Younes Kaboul swansong
Are we currently seeing the Younes Kaboul swansong as a Spurs player? He has been troubled by injuries now for 2 seasons after breaking down in the first game of the campaign in 2012/13 away against Newcastle United.
He played ion the 28th December 2010 against Newcastle at White Hart Lane and was then suspended. On the 22nd January 2011 he was then a substitute against Newcastle away. He then had a knee injury not was not seen again, which involved missing 3 Champions League games as well as the Premier League, until the 9th April 2011 playing the remainder of the season.
In the 2010/11 season he had played in 21 Premier League games, 2 of which he was substituted and 2 of which he came on as a substitute.
The following season saw him miss the Liverpool and Newcastle games while he had a knee operation. The 2011/12 campaign saw him play 33 league games coming on as a substitute in just 2 of those. This was the season that Younes Kaboul finally made it at Spurs changing from an error prone defender into a quality centre-back.
The 2012/13 season started with high hopes away at Newcastle, a game I attended. We were beaten 2-1 thanks to poor defending but at the end of the game Kaboul sat on the turf in difficulty. There didn't seem to be any serious problem but as we now know his knee had gone and that was the last we saw of him that season.
Newcastle seems to be a recurring theme for Younes.
He did play a couple of Under 21 games at the end of the season coming on as a 60th minute substitute against West Ham on 8th April and a 48th minute substitute against Manchester United on 15th April 2013.
This season has seen him miss extended periods with a hip injury and a calf muscle strain. He played 5 minutes against newly promoted Crystal Palace in the first game of the season and his next league appearance was against Newcastle on the 10th November. In the meantime he had been playing gaining fitness and practice in the Europa League games.
He played against Manchester City on 24th November, was on the bench for the Manchester United game and then didn't make the bench again until the beginning of February due to that hip problem. He has had a season of niggling injuries and problems as his body readjusts after an extended period out. It is quite usual for one part of the body to take more strain while you nurse another part through and give way itself. If you think of hurting your foot, you limp which puts added pressure on the other leg, this is the problem he and Sandro have had to nurse.
His performances have been erratic, not greatly tested in the Europa League he has had good games and make some shocking errors in the Premier League. He has given 100% to Tim Sherwood often trying to do everything himself, popping up on the right wing for instance.
In the 2013/14 season Younes Kaboul has played 9 Premier League games, being taken off twice, 6 Europa League games and a League Cup tie with extra-time.
His contract runs out in June 2015 so if we are not to offer him a new contract then we would have to sell him this summer to get a fee otherwise he could leave on a free transfer at the end of that season and arrange his departure in January.
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The jury is still out as to whether he should be offered a new contract or not, he has not conclusively proved his fitness, his performances have not been to the level we need to finish in the top 4 next season and he has played 10 games in 2 seasons.
Newspapers in Italy are suggesting that Fiorentina are keen to sign him and indeed La Nazione, a Fiorentine paper, are suggesting that talks are taking place and the club are close to making a formal offer. There has been no indication from Tottenham regarding his future but if he is talking to the Italian club it would suggest the club have told him he can leave, unless his agent is trying to force our hand of course.
Spurs have constantly been linked with centre-backs and have certainly been watching players, but who they would be replacements for and how many would be signed is not entirely clear.
The club will have been talking to his agent, if he were to be released then the agent would be instrumental in finding clubs who were interested in him so it would be counter-productive to keep them in the dark. Fans can only look at his performances on the field and try and determine what they mean.
Are the club unsure and is he trying his heart out because he is striving to prove his fitness? If he were going up for sale surely he would simply concentrate on his defensive duties and not try and make up for teammates not trying. At 28 he still has time to get back to his best and at his best he becomes a first choice.
We have had injury plagued centre-backs for years now it seems. Personally I don't hold much store by an injury prone tag, I can see him being fully fit after a summer break and a full stint of pre-season training. It's a tough call but I'd fall on the side of keeping him and offering him a years extension with a renegotiation if he shows his fitness next season.
