As a Spurs fan, living in West Yorkshire isn’t easy. The only game I’ve managed to get to this season was Blackburn away, which, regardless of the 2-1 victory, wasn’t the most exciting Premier League occasion to attend.
One thing I have managed to enjoy this season, however, has been my local side Huddersfield Town’s rise to the Championship – most notably the prolific young goalscorer Jordan Rhodes.
The 22 year-old striker bagged 40 goals this season, making him the highest scoring player in England ahead of Robin van Persie. With rumours persisting that Jermain Defoe will be leaving the club, alongside Louis Saha’s imminent release, could young Rhodes be the replacement Spurs are looking for?
Huddersfield thrashed Wycombe 6-0 away from home back in January, with Jordan Rhodes finding the net five times. Attending that game were Tottenham coaches Clive Allen and Joe Jordan, who must have been impressed by Rhodes’ performance.
After Allen and Jordan were spotted at Adams Park, Harry Redknapp was asked if he’d be attempting to sign the Huddersfield striker. The Spurs boss admitted that while there was interest, Tottenham would only be signing someone in the January transfer window who could make an instant impact.
With Jermain Defoe considering his Spurs future going into Euro 2012, Spurs may be thinking they can cash in on the England international. I’m sure Jordan Rhodes wouldn’t mind having a substitute role at a top four Premier League side – and if he did manage to make an impact off the bench, who knows how far he could take his career at White Hart Lane.
Over recent years, it has been proven just how big a step up from League 1 to the Premier League really is. Jermaine Beckford is a prime example of this, hardly setting the world alight at Everton. Players usually benefit from a year or two in the Championship before making the leap to the big time, with examples including Grant Holt and Danny Graham.
But Rhodes isn’t just any goal scorer, and watching his 5-star performance at Wycombe shows this.
The Scotland international’s movement, composure and finishing is envied by players at the top level. It is true that Rhodes often goes missing in games, but with quality players around him, the Oldham-born striker could really flourish.
Amid interest from West Ham United in January, ex-Huddersfield manager Lee Clark said that £2m wouldn’t even by his leading scorer’s socks, whilst now manager Simon Grayson has claimed that clubs receive £3.5m fees for 10-goal strikers, not 40. One would think that Town chairman Dean Hoyle, who has insisted the club are not looking to sell, would only look at offers around the £8m and above mark.
So will Redknapp and Daniel Levy pursue the Huddersfield striker? Or would the 22 year-old benefit from staying at his current club? Mainly, is Jordan Rhodes good enough for Tottenham Hotspur?
What about using Harry Kane?
Because Kane is 18 and has about 45 apps (14 goals), and Rhodes is 22 and has 150 apps (80 goals)…plus one app for Scotland. Kane needs more loan time.
how do we know hes better than kane, dont forget kane has been playing the tottenham way for years, as a kid, rhodes may not even do it for us, like i say, harry kane is getting good reviews, and deserves a chance, in the squad.
Why not give both a chance?
yes i agree, we have already got harry kane, give him a chance.
My point is that Kane has only played 40 odd professional games. Bringing him back here to pick up the odd app makes no sense. He would be better off having a full season at a Championship club to get experience. Rhodes has 150-odd apps, and will get more Scotland exposure. Bringing him here may stifle him, or it may make him progress. Either way, this guy needs experience at a higher level. Kane just needs experience, so loan him out.
I understand your point TR I think we should loan Kane out to a lower PL side were he’ll play nearly every game.
Totally agree. Like Cheatski loaning out Sturridge to Bolton .
I say go get him. It is a shot to nothing. He seems to have the stuff that Defoe, Pav AND Crouch all lacked – and that is work rate, effort, determination. The unknown is that Rhodes has not played against Premiership defences – which are infinitely better than lower leagues – so he may fail. However, if he goes to Spurs, his step up would get him more Scots caps – and he will improve. If not, then there is always a Stoke or Sunderland willing to pick up our rejects. Given that Ade is of, Defoe should leave, and Saha has no legs, we need to sign 3 strikers of varying readiness. Rhodes would be the least ready. Why not?
Everyone looks great on Youtube …
^THIS.
