The 2017-2018 season was objectively a very good one for Tottenham Hotspur. But as a fan, it's hard not to feel a bit aggrieved considering how close Spurs were to achieving so much more. Yes, they secured Champions League football for the third consecutive season. Without that, this year would have been an abject failure. But considering the heartbreaking losses in the Champions League and FA Cup, and the uninspired league performances to wrap up the season, it feels like a melancholic "what could have been" type of season despite the obvious successes.
With the transfer market open for business, Tottenham need to make sure to hold onto their most important players. I, as any good millennial should, love power rankings. Thus, here are the 2018 Tottenham Hotspur Player Importance Power Rankings. What criteria is used to rank players, you ask? Purely my opinion. This is 100% subjective. If you disagree, and I'm sure you will, there's not much I can do for you because I hold my opinion in the highest esteem. And remember this is a Player Importance power ranking, so it's not even my opinion of their skill or talent level. It's how important they have been to the team over the past season. A lot of things go into being important to the team, including skill, but also style of play, talent relative to similar players at other teams, popularity with the fans, or wonderful hair and a killer smile. Here are the top 18 (11 starters + 7 subs, even though the top 11 is not a valid lineup) most important players for Tottenham Hotspur.
Baseball has a stat called VORP, and I can't wait for the day it makes its way to soccer. It stands for Value Over Replacement Player, which means it compares a given player's performance to that of a hypothetical completely average replacement player. Unfortunately, I think Llorente would have a negative VORP this year. He has had an excellent career, seems like a wonderful person on an individual level, and has wonderful hair a killer smile (as you know, this is important to me), but he is not a viable backup striker for Spurs. I'm sure he could still perform well at other Premier League teams, but he doesn't quite cut it here.
Don't get me wrong, I think Lucas is a talented player, but he didn't do much after signing in January. Most Poch signings do take some time to acclimate and settle into the team, so I don't think the case is closed on him. I expect big things from Lucas next year - He's miles better than Spurs’ Ligue 1 signings of the past, N'jie and Nkoudou, and he has looked promising in the few minutes he's had.
Michel Vorm is a good keeper and could easily start at other Premier League teams. That being said, he's still replaceable and probably will be bumped in the pecking order soon by Gazzaniga.
Kyle is one for the future. He's looked great when we've seen him - 2 assists in 2 starts, but it may be a while before we see him consistently in the starting 11. And for good reason, as we have two Right Backs ahead of him, both of which feature regularly for their international teams. In due time, that starting right back position will surely belong to KWP.
A hyper-athletic, mistake-prone attacking right back. Remind you of anyone? Unfortunately, we had an improved version of Serge Aurier last season in Kyle Walker. Walker was similarly athletic, but much less mistake prone. For anyone who exclusively scouts players via video games, Aurier seemed like a dream signing: “He has 85 pace, a strong link with Eric Bailly, and High/High workrates, I just found my new favorite defender.” First of all, if you play Fifa Ultimate Team and don’t have a full Tottenham-only squad, you can’t call yourself a true fan. Secondly, Fifa is a not a valid representation of a player’s real life capabilities. Serge is fast, Fifa got that right, but it’s hard to represent how many defensive errors he made this season in a video game stat. Finally, Serge would be higher on this list if he knew how to take a proper throw in.
We also had a better version of Danny Rose last season - Danny Rose. Injuries and terribly timed interviews held him back this year, but he's still a quality player that most top teams would love to have. I personally didn’t hold his contract-seeking interview against him, as there’s nothing wrong with a player wanting to get properly compensated during the best years of their career. It probably did affect his playing time though. He did have two more personal interviews after the season ended, and hopefully that has allowed fans to let him back into their hearts. In all seriousness, his statements about his depression and racial abuse were very human and raw and touching. I can’t help but root for him to succeed in the future with England, Spurs, or any other club he eventually plays for.
If Harry can get his ankle sorted this summer, there's a starting midfield spot that is wide open waiting for him to claim it. It's easy to get hyperbolic describing up-and-coming academy players, but I mean it when I say Harry Winks might be both Jesus and the Antichrist combined into one mega-deity that the world must both worship and fear as he rules over the world in a lilywhite kit. What I'm trying to say is that he has a chance to be the best midfielder Spurs have had since Luka Modric. Currently that title belongs to Mousa Dembélé, but Mousa took a long time to come into his own, and even now is still very limited in parts of his game. Even though he only played 3 games in all of 2018, Winks gets #16 based on how good he looked in the few performances he did make. He played a major part in our performances against Real Madrid and Dortmund in the champions league, which will be remembered for years.
