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| The addition of Ben Davies will significantly strengthen Spurs' defense |
In my opinion, the more important of the two signings has to be Ben Davies, as the left full back spot was an area of concern last season for the Lilywhites. Danny Rose was constantly being torn apart by opposition wingers last season, something Pochettino had to address if he seriously wanted to contest for a spot in the top four this season.
Although Vorm is another brilliant addition, Spurs already have France's international captain Hugo Lloris, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, currently occupying the position between the sticks. Hence, the addition of Vorm does strengthen the depth of the squad, but he does not improve the starting line-up of the team, contrary to Ben Davies, who is expected to be a regular starter.
Ben Davies is a very good buy in my opinion, mainly due to his price tag, age and playing style. His playing style will suit Pochettino's high pressing game plan, and he is only 21 years of age. This means that Spurs have bought a left back who can play at White Hart Lane for 10 or more years, meaning they have secured the left-back position for years to come.
The Welsh full-back did not register tons of assists last season, as he only notched up one in the Premier League, but Spurs did not need another attacking left-back who neglects his defensive duties. That is why Davies is exactly what Spurs needed, as he does not neglect his defensive duties, and values his defensive role, unlike most modern full backs. Davies is very good offensively too, as he is willing to spend a lot of time in the opposition's half and not afraid to whip in crosses, which are a big part of his game. In the team that he is going to play with, I doubt Davies will have to concentrate on his offensive game too much because Spurs have players like Lamela, Townsend, Lennon and Eriksen who all make good use of width.
The only slight negative aspect to Davies' game would be his pace. He is not anywhere near as fast as some of the other full-backs Spurs have had over the past few years, such as Gareth Bale or Danny Rose. Hence, he might have problems trying to keep up with wingers like Theo Walcott, but then again, there are only a handful of full backs who can match up to Walcott and other quick wingers in terms of speed.
All in all, Spurs have gotten themselves a very handy full back for a relatively cheap price. The addition of Davies also allows Jan Vertonghen to return to his favoured centre-back role, hopefully alongside Vlad Chiriches next season. Davies is very similar to Luke Shaw in terms of playing style, so he was an obvious choice for Pochettino to add to his strong squad.
Last season, there were a couple of defensive horror shows from the Spurs back line, but the addition of Ben Davies should steady the ship at the back and see Tottenham return to their miserly defense which was known for keeping clean sheets under Andre Villas-Boas. A back line consisting of Kyle Walker (RB), Jan Vertonghen (CB), Vlad Chiriches (CB) and Ben Davies (LB) should stop the leakage of goals. Although it might be hard for the fans to see club captain Michael Dawson drop to the bench, after some of his performances last season it would be hard to choose him over Vertonghen or Chiriches.
Article written by Mayank Tiwary. Follow me on Twitter: @VanPerseing
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