Friday 18 September 2015 13:09, UK
Tottenham came from behind to beat Qarabag 3-1 as they began their Europa League campaign with a win at White Hart Lane on Thursday.
Kieran Trippier, Kevin Wimmer and Clinton Njie all made their Spurs debuts, while Heung-Min Son marked his first appearance in front of the home crowd with a brace.
However, not all of the new boys fared quite so well as that. Adam Bate was at White Hart Lane and runs us through the first impressions made by Tottenham's summer signings…
Heung-Min Son
It wasn't his first competitive outing in a Spurs shirt but after an hour at Sunderland this was Son's White Hart Lane bow and it couldn't have gone much better. The space he was afforded inside the penalty box for his opening goal might have been bewildering but there was no mistaking the quality shown for the second.
Already developing a promising relationship with young Dele Alli, the two men exchanged passes to allow the Korean to stroke home and establish Tottenham's lead. Two goals in two minutes. That neither finish required any particular brilliance is unlikely to concern Spurs fans. In fact, these were precisely the sort of goals that will reassure fans.
There have been understandable question marks over the club's decision not to acquire an out-an-out striker following the departures of Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor. But Son showed that he is more than capable of applying the finishes touches himself and this start - complete with standing ovation - will surely give him confidence.
Asked about Son's performance, Mauricio Pochettino said: "He scored twice and played one hour. I am very pleased with him. I explained before the game against Sunderland that, at Hamburg, Son played as a striker, while at Leverkusen he played as a striker and also wider. He is a versatile player who can play in different positions on the pitch."
Kevin Wimmer
The 22-year-old Austria international centre-back was signed from Cologne in the summer but with the Belgian duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen seemingly established as the first-choice partnership, this was his Tottenham debut. The left footer lined up alongside Alderweireld and looked accomplished enough after a testing start.
Once Qarabag had taken the early lead, possession became even more one-sided than anticipated and, with time on the ball available, Wimmer's distribution was under the spotlight. The short stuff was tidy enough but a longer range of passing would have been useful. He certainly appeared more comfortable playing it simple.
One uncultured clearance brought groans and it didn't help that he had Danny Rose in error-prone mood directly to his left, but Tottenham's quick-fire goals eased any pressure, and Wimmer grew in confidence with Spurs in the lead. He even got involved in several attacks to good effect and produced a vital interception late on. Something to build on.
Kieran Trippier
There was a sense of quiet anticipation among Spurs supporters who are hoping that the summer signing can challenge Kyle Walker for the right-back berth this season. However, this was not a performance that looks likely to convince Pochettino to discard the England full-back from the first-team just yet.
"A lot of players were playing for the first time this season and that's not the same as training," said Pochettino afterwards and that was reflected in Trippier's start, conceding a penalty five minutes into the game when he was nutmegged just inside the box. Richard Almeida duly converted from the spot. There was an element of misfortune but it appeared to unsettle the ex-Burnley man as he gave the ball away right from the restart.
Trippier's strength is going forwards - nobody got more assists for Burnley last year and he also created the most chances and clear chances in the team's Premier League season. There were signs of that threat on Thursday, with a neat first-time lay-off almost bringing an early opening for Erik Lamela, and some of his crossing was encouraging.
However, the defensive side of the game needs more work and Pochettino seemed to spend much of the first half barking instructions at his new right-back, with Andros Townsend also appearing frustrated by Trippier encroaching into his space. Teething problems then, but with lots of cup games to come, Trippier has time to make his case more forcefully in future.
Clinton Njie
Njie, a summer arrival from Lyon, was the final debutant introduced and certainly made his presence felt having coming on as a second-half substitute. He immediately assumed free-kick duties and almost used his considerable pace to latch onto a through-ball soon after. In his shocking pink boots, it was difficult to miss him.
The 22-year-old operated on the left flank and there was some evidence of the dribbling skills he's known to possess. However, it's worth noting that he ranked among the top 10 players in France for unsuccessful dribbles last season but barely in the top 50 for successful ones. He couldn't find a way past his full-back in this brief outing but the threat was there.
There was an urgency to his play that can unnerve defences and that proved the case late in the game when Badavi Huseynov was fortunate to stay on the field after pulling Njie to the ground when running clean through onto a Harry Kane pass. That's the sort of penetration Pochettino will be looking for him to produce.
The only worry for the manager would be one baffling decision to drill a high ball at his own centre-backs that almost let the opposition in. "I'm still young, still growing up and it's a big challenge," said Njie upon his arrival and he may require some patience before Spurs supporters see the very best from this particular acquisition.
