Vinicius yet to convince as on-loan striker continues to contribute to Spurs’ Europa League campaign

 

If Carlos Vinicius’ stay in North London is to be extended beyond this season, the Brazilian needs to persuade Tottenham he’s worth the price option at the conclusion of his loan deal.

Although the decision ultimate lies in the boardroom, the events of Spurs’ win over Wolfsberger conveyed that his teammates are yet to be convinced.

The first sign of these frustration came courtesy of Harry Winks. As Spurs tried to relieve any sign of pressure from their Austrian opponents, Vincius’ inability to keep possession from a ball into his feet prompted a cry of ‘hold it up, for f**** sake’ from the Tottenham midfielder.

Another Tottenham midfielder would fire home the opener for the Lilywhites on 10 minutes. After a typically lung-busting run from Erik Lamela, the Argentine found Steven Bergwijn. The ball was eventually cycled to Dele Alli, who quickly switched the ball out to Matt Doherty on the right-hand side.

The former Wolves full-back’s cross found him again, and after his first touch set the ball for him to attempt an acrobatically overhead kick, his finish was only destined for the bottom corner.

Vinicius was the first man to rush over and congratulate the Englishman for his finish as Tottenham stretched their aggregate advantage to 5-1.

Minutes later, the Brazilian’s run behind the Wolfsberger defence was found well by Ben Davies, making his 50th appearance in Europe for the club, with Vinicius just guarded by one lone defender. With Lamela screaming ‘Vinny!’ in the centre, the 25-year-old failed to provide the pass and was eventually shepherded out of play.

The on-loan Benfica striker certainly looked void of confidence, with his head often down during the first 45 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Alli threw his hands aloft when Vinicius couldn’t connect with his cross, one of many indications of his teammates’ frustrations.

His mixed success at holding the ball was a theme of the first half. Whilst drawing a foul on one occasion for his team, the striker was ruled offside from a simple forward pass which drew cries of ‘Vinny!’ again from the majority of the Tottenham backline.

Despite his first half struggles, Vinicius almost added to his Tottenham goal tally on 43 minutes. When placed through on goal by Lamela, the Brazilian rolled the ball over with one foot to beat the ‘keeper and looked to finish into an empty net. Unfortunately for Vinicius, Wolfsberger’s Swedish defender Gustav Henriksson had recovered brilliantly to clear the effort off the line.

After a disappointing showing in the first period, Vinicius would need just five minutes of the second half to find Tottenham’s second. The impressive Dele Alli delivered a ball towards the back post for him to head home from around six yards out, his trademark celebration followed by a look to sky a sign of his relief.

In the minutes after his goal, the all-round play of the striker improved. Vincius was now able to switch play when counter-attacking, draw fouls at ease and managed to get a defender booked too for a lunging challenge.

Gareth Bale, who impressed with his cameo in the weekend defeat at West Ham, was substituted on for the last 25 minutes and secured Spurs’ third with a trademark finish from an Alli pass. After receiving the ball from Davies, Alli was able to slide the ball to Bale following a good run from Vinicius to create the space for the Welshman.

Bale confidently finished with his left foot into the top corner, a strike which would have brought the 62,000 inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to their feet.

Vincius’ smile would become a grin after netting his second in the 83rd minute. Dane Scarlett, a player who has impressed for Spurs’ Under-18’s this season, was provided another opportunity from the bench. His pressing of the Wolfsberger backline would allow him to nip in and touch the ball away from Henriksson, Vincius stepping onto the ball and striking emphatically past Manuel Kuttin.

Tottenham’s 8-1 aggregate win over the Austrian Bundesliga side secured their passage into Friday’s draw in Lyon. A win was essential given their recent form and Spurs’ rotated squad made light work of the opposition.

Vinicius’ recovery from a poor first half should signal encouragement for his Spurs career. The best way to impress his teammates will be to continue scoring goals and contributing to winning performances.

As his goal tally notches up to nine, the loanee is contributing when called upon. Six goals and three assists in seven Europa League games is also an impressive haul and has provided Spurs with a reliable goalscorer in the competition.

His all-round game needs improvement to gain further acclaim but confidence could prove the key factor for the Brazilian as this busy season of football continues.

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