Georges-Kevin N’Koudou arrived at Tottenham from French side Marseille in August 2016 for a fee in the region of £11 million. The Frenchman arrived with a big reputation and was supposed to be the flair player this current Tottenham side has been crying out for.
However, since his signing he has rarely gotten game time, making only fourteen appearances last season, with only six coming in the Premier League. With Tottenham struggling to break down sides this season and manager Mauricio Pochettino bemoaning the lack of players with the ability to take on opponents, is it time for N’Koudou to step up?
It’s Now or Never for Georges-Kevin N’Koudou
Pedigree
Prior to signing for Tottenham, N’Koudou was named as one of the best players in Europe. He finished thirtieth in a poll conducted by UEFA after the 2015/16 season. N’Koudou has featured six times for the French Under-21 side and was widely tipped for a senior call-up before his career stalled at Spurs.
Lack of Playing Time
Of the six Premier League appearances, N’Koudou has started zero. In total he has featured for 62 minutes in the Premier League for Tottenham. The winger is widely considered to be a flop but in just over an hour of Premier League playing time (in almost two years) and struggling to make the bench most weeks, how is he supposed to build confidence or make any real impact from 5-10 minute cameos?
N’Koudou has only started in three games in all competitions at Tottenham. In these games he was with players who are ‘squad players’. All things considered, it is really irrational to expect any kind of impact from N’Koudou playing under these conditions.
Best Game So Far
This week, N’Koudou had his best performance for Tottenham so far. Although the opponent, Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia, was sub par, a goal and all-round decent performance will do wonders for his confidence. N’Koudou was a constant threat and took on his man at every opportunity, which will please Pochettino as he has called for a player with this in recent weeks. He is still far away from a starting place but many will feel his showing should earn him a more regular place on the Tottenham bench.
Verdict
Pochettino has recently bemoaned the current Tottenham side’s lack of a player like Spurs legend David Ginola. At the moment it is likely the club will look for one in the January transfer window. Now seems to be the perfect time for N’Koudou to break through at Spurs. On paper he is what Pochettino wants but so far at Spurs he has not done enough to earn his managers trust. If he takes any more chances he is given at Tottenham before then, he may give Pochettino something to think about.
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