Playing for 90
Fansided

Tottenham debate: Who is Spurs second best player?

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on September 23, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on September 23, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur and Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur applaud supporters during The Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on April 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur and Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur applaud supporters during The Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on April 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Close, but not quite

There are three players who could reasonably be called Tottenham’s second best player, but fall just a bit short of the mark for me. They are, in no particular order: Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris.

First let’s consider the Belgian duo. Each of them is a terrific central defender. They also happen to form the foundation of arguably the Premier League’s stingiest back line. In truth, it’s difficult to discern which of them is the better player.

No matter the answer to that query, neither is quite good enough to be nipping at Kane’s heels. They both have the ability to get into a lot of squads throughout Europe, but there’s a limit to the ceiling of both players. Neither should take it as an insult, but they aren’t the club’s second best player.

There are also some Spurs fans who believe Lloris deserves serious consideration. The French captain has been a terrific servant of the club, but he’s not a world-class keeper. His inability to effectively distribute the ball and his proclivity to make insane decisions keep him out of the running.

Home/Tottenham Hotspur