Vincent Janssen has struggled at Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen looks dejected
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has told Sky Sports that he is pleased with how striker Vincent Janssen has reacted in training over the last week.
Spurs beat Everton 3-2 at White Hart Lane this afternoon, making it nine home wins in a row for Pochettino’s men, building on last weekend’s 4-0 home win over Stoke City.
Harry Kane was the star of the show again, as after hitting a hat-trick against Stoke, he notched two goals against Everton, before receiving a well-earned rest in the dying embers of the game.
The topic of who replaces Kane has been a prominent one this week, as Pochettino chose to bring on winger Son Heung-min in his place against Stoke, leading many to believe it was a sign that Vincent Janssen had little future at White Hart Lane.
Dutch international striker Janssen, 22, arrived from AZ Alkmaar with high expectations last summer having hit 31 goals in 49 games for the Eredivisie side, but has so far struggled in North London.
The striker was seen as cover and competition for Kane, but has scored just four goals in all competitions this season, with none in open play so far.
Janssen was given a stern warning by Pochettino last month, as the Spurs boss – quoted by The Mirror – suggested that the centre forward needed to show more in training, and having been left on the bench against Stoke, some thought his days were numbered.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
However, Janssen today came on as a substitute against Everton, and in the build-up to the game, Pochettino – speaking to Sky Sports – praised Janssen for his response in training since that warning, as he now has a chance to fight for his place – and explained that he simply felt Son was a better option against Stoke, hence the substitution.
“You need to analyse the game. For me it was a choice between (Heung-Min) Son on the bench or Vincent. We decided to replace Harry with Sonny,” said Pochettino. “I always try to be honest and fair. I am very happy with Vincent’s reaction over the last few weeks and how he is training now.”
“He realised the need to fight on the training ground and try to give me the trust and the confidence for after to give the possibility to play. I think he took a very good way now to try to fight for his place here. It is true he has a little problem in his foot,” he added.
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