Could Andre Villas-Boas’ praise of Iago Falque suggest a league appearance is forthcoming?

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The Portuguese manager was quick to praise the young Spaniard for his role in the draw at NK Maribor, and now with two senior appearances under his belt this season, could he have a role to play in the Premier League?

By no-one’s measure were Spurs on top form vs NK Maribor on Thursday evening. Whilst Villas-Boas is clearly committed to the competition he won with Porto, his enthusiasm has seemingly yet to rub off on the players, who looked sluggish in Slovenia. There was one man who did stand out for his dynamism though, and that was second half substitute Iago Falque, who provided the initial cross that led to Spurs’ equaliser.

After the match Villas-Boas praised Falque’s contribution saying:

“He had an extremely good game…he had his first game against Carlisle. This is his second game against stronger opposition this season. He did extremely well. His performance made the link-up player better for us. He is a certainly someone we can count on.”

Falque has been an unused substitute on a few occasions already in the league this year, most notably at the memorable win at Old Trafford, and his manager’s quotes suggest he may in line for a playing role sooner rather than later. One area where Spurs are struggling is in the link between the midfield and lone striker Jermain Defoe. Dempsey and Sigurdsson, whilst both showing flashes of quality, have not performed to the level they did last year with Fulham and Swansea respectively, and both have looked unhappy covering on the left flank.

This could give Falque a chance to get some league experience in games where Spurs either have a comfortable lead, or where Villas-Boas’ side need a touch of inspiration. The performances at home have not always been as sharp as they should be, and a player like Falque is someone who can certainly inject some excitement into proceedings.

Falque is coming up to his 23rd birthday, so if he is going to make a breakthrough at the top level it needs to be sooner rather than later.

With players like Raheem Sterling starting for Liverpool at the age of 17, Falque could already be considered a late bloomer. Spurs are currently a little light of players in his position, and with Villas-Boas keen to compete on several fronts, Falque should get more opportunities than ever. You feel if he is going to make it at Spurs, it needs to be this season.

image: © tonypeters