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Should Redknapp swallow his pride and pick Pavlyuchenko?
Author: Luke Connolly
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Photo: Sport.co.uk
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After an impressive display which saw them beat Wigan 3-0
at the weekend, Tottenham are currently sitting in fourth place in the
Barclay's Premier League and have a wavering grasp on the final Champion's
League place.
Pick Pav?
While Jermain Defoe's remarkable scoring streak showed no signs of slowing
down, it was the forgotten face of Roman Pavlyuchenko who will be the
focus of attention.
Whilst the team's performance will certainly have pleased Harry certain
performance's, in particular Pavlyuchenko's, have left him with much to
think about in the run up to their FA cup replay against Bolton on Wednesday
and there Premier league clash with Everton on Sunday.
After replacing Jermaine Defoe in the 73rd minute, Roman Pavlyuchenko
looked to stake his claim to a starting place in Tottenhams first 11 by
scoring twice in under 10 minutes. To date, the Russian has been something
of a fringe player this season, making just five appearances as a substitute
and not yet starting a game in the league.
Back in 2008, Roman was the talk of the league following his ?14 million
switch from Spartak Moscow. At the time, he was being chased by a number
of premiership teams after a successful Euro 2008 which saw him score
twice against England in the qualifying and finish the finals as Russia's
top goal scorer.
Russian roulette
Since joining Tottenham, it is clear to see that he has struggled to replicate
the form that had made him one of Russia's hottest prospects and most
clinical finishers.
While his time at Tottenham may not have been of the highest quality in
regards to his performances, his effort has never been called into question.
He has shown a fantastic work rate and this has been recognised by the
fans.
During the January transfer window, Pavlyuchenko was regularly linked
with a move away, with a number of clubs interested in the player. Birmingham
City were believed to have had a ?8 million bid turned down days before
the end of the window and both Lokomotiv and Spartak Moscow were keen
on seeing the player return to the Russian Premier League.
However, Tottenham were unwilling to sell the player unless they recouped
a fair amount of their initial investment. In a recent press conference,
'Redknapp said: 'I have never wanted to let him go - we could have sold
him in the window but we wanted to keep him here'.'
The predicament that now faces Mr. Redknapp is to whether this sudden
turn of form from the six-foot- two inch striker is enough to warrant
a starting place in Tottenham's XI. There is no doubting that, on his
day, the Russian has the quality and edge that would only add to Tottenham's
pre-existing strike force. Unfortunately, inconsistency is a problem that
will worry Harry and this may see him stick with his current partnership
of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch.
Tinkerman
?Harry understands fully well the pressures on all his players to perform
on a regular basis and the fatigue and tiredness that come with these
pressures. Like many of his counterparts, the early rounds of domestic
cups are often seen as a chance to rest their first team players. With
the race for fourth place more frantic than ever at the moment, the chance
to rest the likes of Jermain Defoe or Peter Crouch may be tempting. And,
while his league performances have been somewhat questionable, Roman's
performances in cups this season have been brilliant, with 11 goals in
9 games after his two goal brace in Wednesday's FA cup replay.
Interestingly, Harry has indicated he still see's Roman in his future
plans and believes he can still offer something towards Tottenham's push
for cup glory and the fourth and final champions league spot.
Talking after their win at the weekend, Harry was very open on his feelings,
complimenting Pavlyuchenko's fight and determination. "'When he is
in the right frame of mind and comes on like he did, I have always said
he is a fantastic talent with great ability, so I was delighted,' Redknapp
commented.'
Form
While there are plenty of reasons to reintroduce Pavlyuchenko ahead of
their next league game against Everton on Wednesday, inconsistency is
something that Harry will be keen to avoid in his squad. The other question
he faces is who to drop. Defoe has 16 goals in 25 games in the Premier
League this season, making him a valuable commodity that Tottenham may
struggle without. Peter Crouch would be the most likely choice but Redknapp
may be hesitant to split this partnership up, with Crouch offering the
height and target that Defoe loves to play off.
Another issue is that off current bench warmer Eidur Gudjohnsen. Currently
on loan till the end of the season from Monaco, he has started just one
game since joining at the end of January. However, Eidur is a fantastic
footballer with an eye for goal that Harry will certainly look to use.
Either way, Pavlyuchenko has certainly given Harry much to think about
and it would be unfair to begrudge him his chance based on recent performances.
Sport.co.uk,
26 February 2010
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