Spurs fans are having to wait patiently for the chance to see new signing Vincent Janssen in action, so until then how about reading the thoughts of someone who knows the player very well?
Michael Bell is the editor of Football Oranje and the man in the know when it comes to the Eredivisie. He’s been kind enough to answer a few questions which give some real insight into what we can expect from Janssen.
Strikers signed from Dutch clubs have a mixed record in English football. For every Ruud van Nistelrooy or Robin van Persie, there’s been a Alfonso Alves or Mateja Kezman. Do you think Janssen will succeed in the Premier League?
It’s impossible to tell these days whether a player will ultimately succeed in the Premier League – especially after Memphis last season – but I feel Janssen has all the attributes to be a quality Premier League player.
He is a fighter and a hard worker – unlike Alves or Kezman – and is still young, so can be moulded by Pochettino. He is similar to Van Nistelrooy in style so could be just as successful in the Premier League.
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
His main strength is his movement. He is always on the run looking for space in behind defences. He is a deadly finisher inside the box, strong with the ball at his feet, or in the air. Janssen is great at holding up the ball and can dribble at his opponents. He isn’t the quickest but he has some pace.
In terms of weaknesses, he doesn’t score many goals from range despite taking a number of shots from outside the box. He can be called offside a lot due to his constant running on the last defender and his first touch needs a little work. These are all things that can easily be sorted by Pochettino though.
Janssen had a slow start at AZ Alkmaar before exploding into life after the winter break. Will it take time for him to adjust to life at White Hart Lane, where he’s likely to be used as a rotation option?
I think he will need time to adapt to the different style in the Premier League, but goals build confidence and the more minutes he gets at the start the easier it will be for him. He won’t gain confidence from being a late substitute or bit-part player.
Spurs typically play 4-2-3-1, but the signing of Janssen gives Mauricio Pochettino the option of playing two up front. How comfortable is Janssen as a lone striker, or when playing with a partner?
Janssen played most of last season as a lone striker and in the national team as the number nine in a 4-3-3 and that’s where his main strength lies, but he can easily adapt to a two-up front system as he isn’t a typical target man.
His movement means he could play off a target man, while he is great at hold-up play so could link with another quicker striker running around him. His position up front won’t really matter. As long as Eriksen and Alli can find him in the box he will score goals.
Janssen seems to have started brightly at international level with Holland. With the Netherlands side looking to qualify for the next World Cup after the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2016, is Janssen’s move to White Hart Lane being viewed positively in Holland?
A lot of people in the Netherlands wanted him to move to a PSV or Ajax, but they understand that moving to Tottenham is a massive opportunity. The main worry is playing time. At Ajax he would have been number one forward and if he was scoring goals this means he will be brimming with confidence for Netherlands. While in England he could become number two to Kane and become a bit-part player which could affect his development, much like what is happening with Memphis.
The main thing is that people in the Netherlands want to see Dutch players succeed in the biggest leagues, like RVP, Van Nistelrooy etc. If Janssen is playing and scoring then Tottenham will gain a lot of new followers and fans in the Netherlands.