The Burning Question: Can Gylfi Sigurdsson Replicate his Form at Spurs?

Our next Burning Question article focuses on one of last season’s surprise packages, the Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. The former Reading man was snapped up on loan from Hoffenheim by Swansea during the January transfer window and promptly made a mockery of his 5.0 price tag in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, scoring seven goals and assisting three more while playing in “the hole” behind Danny Graham. His formidable displays took Fantasy managers and Swansea’s opponents by surprise and by the end of the season the Icelandic international was hot property.

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who had also managed Sigurdsson during his stint at Reading, was chief amongst the midfielder’s suitors and keen to re-unite with the playmaker once again this summer but it was Tottenham who ultimately secured him on a permanent deal in the region of £6.5m. With such attacking talents, even a FPL price hike to 9.0 and a 7.3 tag in the Sky Sports game may still represent a bargain. Already during pre-season friendlies he has scored two goals, but questions remain as to how manager Andre Villas-Boas will fit Sigurdsson and fellow attacking midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart into the same side. During Spurs 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy and in last night’s 2-0 loss to Valencia, Sigurdsson played worryingly deep while Van Der Vaart was on the pitch, but has been utilised in an attacking role whenever the Dutch midfielder isn’t on the pitch.

Mark says…
The early signs are good. So far in pre-season it appears that Andre Villas-Boas has looked to harness Sigurdsson’s talents – I can’t help but notice that he’s immediately jumped the pecking order on set-plays. There is concern about the role that Sigurdsson will play once Luka Modric has flown the nest – something which looks inevitable. He could find himself as part of a midfield three with Rafael Van der Vaart and Gareth Bale flanking a lone striker, or worse still, deeper in a 4-2-3-1. It remains to be seen if that system will allow Sigurdsson to exert his considerable influence around the opposition’s penalty area. We’d like to think so but, with both Van der Vaart and Bale similarly priced, I wonder if Sigurdsson is the riskier option of the three right now. Certainly I’m leaning towards Bale – he seems more certain to kick-on from last season, whereas Sigurdsson set high standards at Swansea and was a key figure in a side that seemed to be bereft of direct goal threats.

Paul says…
It all depends on his game time. If Sigurdsson becomes an integral member of the Spurs first-team under Andre-Villas Boas, I see no reason as to why he can’t replicate last season’s form. When the summer transfer window closes, we’re likely to get a better idea of Villas-Boas’ intentions – he has maintained a 4-2-3-1 in pre-season with Sigurdsson mainly utilised in “the hole” but the manager has admitted that is mainly down to current personnel. A preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Sigurdsson tucked in behind a lone frontman, would replicate the Icelandic international’s role under Brendan Rodgers at Swansea and Reading and surely boost his appeal. Quite how Villas-Boas will use Rafael Van der Vaart should be key; if the Dutchman is vying for the same role as Sigurdsson, both players’ minutes could be reduced and promote Gareth Bale as the main midfield option in the Tottenham midfield for Fantasy managers. Spurs scored 66 goals last season – 22 more than Swansea – and if Sigurdsson becomes nailed-on, his creativity will be key next term. With the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker ideal for Villas-Boas’ high defensive line, the potential is there for the Portuguese manager to quickly draw a line under his brief spell at Chelsea last time round.

Anorak says…
Whether through the change in manager at Spurs, or the enforced absence of Rafael van der Vaart due to injury, there is certainly a new verve to the attacking midfield slot of Andre Vilas-Boas’ Tottenham side during the pre-season friendlies. Sigurdsson appears to have slotted seamlessly into a Spurs pre-season midfield without the aforementioned Dutchman and Modric, and has made himself at home picking up both an assist and a goal in the final game of that US tour (a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls). That said, the future of both Modric and Van der Vaart is sure to have a key part to play in the potential success of Sigurdsson at Spurs – should they both start the season at White Hart Lane, then midfield spaces will be at a premium, even in the 4-2-3-1 formation likely to be adopted – one of Sigurdsson and Van der Vaart would need to be pushed wide right and, in order to maintain balance (and some semblance of width) could easily find themselves benched.

Andy says…
As the unofficial president of the Gylfi Sigurdsson fan club, this is perhaps the one question that has caused me sleepless nights in pre-season. My short answer is an unequivocal, yes. The Icelander has all the talent to succeed at this level but now that he is surrounded by the likes of Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart – and with Emmanuel Adebayor still in the shopping list – I am a little worried he could end up sharing the spoils a little too much. I think he has more than enough ability but I’m definitely fearful of how his new team-mates will impact upon his scoring. There’s just as much a part of me that thinks having a stronger squad around him will only better his cause.