Aaron Lennon will recover from slump, says Tom Huddlestone

Leading role: Tom Huddlestone could captain Spurs against FC Twente
11 April 2012

The best footballers are distinguished not just by their natural talent but by their ability to recover from adversity and Aaron Lennon must demonstrate that he has the strength of mind to regain peak form for Tottenham.

One year ago, Lennon was one of the most dangerous players in Europe, his speed and developing understanding of the game making him Spurs' most potent attacking weapon. For most Premier League left-backs, keeping Lennon quiet during that period was virtually an impossible task.

Yet as he prepares for tonight's Champions League group fixture against FC Twente at White Hart Lane, Lennon's star has waned. He has struggled to recover from the effects of the groin injury that forced him to miss four months of last season and also suffered the disappointment of being dropped by Fabio Capello after playing poorly in England's opening two World Cup matches.

Lennon has been similarly subdued at the start of this campaign. While Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Tom Huddlestone have shone, Lennon has been peripheral. He has been substituted in seven of his eight starts this season and he was even left out of Harry Redknapp's XI for the 3-1 victory over Wolves on 18 September.

Huddlestone and Lennon are close friends and, according to the midfielder, his team-mate has become a victim of the success he had during the early weeks of last season. Yet Huddlestone is hopeful that defences who fear Lennon will pay insufficient attention to Bale, Van der Vaart and Luka Modric.

"Last season, a lot of people left him one on one with the full-back and we saw what he could do, so maybe people have been a bit smarter this year by doubling up on him but we hope that that will leave someone else free somewhere else on the pitch," said Huddlestone.

"Against West Ham on Saturday, the left-back was marking him but they also had Luis Boa Morte playing on the left of midfield. He was concentrating on doubling up on Aaron and never really got forward.

"But Aaron has been fine. Teams know his qualities and anybody with two players on them will find it difficult but we have other players
we can turn to if Aaron is being double-marked."

Huddlestone's words are valid but Lennon is not paid about £45,000 a week simply to sacrifice himself so his attacking colleagues can prosper.

At 23, Lennon has plenty of top-flight and international experience behind him, so it is reasonable to expect him to find a solution to combat such diligent marking.

Before last season began, the Spurs coaches helped add a new dimension to Lennon's game.

Instead of always racing on to the ball played behind the full-back, they suggested the winger should become accustomed to receiving it to feet. The resulting change in Lennon's game made him more difficult to contain.

With either Vedran Corluka or Alan Hutton supporting him from right-back, Lennon should also have licence to drift inside, carrying markers with him and creating space for his overlapping team-mate.

Whichever choices Lennon should make, Redknapp is convinced the former Leeds United man still has the capacity to prise open tight matches.

"Aaron has been quiet but he'll come back," said the Spurs boss. "He had the injury, which he's still getting over, and he had a quiet World Cup, but he's a match-winner on his day. It is very hard to be consistent when people always expect you to go whizzing past full-backs and cross balls.

"Full-backs now are as quick as wingers, so you have to work very hard to receive it. When you're not getting it as much as you can, it's not always easy, but he'll come good."

Spurs drew the first game of this section against Werder Bremen in Germany and both Redknapp and Huddlestone believe that it is their performances at White Hart Lane that will determine whether they progress from Group A.

If Lennon can rediscover his confidence and his knack of tormenting full-backs, the task of advancing in the Champions League will appear less daunting.

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