January spending has to be right

When a club are interested in a player fans simply think that the performances at one club will be duplicated at the next, thus, you hear the poorly thought out spend, spend, spend shouts. There are some once again assuming that spending in January almost guarantees UEFA Champions League qualification.

You can understand that there is an opportunity, but then again there is most seasons and even claims that it will be easier this season. What will not be easier, however, is for a new player to adapt to the Tottenham system.

The player may be fit but he won't be as fit as the Tottenham players so to play our system he would first have to get Tottenham fit, which could take a couple of weeks or even a month. If he were signed at the end of January he might not be fit enough to play 100% in our system until the end of February.

Then he has to learn the tactics, when to press, how to press, where to angle his feet, yes Pochettino goes into that much detail, where the optimum place to position yourself to cut off more than one passing lane when the opposition have the ball. There is so much to learn before a player can become effective. Some adapt quicker than others. Erik Lamela had to change his mentality after two seasons whereas Dele Alli and Son Heung-min hit the ground running. Clinton Njie has had to learn his role while Toby Alderweireld needed no time.

Ben Davies took a season to settle and Kieran Trippier has highlighted the problems by revealing he has had to adapt his game to the requirements at Tottenham.

“It was a bit difficult at the start, moving down here, but all the lads, the staff and the people around made me feel so welcome.  I’ve spoken to a few of the boys. Walks [Kyle Walker] came from Sheffield so we’ve got a great relationship, the same as all the other players.  

"I talk to the lads and they’re making me feel so settled. I’m adapting quickly to the style of play here and what the manager needs of me, and all I can do is give my best when I’m called upon. There are a lot of things [I’ve had to adapt to] - playing out from the back and getting forward, playing as a winger at times.  

Sometimes it’s different to what the manager at Burnley wanted me to do but I’m enjoying every moment that I get and I’ll do my best. Since the first training session, you pick up things so quickly with this manager it’s unbelievable, and with the players you’re playing with every week it can only benefit you and help you to get better.  

“I’m not playing every week but I try to do well every day in training and impress, and the manager believed in me to play in this game and give a good performance, and the most important thing is we got the three points and it’s pushed us further up the table.

Buying a striker doesn't mean that striker will score goals, he has to adapt to Tottenham and the players here have to adapt to his runs. We can't buy a different type of striker as we would have to keep switching styles of play when the best teams have a style and stick to it. What we must avoid in games like the Watford game is aimlessly pumping balls forward at the end to try and live off knock-downs, that isn't our game. Thus buying a striker of that style isn't a great option. We need mobile strikers who have a bit of everything and time on their side to improve.