Will Van Der Vaart be the new Tottenham hero?

Dutch midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart has made a superb start to his Tottenham career.

I was surprised that Tottenham managed to sign him for a relatively cheap fee of £8million.

Bayern Munich was believed to be chasing the star but Tottenham managed to sign him just after the transfer window shut.

Quality

Van Der Vaart has always struck me as a player of quality ever since I first seen him play for Ajax in the Eredivisie. He combines creativity with passion and guile. He has shown these qualities for every team he has play for.

Free Spirit

Van Der Vaart is very much a free spirit. He wanders all over the pitch and receives the ball wherever and whenever he can. He is most effective and efficient when played in a free role behind the striker/s.

Problem

The problem that this brings is that he does like to wander so it’s hard for his manager Harry Redknapp to fit into a tactical system. In yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa Redknapp had to change his system at half time to accommodate the Dutch star.

Redknapp moved Van Der Vaart to the free role behind Peter Crouch and replacing striker Roman Pavlyuchenko with the more defensive Wilson Palacios. This allowed Tottenham to be more solid and allowed Van Der Vaart to link up with striker Crouch to good effect.

Villa are a solid team but they are not a top European side. Tottenham may get punished for this lack of defensive solidarity against an Inter or Barcelona if they get out of the group stage of the Champions League. Redknapp may consider starting with one up front and Van Der Vaart just behind if the side are going to keep any sort of tactical shape.

Experience

One of the biggest qualities Van Der Vaart possesses is his experience at the top level. He has played for two of the biggest clubs in European football in Ajax and Real Madrid. He made his name with the Dutch side and was being chased by a host of European clubs before Real Madrid signed him.

He didn’t get regular football at the Bernabeu and a move was inevitable when Jose Mourinho took over Los Blancos. Mourinho likes a certain system and sort of player and the Dutch star didn’t fit that criteria. The move to Tottenham could prove a good move for all parties involved.

Hero

The Dutch star has already become a cult hero at Tottenham. He’s managed this by showing heart and sometimes a bit too much tenacity. Tottenham fans love flair players and he’s definitely a flair player. I have even heard him being compared to Spurs hero Glenn Hoddle already.

Hoddle was a big hero at White Hart Lane and I think it’s slightly early to compare Van Der Vaart to the former Tottenham stalwart. Van Der Vaart has been at Tottenham for a month Hoddle played for Tottenham for 12 years. So Van Der Vaart has a long way to go to be compared to Hoddle.

Consistency

Van Der Vaart has made a good start to his Tottenham career but he needs to keep up this good form to be a success in the Premier League and for Tottenham. At times in his career he has lacked consistency. In some cases this has been down to not getting regular first team football. He will get the regular football he needs at White Hart Lane.

I have always been a big fan of Rafael Van Der Vaart and I believe he will prove a fantastic signing for Spurs. Van Der Vaart and Tottenham are a match made in heaven.

Will Van Der Vaart be a Tottenham hero?