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Fernando Llorente’s Tottenham spell shouldn’t be judged on goal return

Tottenham Hotspur's Spanish striker Fernando Llorente (L) vies with Borussia Dortmund's Greek defender Sokratis during the UEFA Champions League Gr...
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Fernando Llorente is yet to score for Tottenham Hotspur but he offers them more than just goals.

Casemiro of Real Madrid and Fernando Llorente of Tottenham Hotspur battle for possession during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadio...

Tottenham Hotspur have kissed a lot of frogs to find striking prince Harry Kane.

Roman Pavlyuchenko, Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor and Vincent Janssen have all arrived to great fanfare but failed to produce the results.

Having only made eight appearances, three of which have been very brief Premier League cameos, it is too early to add Fernando Llorente to that list.

Fernando Llorente of Tottenham Hotspur reacts during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 17, 2017 in...

Although the Spaniard has posed absolutely no scoring threat since arriving from Swansea City, it is not his goal return that he should be judged on.

Tottenham do not play to Llorente’s aerial strengths and, being in and out of the team, it would be unfair to expect him to even get close to his haul of 15 from last season.

But where the 32-year-old has already shown himself to be an upgrade on Janssen, loaned out to Fenerbahce this summer, is in his outstanding link-up play.

Case in point; the flick around the corner to Son Heung-min which started the move for Tottenham’s opener in the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham United last night.

Or the first-time pass into Kane for what should have been the winner at Real Madrid.

It is a small sample size but there is some evidence that he can contribute even if not scoring.

Spurs cannot suddenly switch styles to load crosses onto Llorente’s head, but surrounded him with Kane, Son or Dele Alli and he can do the supplying himself.