Speculation continues over Gareth Bale’s future and for the time being at least, it continues to be not worth commenting on. However, the battle to be Bale’s understudy at the club is an interesting one and while many are looking at Andros Townsend after his impressive spell at Loftus Road, there is another forgotten man in the ranks who seems to be wowing the fans in Spain.
Iago Falque joined Spurs in 2011 – initially on loan before the club confirmed a permanent move from Juventus six months later. Since then, he has featured very sporadically at the Lane and the Spanish under 21 player clearly underwhelmed Southampton, making just one league appearance in their promotion run of 2011-12.
Falque may not have impressed at St Marys’ but that hasn’t been the case in Spain where a loan spell to Almeira has been far more profitable. In 14 games for the second division side, Iago has scored twice as his side climbed into the promotion play off places while comments on social media suggest that he is becoming something of a fans’ favourite.
If Spurs do decide to sell, it looks as if Almeira may head a list of likely buyers but does the 23 year old have a future at White Hart Lane?
Falque, Ceballos and Coulibaly are signings that still mystify me. Players with great potential that have just disappeared to random European clubs. Hopefully we’ll see something of them this season in the cup competitions.
Why?
PLayers like Rooney who burst onto the scene at 16 YO are the exception and not the rule. Even very good players are not really likely to make a serious impression in the 1st team squad until approx. 20 – 22 YO (and sometimes later). You could easily have said the same about Kyle Walker before he established himself in the side.
The Spurs youth set-up is in fine health ATM.
I think the issue with spurs youth is they are sold before reaching full potential. Taarapt has shown at QPR what a talent he is, I believe Gio will go from strength to strength.. There was a german lad a few years ago who was sold to Milan. If wer gonna sell our stars like berba vdv modric… BALE! We need a strong group of up an coming players to step up. There’s no point buying them young, investing time and money on them, sending them out on loan an selling them before they show what there made of or “worth”
He must not be aware of the fact that we have far superior first team options, and even their backups are better than Falque atm. If Falque, etc. want first team chances they will need to force the club’s hand through their performances on loan. We are trying to win cups, not just use them for testing our youth squad out. I’m mystified by his comment.
def keep coulibaly, he is strong, quick, and has an eye for goal, hope avb gives him some playing time next season, i think he will frighten the life out of many defenders
Whilst Falque seems like a decent prospect, I believe Townsend is by FAR the better player, meaning that should Spurs receive a good offer for the Spaniard, we should accept it and reinvest it in other areas of the squad.
The problem, for me, with regards to Falque is that while he is clearly a technically accomplished youngster, he does not appear to excel in any one department of his game, as far as I can see. Add that to the fact that he his competing with talent like Bale, Lennon, Holtby, Sigurdsson, and Townsend (I have left Dempsey out because I believe he should also be sold) for a starting spot, and it’s difficult to imagine him being anything but a squad player.
Tottenham do NOT need any more ‘squad players’ who are there to simply make up numbers, and therefore should use this loan to drum up interest in the young winger.
Indeed, this summer presents an opportunity for Tottenham to really look to push on and secure 4/5 top quality additions to enhance the first-team/squad, whilst ridding the club of it’s plethora of deadwood.
So while Falque wouldn’t necessarily be the first on my list of players to be sold this summer, I would hope that the club would consider any serious bids for the player, should they come in, for the sake of the evolving our team!
It’s so hard to watch players like townsend, falque and especially dos santos looking like future stars with bags of potential playing in other clubs shirts then for them not to get a game at spurs.
Watching Gio play for Mexico was like watching Honda play for Japan, I couldn’t stop thinking “please can we have him”
In gio’s case we had him, never played him an sold him for pennies! I don’t get it! Now lets sell bale and be done with it, sit around deadline day hoping vdv drops by.
We retain half of gio’s next sale rights I believe. The only one we all should truly regret selling young is KP Boateng. The rest just weren’t good enough for first team football and it was time to move on.
easy to say. gio never put in the effort at spurs. was widely reported that they had to have meetings with his parents to get him to turn up to training. he’s a different player with Mexico, but was lazy at spurs. taarabt couldn’t hold down a place in the relegated qpr team. he’s technically excellent but his decision making is like a youth team player, and he is completely unreliable. Both are nice luxury players for bad teams but lacked the temperament to succeed anywhere better. they might improve as they age, but you can’t bday on it.
Problem is with Falque that hes 23. Same age than our Gareth. Theres Holtby and Siggy who are younger and way better than he is so theres no way that he could make to 1st team + he has to be registered to 25 player squad because of his age. He seemed good on europa league but theres just too much midfielders at spurs. Can he play as a striker ;)?