Another weekend, another disappointing result for Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Aston Villa players were subject to chants of ‘boring, boring Villa’ for much of the game, although in truth Tottenham fans cannot have missed the fact that neither side looked like a club destined for the Champions League. Villa appeared content with a draw and so Tottenham once again failed to score against a stubborn defence that was set to dig in for most of the match. Tottenham had chances to win the match, Peter Crouch perhaps the main culprit for not taking his chances, although Jermaine Defoe had opportunities too. But with Defoe suffering from a temporary goal drought in the Premier League (he has scored just 2 goals in his last 6 matches), Harry Redknapp must ask himself, ‘where have our goal scorers gone’?

Defoe’s 15 goal haul in the Premier League this season is an excellent achievement. However, when Defoe cannot find a way through, it is time Tottenham’s supporting cast stepped forward to be counted. Peter Crouch has scored 10 goals for Spurs this year, but half of those goals have come in cup competition, with Crouch managing just 5 in the league. Although Crouch did not start the season as first choice striker, the lanky talisman has now put in 25 league appearances at White Hart Lane. Crouch has taken a certain amount of criticism from Tottenham fans this season, with his lack of composure in front of goal probably the most obvious criticism. On Saturday Crouch had chances, though none were clear-cut, to win the game. Although Redknapp has not criticized the taller half of his current strike force, Ledley King’s comments to Sky Sports after the match against Aston Villa did suggest a veiled criticism directed at Tottenham’s attack, after the defence, to their credit, secured a seventh clean sheet from the past 10 Premier League outings,

“There have been times at home when we haven’t put teams away. Teams make it difficult for us. They put a lot of bodies behind the ball, it’s up to us to break them down… If we can score the first goal, the game opens up and we can pick teams off.”

Redknapp’s decision to allow Keane a move to one of his ‘boyhood clubs’ (not Liverpool, Celtic you fool! He’s always supported them!) is a risk that Spurs fans will hope Redknapp has calculated correctly. Keane was Tottenham’s next highest scorer after Defoe, and whilst Keane has not been popular amongst the Spurs faithful this season, it is a worrying statistic. If Defoe cannot, put the ‘teams away’, then who will?

Gudjohnsen has yet to make his debut for Tottenham, though he did make the bench on Saturday. How effective Gudjohnsen will be at White Hart Lane though, after being away from the Premier League for over 3 years, is certainly debatable. Why the Icelandic international didn’t make a late cameo on Saturday evening was baffling to most Tottenham fans, and questions over his fitness will be asked. Pavlyuchenko is currently injured, and has yet to score a single league goal this term, although his opportunities have been severely limited. Tottenham’s next highest scorer, Nike Kranjcar (4), cannot get into the team at the moment, with Redknapp deciding the balance of play is not right with Modric and Kranjcar patrolling either wing. Tottenham are thus clearly left with a problem in their pursuit of Champions League football. Other than Jermaine Defoe, they have no regular scorer in the squad.

Tottenham’s assault on the Premier League has so far been helped not only by Defoe, but with goal scoring duties diluted by the squad (Spurs have had no fewer than 13 goal scorers this season). Whilst it is refreshing to see goals coming from different outlets, Tottenham must hope Crouch comes good, or Harry’s gamble on signing Gudjohnsen and keeping Pavlyuchenko pays off. Otherwise, Tottenham can surely kiss goodbye to their hopes of a continued push for a place in Europe’s elite.

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