Steven Pienaar: Tottenham’s Unneeded Man?

Written by Nicholas Edwards

It seems to be a certainty now that Steven Pienaar will become a Tottenham player within the next couple of days. No one can doubt the ability of the versatile South African midfielder but do Tottenham really have a place for him?

Pienaar showed enough promise at Ajax Cape Town in his homeland to warrant a move to Holland with Ajax. He started slowly off slowly but became an important member of the team from 2002 onwards winning two Dutch league titles.

Pienaar was then sold to Borussia Dortmand as a replacement for Tomas Rosicky but it never really clicked for him in Germany. He was then offloaded to Everton on loan before making the deal permanent in a £2million switch.

It is at Everton that Pienaar has established himself as a true talent. Under the consistent tutelage of David Moyes and surrounded by talented players such as Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill, Pienaar helped Everton to respectable consecutive fifth place finishes in his first two seasons.

Pienaar’s contract was set to expire this summer and the Everton board reluctantly decided to get at least a couple of million for him now rather than nothing in a few months. Everton accepted a bid from Chelsea but Pienaar felt that North London was a more attractive destination. The deal seemed in doubt when Tottenham were told to match the offer of their London rivals but terms now seem to have been agreed. So now we’re up to speed.

I can’t help but think though that Pienaar has made the wrong choice. Tottenham are definitely establishing (maybe even established) themselves as one of the top teams in England but Chelsea, despite their current form, are right at the top. The reasons for Pienaar’s snubbing of Chelsea are not known at this time. Some reports are suggesting it was to do with money, some say he was worried about Ancelotti’s position, and some say he was worried about lack of first team opportunities.

It is the last point that intrigues me because I feel that Pienaar would have more opportunities to play at Chelsea rather than Tottenham. The Blues midfield has seemed shaky this season. Malouda and Kalou started off ok but they now seem to have run out of steam. Pienaar would be an ideal replacement for either of them.

If we look at Tottenham on the other hand then it’s hard to see where he would play. This purchase by Harry Redknapp seems unnecessary whereas other areas of his squad could do with reinforcement (i.e. defence). If anything Tottenham’s current crop of midfielders have been one of the best in the Premier League so far this term. Bale has established himself as a world class talent, while Rafael Van Der Vart has proved to be the signing of the summer. Add to those two the brilliant playmaker that is Luka Modric and the speedy Aaron Lennon on the right then you have an attacking midfield that most would envy.

And there is one name that seems to be forgotten amidst this whole Pienaar transfer… Niko Kranjcar. The talented Croatian on his day is as good as Pienaar but has found his opportunities of first team action limited by the four players mentioned above. Will it be any different for Pienaar?

I’m not saying that Pienaar isn’t a hugely talented player, far from it. I just don’t see what he adds to a Tottenham midfield that is already overcrowded and performing so well. I guess only time will tell but maybe, just maybe, Pienaar will look back and regret his decision to snub Chelsea and maybe even regret leaving Goodison Park.

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