Moussa gets tons of hate online from fans, mainly because he forgets how to kick a soccer ball at least twice a game. However, having a physical player who can fill multiple positions in different formations in the Premier League is a nice luxury to have. He's a good role player, and it's very important to have players like him in a squad.
Watching Toby make his trademark diagonal passes against Leicester in the last game of the season was bittersweet, as all signs indicate he won't renew his contract with Tottenham. The Tottenham pay scale debate has been argued inside and out, so I won't rehash that, but either way it really sucks to lose the player that was the best Center Back in the league just a season ago. Sure, we looked okay without him for most of the year, but losing a key player is never something to cheer about.
Fullback might be the most undervalued position by fans in the modern game. The system at spurs requires Trippier to provide all the attacking width down the right flank, while still having full defensive responsibilities. Trippier does get valid criticism for not being the best one on one defender and his tendency to be caught out of position at crucial moments, but he is probably the best crosser of a ball in the team and doesn't get enough credit for that.
Oh, Coco... Probably the most divisive player in the roster, it's hard to say anything about him one way or the other without it becoming a Hot Take, so I've resigned myself to voicing both sides of the argument in a frustratingly neutral review. While I'm not one of those fans who are delusional enough to think that Lamela should be in the Argentina World Cup squad (yes, they actually exist), I also think Spurs shouldn't sell him as he has a lot he can offer to the team. One thing everyone can agree on is that he's an absolutely rabid player when he's on the pitch, and he truly epitomizes the pressing philosophy that Pochettino brought to Spurs. Lamela fans will tell you that he's also incredibly talented on the ball when he's comfortable and feeling confident. They will say that he's simultaneously the perfect backup to Eriksen, Alli, and Son, and could take any of their starting positions in the coming season. Lamela non-fans will tell you that all he does is slow our offensive play down. They will say he takes too long to decide what to do with the ball, before inevitably playing a 5 foot sideways pass. Unfortunately, they are both correct at times. He can be an incredibly frustrating player to watch, but the moments of brilliance are worth it.
Another underrated and underappreciated fullback, Ben Davies quietly had the second-most assists of all defenders in the Premier League. The only player ahead of him, Aaron Cresswell, had just one more assist in 9 more games and 700 more minutes. Stats don't always tell the full story, but he was very involved in the attack for Spurs this year. He didn't provide the flashy moments of pace and drive that Rose offered last season, so that may have caused him to be overlooked a bit, but he was a persistent threat down the left flank. He's improved tremendously on the defensive side of his game as well- he no longer looks completely outmatched versus pacey wingers. Sadio Mane absolutely dominated Davies when we played Liverpool in February 2017, but there were no moments like that this season. He's not a flashy fullback, but he's a very consistent and reliable one, which is even more important.
An imperious defensive midfielder who also scores the occasional worldie - what else could you ask for? I guess health, as he only appeared in 18 Premier League games this season, but you can't have everything. Wanyama is another player who fans have overlooked lately while he has been out injured. He excels at his role, and while he isn't an incredibly dynamic passer or carrier of the ball forward, that isn't what he is in the squad to do. His role is to provide defensive cover for our attacking fullbacks and our band of attacking midfielders, and he does that wonderfully. He also scores at least one ludicrous goal a season.
Davinson Sanchez was expected to be a raw talent that needed some time to grow before he would be ready for the big stage, but that all changed when Toby got injured. Davison filled in incredibly well and has already proven himself to be one of the best young center backs in the league. Toby still has him (and the rest of the center back world) beat at diagonal crosses, and Sanchez did make a few too many defensive mistakes over the season to give him a completely glowing review. He earns #9 in this ranking, but surely will rank even higher in the years to come.
