Tottenham have been continually praised for their strength of squad, the ability for Andre Villas-Boas to maintain the good start to the season across all competitions.

Football, funnily, has a way of looking at the black or white, rather than the grey area in between. There’s always the assumption from football supporters that X player would be a misguided transfer due to the strength of the starting XI, completely neglecting the need for a strong squad as opposed to just eleven good players.

Jermain Defoe seems to be Tottenham’s designated backup and Europa League striker. No problem, it’s still only October. The England international’s competitive nature will see him attempt to force his way in ahead of new signing Roberto Soldado, but the Spaniard’s reputation and scoring record in La Liga places him, for now, firmly ahead of Defoe.

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The thing is, Tottenham want silverware and they want progression. Defoe is a good name to keep on board when the pressure mounts. Such is his own scoring instinct that many teams would fear the probability of a Defoe goal if he were to replace Soldado midway through a match. His movement and pace is adaptable to the European game, where size and strength aren’t as emphasised as they are in England.

But beyond Defoe, what do Tottenham have? A striker in Emmanuel Adebayor whose ambition for the prizes of football are limited to just one aspect. To top that off, he’s not too reliable either.

So in spite of the World Cup approaching, where is the sense in toying with the idea of moving Defoe on in January? Defoe himself may wish to take that path, but for the good of Tottenham’s campaign, they’d obviously be advised to hang on to what they have. Like them, their north London rivals have a strong group of midfielders, and yet Arsenal are regularly condemned for having one senior striker in Olivier Giroud. Though how so many people forget that Lukas Podolski is a striker is beyond me. Tottenham don’t want to find themselves in a similar situation.

Thus far into the season, the fixtures have already been taxing, with the September domestic schedule being broken up by international weeks and European excursions. More of the same will take place this month and through Christmas, by which time Tottenham’s new recruits may start to feel the strain of fixture congestion and no midway break. Defoe is used to these demands where Soldado isn’t. Defoe is an experienced Premier League forward who can be rotated with the former Valencia man when Spurs are forced to play three league games in a week.

The short-sighted nature of football is to look at the next fixture, the strongest XI and the nonexistent problems of a squad that is ‘too strong.’ Where’s the balance? The perfect harmony of keeping everyone happy while also remaining competitive throughout a campaign. Where’s the need and acceptance of the grey area?

Will the lack of action in a World Cup year ensure a January move for Defoe?

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