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5 players Tottenham must upgrade to compete in the Champions League

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after defeat in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after defeat in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /
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(L-R) Nacer Chadli of Tottenham Hotspur FC, Lukasz Piszczek of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur on March 10, 2016 at the Signal Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
(L-R) Nacer Chadli of Tottenham Hotspur FC, Lukasz Piszczek of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur on March 10, 2016 at the Signal Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /

2. Nacer Chadli

Full disclosure here, I don’t like the way Nacer Chadli plays. He looks slow and disinterested for long stretches. He lacks the work-rate that I believe separates Tottenham attackers from their Premier League peers. He looks much more like a lower level Premier League player than a Champions League participant to me.

With that being said, I could certainly understand Pochettino keeping him around to play against average Premier League opponents. He is capable of moments of extraordinary quality that can make up for his long stretches of slumber. If he could ever find consistency, Pochettino would have a real player on his hands.

He can be a useful squad player as well. The current roster doesn’t have very many physical attacking players, so he can offer something different off the Spurs bench. Whether or not he’d be happy after being relegated to such a diminished role is a different question.

Ultimately, I think Chadli’s status on the Tottenham squad next year comes down entirely to his attitude and the market for the Dolphin. If he’s happy to be a squad player and no one comes in with a significant transfer offer, he’ll stay at White Hart Lane. If either of those things doesn’t come true, he’ll be off and Spurs can substantially improve at his position.

Next: 1. Son Heung-Min

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