At a club like Spurs were never going to get a world class striker without a risk. We bought Bale for 8 mill and your going to tell me he was a sure thing. Obviously thou even if we do buy Rhodes we still need to buy one more striker with a track record. Just think we could have on of the best young striker partnership in the league to for years to come.
I think we need to sign Adebayor because he is proven to work, we should then sell Defoe because he cant play up top alone and then go and sign 2 strikers one for now another for the future I would go for Luuk De Jong and Demba Ba, Rhodes wont be able to score in the premiership
I’ve seen him a couple of times and the thing that struck me was that I thought he lacked a yard of pace… A yard of pace in Div1. That translates to two yards in the prem. If you can’t outrun a Div1 journeyman centre half you ain’t got a chance in the prem. Only a master footy player like Teddy can overcome such a lack of pace and from what I’ve seen he’s no teddy.
I think pace is over-rated. We have pacey wingers — which is great — but the forwards don’t need it that much. Defoe (and similar) players play off the shoulder of the defenders and look for that break, but possession-based games (like Spurs were playing at their best this past season) need more ball-control, positional-sense, and shooting accuracy than pace.
There are many players that have had very average skill but made decent careers because they could run fast. Lennon immediately springs to mind. He wouldn’t even make it into the Barnet team with his ability and football brain if he couldn’t run like the wind. Others that spring to mind are Chris Armstrong, Stewart Downing, Darren huckerby, ade akinbyi, Michael chopra, John williams… To name but a few. Hardly a decent striker around, at the very top level, that doesn’t have good pace or bundles of skill. Neither have I seen from Rhodes. Good luck to the lad though.
And i also would like to see thomas carroll in the squad, everytime i have seen him play, he does not look out of place, and dont forget our speedy winger, andros townsend, we have some really good players coming through, and we may have a star waiting, and get some big transfers as well, while flogging, the players we dont want, but dos santos has to stay, if he gets gelling with the squad, he will show his class, i dont think our board want harry redknapp, and the next manager, will most probably want dos santos, and if it is martinez, not bad i say, he was the one who got swansea, where they are, with his stylish football ideas, and his tactics are not bad either, and with our squad compared to what he has had before, i think he will do well, he was the one who turned swansea into a good stylish football team, not brendan rodgers, who just inherited , what was already built, so yes get martinez, hes a gentleman and loyal, and levy likes that.
I agree with you I think our board will either sell Harry to Chelsea, which I can’t see Chelsea wanting him, or let him walk after this year.
A very good call,I honestly believe that Martinez would take us to a higher level,certainly not the old dinosaur Redknapp.
Both Rhodes and Kane? Why not give them both a chance at the Lane. There are plenty of proven strikers that can be bought for millions of pounds more and who would flop in the PL…..and we’ll probably fork out 20 million quid for an overrated foreign player who’ll score fewer goals than would either of them.
Not for sale to Spurs if I had my way. I reckon Jordan is worthy of a club that will get in the champions league and Spurs seemed destined to be the bridesmaids for the forseeable future.
Welcome to the Huddersfield chairman Mr Ian Mckay,so tell me Ian do you think a striker without pace in the PL would get into the city’s,man ures,and the chavs first team in the “forseeable” future??
yeah ian, our team which runs itself, within its own income, compared, to the sugardaddy teams buying false glory, is not worthy of your paceless hopeful striker, who hasnt even played in the premiership, high speed football arenas, i think he would be very fortunate if we did sign him, but i still think harry kane, could do just as well.
Lets see the plus points for tottenham hotspur f.c
State of the art training complex
State of the art stadium, (on the way)
Good wages, (not silly)
Great style of football
Playing with great players
Does not rely on a sugardaddy,and will still get in the champions league.
A real well run club
… and passionate and handsome fans. What more could a player want.
One thing that strikes me about the kid,” intelligence”, reads the game well. That is what we have been lacking upfront this season, the likes of Clive Allen, Linekar, Greaves.. I think he could be good for us.
If Levy is adviced he is good enough, the deal is done.
INCASE YOU HAD NOT NOTICED THE PREMIERSHIP IS A VASTLY DIFFERENT LEAGUE THAN DIVISION ONE , REMEMBER THAT PLONKER ZAMORA WHAT A LET DOWN BUT GOOD ENOUGH FOR FULHAM AND WEST HAM BUT THEY TO SOON GOT RID OF .