The sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid hit Tottenham Hotspur very hard. From being genuine top four challengers they've faded into the periphary of the dog fight at the top end of the table in the years which have followed. Despite bringing in numerous different players to reassert them as challengers, it was always expected that a period of transition would ensue following the player upon which they relied so heavily in the 2012/13 season.
However, in late 2013, just as Bale was on the verge of leaving, there seemed to be a new hope. It wasn't in the form of the big money signings which had enterred the fold as a result of Bale's transfer but instead in the fold of a player who had actually made his Spurs debut in 2011, two years previously.
Unexpected successor to Welsh talisman
That man was Andros Townsend, who having made his Spurs bow in the 2011 FA Cup third round, and spent loan spells at Leeds United, Birmingham City and finally QPR, had finally broken into the Spurs first team squad. Barnstorming performances in the Europa League had Spurs fans forgetting the Welshman who was departing from centre stage. Further impressive displays in the Premier League, including a spectacular, yet fortuitous, goal against Aston Villa, caught the eye of Roy Hodgson, the England national team manager.
No sooner did Townsend get his chance, and he took it, scoring a stunning goal against Montenegro on his debut.
There was genuine hope that this lifelong Tottenham fan could be the man to provide energy in the Tottenham team which seemed bereft of it under Andre Villas-Boas.
Unfortunately for Tottenham fans, it has not turned out that way. Injuries blighted the second half of his breakthrough season stunted his progress. New management saw Townsend get several runs in the first team, yet failure to provide sufficient goals saw him fail to nail down a spot.
New pastures seem inevitable
A move now seems imminent, with Watford, Newcastle and West Brom all interested. Daniel Levy seems to be holding out for £14 Million for his services, so it may transpire that it will only be late on in the window that the Englishman will be sold.
£14million is a high fee for a man devoid of confidence in his game, and with a far from menacing track record in the Premier League, one may understand why these teams may baulk at this figure.
However, it could turn out to be a steal, because although Townsend's Spurs career has failed to ignite, this will not prevent him from succeeding elsewhere.
In fact, Townsend style of play will be of massive benefit to sides such as the aforementioned one who prefer to play with a direct style. His relentless pace may seem a crude attribute to judge a winger of Townsend's ilk on, but it does differentiate him from other wingers as he is one of the quickest in the league especially when carrying the ball.
This would be of massive benefit to these sides who seize on counter attacks whenever possible. Furthermore, although he is sometimes berated by the Spurs faithful for his frequent yet imprecise shooting, this should be viewed as an asset. Too often teams, in particular those not at the top end of the league, need wingers who can chip in goals, and although he has not shown this at Tottenham, he has for England, most recently when he equalised late on against Italy.
But why has he disappointed at Spurs?
The clear disincentive still remains for any interested clubs, and that is Townsend's failure at Spurs. Although he may be criticised for not taking opportunities handed to him in the first team, it could certainly be argued that this was no fault of his own, in particular under Mauricio Pochettino.
Ultimately, it is Argentine manager's style of football which has prevented Townsend from kicking on. The imposition of a less direct system with inverted attacking midfielders, has already seen Aaron Lennon, a former Tottenham stalwart, leave the club. This system places more value on a wideman's ability to pass and create, rather than they're ability to beat players through sheer pace.
This is fundamentally why Townsend has failed to nail down his spot in Pochettino's plans, as the arguably more technically adept Erik Lamela has been preferred over Townsend for the majority of Pochettino's tenure. Lack of game time has only exacerbated Townsend's woes, and this has culminated in his dispute with a fitness coach following Spurs' home fixture against Aston Villa earlier this season.
Hence, although Andros Townsend's reputation has been damaged by a troubling couple of years at White Hart Lane, this shouldn't dent the fact that he is a talented footballer with a plethora of appetising attributes, who would massively benefit a side such as Watford if given ample first team football.