Dier can be seen as a stereotypical utility player, but his value to Tottenham goes way beyond that. For most utility players, there’s a seemingly never-ending debate about what their best position is, and how talented they actually are at that position. For Dier, that is not the case. He is a significantly more talented player as a holding midfielder than as a center back. Beyond that, he’s the best English holding midfielder, and one of the best in the Premier League. He isn’t going to make aggressive runs from deep or provide through balls in behind the defense, but he has been trying to add Toby’s diagonal crosses to his game lately. He will break up opposition counters, shield the back line, recycle possession, and generally do everything that a holding midfielder should do. Those holding midfield skills, more so than his ability to provide coverage at center back, earn him the 8 spot.
When the Fiancé and I want to get weird, I like to get the evening started with a glass of red wine and YouTube highlights of Mousa. There's nothing better than seeing him shrug off attempted tackles and dribble through two or three players at a time. When he's healthy and fit, he's one of the best dribblers in the world. He may not have much of an eye for goal, or play perfectly timed passes ahead for assists, or always be healthy, but he is an immensely impressive talent. When the ball is at his feet, he is the most physically imposing player I’ve ever seen.
Son is the ultimate modern attacking player. He can play wide on either side, behind the striker, or even as the primary striker, and he can play all those roles at an elite level. For as much versatility as Dier provides in the midfield, Son provides even more in attack. He can slot into any lineup Pochettino could ever dream of. He’s such an exciting player to watch, always attacking and pressuring the opposition. He brings an energy to the field that sometimes is missing from the rest of the squad, and his energy is contagious. That energy and that buzz that he brings him is why he is #6 on this list.
Jan is Mr. Dependable for Tottenham’s defense. With both fullbacks rotating and Sánchez joining the starting lineup in midseason, Jan was the mainstay in the backline. He even scored in the FA Cup, his first goal since 2013! There’s not much to say about Jan that hasn’t already been said elsewhere – just about every positive adjective fits him. He’s the veteran leader that every team needs.
Dele “only” scored 9 goals in the Premier League, compared to 18 last year. Some see that as a regression for him, but its more down to a change of role. He was more involved in possession and build up than he’s ever been before, and that is even more important for the team. Dele last season was almost playing as a second striker and wasn’t always that involved in games besides the goals he would score. This year’s version of Dele is a much more complete player. Another thing that won’t show up in statistical analysis is how much more mature Dele seemed this year. He didn’t really have any mental breakdowns of aggression, and he dove a lot less than his reputation would indicate. Opposition fans still seem to irrationally loathe him, but he seems to feed off that. He’s a great player and he’s only 22!
Despite my previous praise of Fernando Llorente, Hugo is hands down the most good-looking player for Spurs. The importance of this fact can’t be understated, as his disarming smile and calm, suave demeanor has often distracted opposition strikers and undoubtedly saved Spurs countless points. Hugo had a bit of a dip in form this year, letting in a few more questionable goals than normal. He’s still one of the top keepers in the Premier League and takes the #3 spot in this prestigious ranking.
Simply put, Eriksen is the engine that runs Spurs. He makes a difference in every phase of the game. He scores, he provides assists, he tracks back to keep possession, he tackles and presses the opposition when on defense. He consistently has the most distance covered per game, and he has the most Premier League minutes played of any outfield player for Spurs. Not only that, he plays a position typically reserved for luxury players that don’t work as hard defensively. That’s why players like Hazard, Özil, Mahrez and others don’t come close to Eriksen. They don’t contribute to every phase of the game the same way he does. Notice I omitted Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva: somehow, they are both now simultaneously top class holding midfielders along with their preexisting advanced playmaking abilities. They exist in the alternative reality that is Pep Guardiola Football where up is down, the sky is purple, cats are better than dogs, and Fabian Delph is the starting fullback for a title-winning team. Nothing makes sense over there, it’s best not to think about it too much. Eriksen and those two interdimensional beings are clearly the top playmakers in the League. Subjectively, I’ll always pick Eriksen over De Bruyne and Silva. He’s the second most important player Tottenham, behind only…
Harry Fucking Kane. He’s the most complete forward in the world today, and he grew up rooting for Spurs. He scored 30 goals in the league, despite this being a relatively rough season for him. He had multiple weeks-long stretches where he was either playing through an injury, or just not at his best. Despite those periods, he was the best striker in the world this past season. I don’t think I need to convince anyone of that point, or his importance to Spurs and his top spot in this ranking.