However many will fall on the side of letting him go. If Younes is to be leaving us then the remainder of the season is his swansong in a Spurs shirt
He played ion the 28th December 2010 against Newcastle at White Hart Lane and was then suspended. On the 22nd January 2011 he was then a substitute against Newcastle away. He then had a knee injury not was not seen again, which involved missing 3 Champions League games as well as the Premier League, until the 9th April 2011 playing the remainder of the season.
In the 2010/11 season he had played in 21 Premier League games, 2 of which he was substituted and 2 of which he came on as a substitute.
The following season saw him miss the Liverpool and Newcastle games while he had a knee operation. The 2011/12 campaign saw him play 33 league games coming on as a substitute in just 2 of those. This was the season that Younes Kaboul finally made it at Spurs changing from an error prone defender into a quality centre-back.
The 2012/13 season started with high hopes away at Newcastle, a game I attended. We were beaten 2-1 thanks to poor defending but at the end of the game Kaboul sat on the turf in difficulty. There didn't seem to be any serious problem but as we now know his knee had gone and that was the last we saw of him that season.
Newcastle seems to be a recurring theme for Younes.
He did play a couple of Under 21 games at the end of the season coming on as a 60th minute substitute against West Ham on 8th April and a 48th minute substitute against Manchester United on 15th April 2013.
This season has seen him miss extended periods with a hip injury and a calf muscle strain. He played 5 minutes against newly promoted Crystal Palace in the first game of the season and his next league appearance was against Newcastle on the 10th November. In the meantime he had been playing gaining fitness and practice in the Europa League games.
He played against Manchester City on 24th November, was on the bench for the Manchester United game and then didn't make the bench again until the beginning of February due to that hip problem. He has had a season of niggling injuries and problems as his body readjusts after an extended period out. It is quite usual for one part of the body to take more strain while you nurse another part through and give way itself. If you think of hurting your foot, you limp which puts added pressure on the other leg, this is the problem he and Sandro have had to nurse.
His performances have been erratic, not greatly tested in the Europa League he has had good games and make some shocking errors in the Premier League. He has given 100% to Tim Sherwood often trying to do everything himself, popping up on the right wing for instance.
In the 2013/14 season Younes Kaboul has played 9 Premier League games, being taken off twice, 6 Europa League games and a League Cup tie with extra-time.
His contract runs out in June 2015 so if we are not to offer him a new contract then we would have to sell him this summer to get a fee otherwise he could leave on a free transfer at the end of that season and arrange his departure in January.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Articles:
EPL English Premier League WBA vs Spurs
Wembley Stadium is the front runner
Ledley King back in training
Harry Kane reflects on his Sunderland performance
Spurs await the next messiah
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The jury is still out as to whether he should be offered a new contract or not, he has not conclusively proved his fitness, his performances have not been to the level we need to finish in the top 4 next season and he has played 10 games in 2 seasons.
Newspapers in Italy are suggesting that Fiorentina are keen to sign him and indeed La Nazione, a Fiorentine paper, are suggesting that talks are taking place and the club are close to making a formal offer. There has been no indication from Tottenham regarding his future but if he is talking to the Italian club it would suggest the club have told him he can leave, unless his agent is trying to force our hand of course.
Spurs have constantly been linked with centre-backs and have certainly been watching players, but who they would be replacements for and how many would be signed is not entirely clear.
The club will have been talking to his agent, if he were to be released then the agent would be instrumental in finding clubs who were interested in him so it would be counter-productive to keep them in the dark. Fans can only look at his performances on the field and try and determine what they mean.
Are the club unsure and is he trying his heart out because he is striving to prove his fitness? If he were going up for sale surely he would simply concentrate on his defensive duties and not try and make up for teammates not trying. At 28 he still has time to get back to his best and at his best he becomes a first choice.
We have had injury plagued centre-backs for years now it seems. Personally I don't hold much store by an injury prone tag, I can see him being fully fit after a summer break and a full stint of pre-season training. It's a tough call but I'd fall on the side of keeping him and offering him a years extension with a renegotiation if he shows his fitness next season.
However many will fall on the side of letting him go. If Younes is to be leaving us then the remainder of the season is his swansong in a Spurs shirt
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