With the Saido Berahino deal looking likely to be a tricky one to complete, there is an cheaper alternative who will be easier to land.
Berahino scored an impressive 14 Premier League goals last season but he was trumped by Charlie Austin who notched 18 in a side that were relegated.
While Berahino is likely to cost in excess of £20m – potentially quite a lot more, Austin’s club QPR have said they’ll sell for £15m. It seems a fair price for a player who did so well in his debut season in the top flight.
Indeed, had it not been for the exploits of a certain Harry Kane then Austin’s journey from non-league to the England squad would have been the story of the season.
Yet the mention of Austin’s name as a potential signing by Spurs is generally met with apathy. Austin has scored 217 goals in 352 appearances that have spanned the depts of the Hellenic League Division One East all the way up to the Premier League. His finishing ability is not in doubt, so what is he lacking?
One of the big doubts about him is his ability on the ball outside the box. Last season he was most often paired with Bobby Zamora and it often felt like QPR were forced to play with two up front, when a lone striker would have been a more pragmatic solution.
At Spurs he would be expected to be able to play on his own up front and to improve his work rate when it comes to closing down defenders. At 26 some would say he might be a little too old to learn new tricks, but this is a player that has been stepping up in class and managing to thrive, throughout his career. There is no reason to think that a coach like Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t coax more from him.
Pochettino won’t be able to make him faster though which makes Austin less of an alternative to Kane than Berahino, but in Clinton Njie there is already a lightning fast forward within the ranks.
We agree that Berahino should be the preferred target but should the deal not come off there are advantages to bringing in Austin, who is considerably cheaper and will be much easier to sign. Tottenham could do worse than bringing in the second top English scorer in the Premier League as back up to the first.
Have you ever bid on Ebay? I bid with 30 seconds to go.
Sign him up pronto, much better than the Baggie
Weak knees and too slow. Will be the last resort.
Charlie Austin has made a name for himself through blood, sweat and tears (and maybe a few beers). The product of some great coaching right through the ranks and no doubt some good old fashioned advice that, you have to admit, has served him well. You can not deny him. He is not fancy but determined. A hard working, loyal down to earth Englishman who enjoys his football. So far not seemingly phased by the attention he receives in the public domain. He is still young enough to be able to adapt his game to benefit the team in his own way. I think this makes him unpredictable. Maybe even makes him more difficult to anticipate. He may be able to provide a essence that bounces off all others rather than everyone providing exactly the same play mode.
For me it’s the reason you already alluded to… Great as one of two up top, and I think Harry’s goals would dry up if he was looking to play Austin in all the time.. Harry can play on his own or as one of two and I think Austin would be -5million on the bench… I don’t think he’ll want that and nor will Berahinho, neither of whom will give us what Harry does.. Sort out the DM position, I’d rather have Berahinho over Austin and then bring through another striker from the development squad as back up for them and Ninja Clint..
Not good enough for a club striving for a top 4 finish he’s slow not mobile wouldn’t suit the mangers pressing style for football he also is a bit similar to Kane target man type where are berahino would complement Kane’s attributes and is younger more mobile any Spurs fan say Austin makes more sense knows nothing tactical about football
Oooh… Thank you Sir Alex Jose for your masterful tactical advice??
Funny your mother thanked me last night for my masterful sexual advice on how she could blow me ??
Tut tut ian … ? lol
I’d love a chick with a spotty bum lol
Cause I love spotty bums it really turns me on ??
IAN……i was going to comment on your original post….but ye know what……FT…..U…..DH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work, Handy Man thinking of your Mam………TTOOOOOOLLLLLLLL.
Come back to bed son and finish off rimming me. I’ve just had a shit, just the way you like it.
I like spotty bums to ian ? haha
Austin’s too one dimensional – an in the box goal scorer. Admittedly he’s probably good enough for half the PL teams. For us though he’s not as he’s not going to hold up the ball as a lone striker and bring others into play and he’s not got any pace. He’s way below the standard of any successful striker we’ve had in the past 10 years. No point to comparing him to Soldado, Adebayor etc as that’s not the standard we’re looking for.
There is rumour that he has a latent injury and would fail a medical, thus making him impossible to insure. It could be as simple as that!
Let’s stick to chasing Sadio, would love Yarmelenko & Bender that would set us up nicely for the season. Honestly believe Njee lone striker with Harry playing 10 role be exciting. Poch come on Defensive mid needed could have had Song…..
Agree
disagree!!!
Berahino please
For me It has got to be all out for Yarmelenko…….class….less than Sadio……..and will get more game time & GOALS. We all can see the media…….sign Sadio and when he doesn’t hit double figs……his name unfortunately will be pronounced the way it is, with out the y……..kick……Saydio…….=SAD io………….
Hopefully not BUT…….IT’S NEAR ALREADY WRITTEN ;(
Yarmelenko is a totally different player!Berahino has potential and has premier league experience, also he got double the amount of goals from his previous season, not bad for potential!! and we dont need another Rebrov or Ashavin!!
As for Charlie Austin, if we go for him , my how the mighty has Fallen!!
While I both agree and disagree with a lot of the comments, I still favour the option of Austin over Beharino not because he is cheaper and the transfer would be a lot smoother but because he does what strikers are paid to do and that’s score goals. While it might be an advantage to have all the ball skills in the world isn’t it the job of the midfielders and attacking wingers to do all the skill work and get the ball into the box for the strikers to do their job and score goals. Who cares if he doesn’t have the dribbling skills or passing ability of Glenn Hoddle as long as he can score upwards of 15 PL goals in a season that’s all that matters.