Let’s talk about Townsend

After an impressive set of displays in pre-season, Spurs head coach Andre Villas-Boas unleashed Andro Townsend onto Dinamo Tbilisi last Thursday to devastating effect. The tie had been billed as one of those potential banana skins but a match winning performance from the 22 year old winger led to a 5-0 demolition job and an almost certain path into the group stages of the Europa League.

That display meant that Townsend was un-droppable for the game against Swansea at the weekend and despite a more subdued performance against better opposition, the player still won the deciding penalty and clearly should have earned another spot kick before the break.

After the match, Andros was one of the players whom AVB singled out for praise,

“I think when he receives the ball with space he has one objective, which is to take on the man and beat the man,” Villas-Boas said.

“He’s really adding to our game because he brings that light and spark into our game. He’s a very explosive player, we gave him the opportunity bearing in mind what he did against Dinamo Tbilisi and I think he took it very, very well.”

Now he’s no Gareth Bale, but when he is on top of his game, Townsend is one player who provides a spark that can break the deadlock in the same way that Gareth did last season – even if he does it as an impact sub. This will probably precipitate another loan deal but surely those two performances mean that at the very least, the club will now take a proper look at the England Under 21 player and decide whether he does have a future at White Hart Lane.