The Jermain Defoe Conundrum

If you didn't know, Jermain Defoe is in very poor form. He hasn’t scored in 12 Premier League appearances this season. In his last outing, Defoe was substituted without a significant shot in anger on target. I felt he played too far away from his striker partner Roman Pavlyuchenko against Sunderland, and he was constantly looking for the 'ball over the top' instead of attempting to run into channels more frequently. Also, against Blackburn Rovers, he was provided with a glorious opportunity from Aaron Lennon’s barnstorming 90 yard run and pass, but Defoe could only shoot at the goalkeeper. This is something Defoe tends to do. As one observer put it, 'receive, shift and shoot.' Not much thought in the shot, just shooting for shooting’s sake.

Defoe’s form has curtailed completely. I do wonder if his confidence is completely shot. If so, then it's a disaster, with Defoe being a striker. When you’re low on confidence, you’ll start snatching at shots and becoming frustrated even further.

That said, Defoe appears physically stronger than in his first stint at Tottenham, and he’s also not shying away from any aerial challenges. This is something that impressed me as I felt he had improved weaker areas of his game on the training ground. His ‘second assist’ at the Emirates for Gareth Bale’s goal was vital. But it’s goals that count, especially in his position.

Perhaps Defoe is unsettled by all the transfer talk surrounding Tottenham and their search for a world class No. 9. Harry Redknapp will keep faith with the striker, which goes without saying, but I wonder how long that will last.

Defoe is in his late 20’s and in theory, he should be reaching his physical peak. Should we retain Defoe in the hope of getting his best years, or sell him for an inflated price that we all know we could command within the Premier League, as he’s English? We as Tottenham fans can only speculate. The sooner Defoe is firing goals left, right, and centre, the better.