Last chance saloon for Tottenham ace to prove his worth?
Jermaine Jenas’ career has not gone the way he would have wanted it to in the last few years. Jenas has largely become a bit part player for Tottenham Hotspur and has failed to find his way into the England set-up as a result. Jenas himself has admitted he had doubts about the future of his Spurs career this summer, and began considering a move in order to get the game time he craves, Sky Sports quote Jenas as stating,
“There has been constant rumours about me leaving but I just want to be settled and part of the Tottenham team again. At one time I felt I’d have to leave because all I wanted to do was play football and I wasn’t getting games here. But despite the offers that came in, they were not worth leaving for.”
Jermaine Jenas obviously feels he still has the quality to play regularly for Spurs, but you get the feeling that this season, or indeed merely up to this January, will be his last chance to impress at White Hart Lane.
Jenas has by no means had a bad career at Tottenham. When he first arrived at the club from Newcastle for £7 million, he instantly cemented his place in the first team. Over the next few seasons Jenas impressed for the club, he was a mainstay in midfield where his all-round capabilities made him an efficient and effective player, he also netted a decent amount of goals.
When Harry Redknapp arrived at the club in 2008 however, the new boss saw Spurs midfield as an area that needed strengthening. In his first January transfer window, Redknapp made a host of signings, including one that would directly threaten Jenas’ position in the team. Midfield powerhouse Wilson Palacios was signed from Wigan, and he went straight into the first team, and until the last few weeks, the Honduran has not looked back.
Redknapp’s preferred choice in central midfield has been Palacios and Tom Huddlestone. Palacios is a rambunctious and energetic defensive midfielder, whilst Huddlestone really seems to have matured in the last year or so and appears to be a favourite of Redknapp. The signing of midfielder Sandro also looked to have pushed Jenas down the pecking order, though as of yet we wait to see what the Brazilian can offer. When you consider that Luka Modric, Rafael Van der Vaart and Niko Kranjcar are all comfortable in central midfield, one gets a sense of the level of competition there is for starting places in the Spurs midfield.
At the start of this season though, a little window has opened up for Jenas which he may not have expected. Palacios seems to have gone compeletely off the boil for the time being and it has allowed Jenas some game time, and crucially, some starts. Jenas has looked quite good in these games, providing the well-rounded displays he is known for. If he can maintain this current form, Jenas might just be able to prolong his career at White Hart Lane.
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The problem for Jermaine Jenas is that he comes across as a jack of all trades, but a master of none. When the season gets into the nitty gritty you imagine that Redknapp will be looking for powerful performances in midfield that Jenas may struggle to provide. Despite starting the season reasonably well, I just cannot see Jenas getting regular starts this term, and a move next summer or even in January may prove to be the best thing he can do for his career.
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