Tottenham Hotspur

Poch gamble on Llorente has backfired

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Image for Poch gamble on Llorente has backfired

OPINION

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has certainly got most things right during his spell with the club, but even he must now admit that he has made a poor decision with Fernando Llorente.

The Spurs boss decided to sign the 32-year-old striker in the summer and tasked him with the job of playing understudy to talisman Harry Kane.

However, the experienced Spaniard has massively flopped this campaign and once again turned in a poor display at the weekend in the 2-2 FA Cup draw away to Rochdale.

The powerful centre-forward has just two goals in 26 appearances for the north London club and has failed to link up well with his teammates on the pitch.

His arrival came at the expense of Vincent Janssen, who was shipped out on loan for the season to Fenerbahce.

The 23-year-old had endured a difficult first campaign in English football with just six goals, but looked far more threatening than Llorente and played a better supporting role to first-choice striker Kane.

Janssen has impressed on loan with the Turkish giants and should have been given a second season to impress with Spurs, but he is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

It is clear as day that Llorente is not up to scrap despite his achievements in the past and Pochettino should have kept the much younger Janssen to help develop this season.

Spurs must pray that talisman Kane remains injury-free for the rest of the season as Llorente is the only recognised senior striker in the first team beyond him.

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