Tottenham Hotspur need their talented Dutchman to continue his recent good form if they are to claim third place.
Tottenham have now bounced back from their blip, at least that was how it appeared against Swansea City on Sunday.
The 3-1 win was like watching Spurs in their excellent early season run which really began in September and continued up until the festive season.
Since mid-December Tottenham have not really been the same side, which could be put down to Rafael van der Vaart’s ineffectiveness through 2012.
He picked up an injury just before Christmas, and although he recovered quickly, he never quite recovered the form which had been slowly tailing off since it’s October peak.
This year he has been the fall-guy in Harry Redknapp’s return to 4-4-2, which flattered to deceive via their 5-0 home win to Newcastle which preceded five winless games.
Van der Vaart has found himself often shoved out on the right with Spurs’ 0-0 draw at Anfield in February one example, but it is not a position which plays to his natural tendency to influence the attack from the centre of the pitch.
Although he lined up on the right of a midfield five against Swansea, his goal came from an attack where he attacked the Swans defence centrally, and he will welcome the return of Aaron Lennon.
He will hope that Lennon’s return will see Redknapp start him in behind Adebayor, with who he linked up so well with in scoring his first goal.
Now with all to play for, level on points with an Arsenal side suddenly losing momentum, Spurs will look to Van der Vaart as a senior player to live up to his reputation and inspire the side.
After his late equaliser against Stoke, his first league league goal since December, he suddenly has two in three.
If he continues his sudden improvement, Spurs will fancy their chances of claiming third.
The club have not lost a game in which the Dutchman has scored a goal in or provided an assist in since August’s defeat to Manchester City.
Now is the time for him to continue to prove his worth. With Euro 2012 on the horizon, he will certainly want to finish the season strongly, and Spurs fans will cross their fingers he continues scoring and providing goals.
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Reporters from Video blogging site Winkball were outside White Hart Lane on Sunday to find out what fans thought of the 3-1 win. Click below to hear the supporters’ views.
image: © wonker
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