in the league, he has far more to his game than the City guy who can hardly get a game.
I wouldn’t have the de Gea, Evans, Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Carrick, Anderson, Smalling, Ji-Sung, Fabio, Rafael, Cleverley and Fletcher.
Mind you I’m not saying some of our back up players are good enough either. We only have about 16 worth a first team place.
Bales good but don’t get a boner! The only players that you listed that start are De Gea, Rio, Carrick, Scholes! All would walk into our team, De Gea over Grandad! Rio over all our Centre Backs, Carrick is our Hudd, but Carrick is better. I use Hudd, because you can’t compare Carrick with Modders or Parker and I’ve give my pinky to have a player who moves the ball like scholes does in our team! I’d even take Flecther and Park! League table don’t lie, and we have to many bottlers in our team as we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, so I’d take that Utd experience! End of!
No, you need to read the whole article so you can understand the quotes in context. He has made it clear on Twitter that he is going nowhere. he has been and will continue to be a very good left back for us.
Has anyone noticed how when the team have the pre-match huddle, BAE is the only one who doesnt get down and involved and arrogantly stands up completely uninterested in what the captain is saying? That for me sums the guy up. Hes a decent player but his attitude towards football means he doesnt really care whether spurs are successful or not as long as hes getting paid. Look at the arsenal 5-2 and the chelsea 5-1, his positioning was absolutely shocking, he was nowhere near where he should be and it cost us in a big way! We need players who care about the club and will give everything theyve got even when its not all going our way.
I say we look at replacing him personally, he just doesnt care enough!