Players need to look in the mirror


Visit any forum, talk in any pub and you'll find someone telling you that so and so hasn't had a chance. It has happened yet again with Clinton Njie, Twitter is full of people who don't understand the game, who say we should keep Njie because he hasn't been given a chance.

That is complete nonsense of course. Players get a chance every day, they go onto the training pitch and their skill, desire, motivation is shown to the manager. What you do on the training ground determines whether you are good enough to be picked.

Dominic Ball was on loan at Ranger in the Scottish Championship last season and he was in the same situation. Rangers had won 11 out of 11 and he was frustrated not to be in the team Rangers boss Mark Warburton has told the Scottish Sun.

"If you are not in the first XI on a particular day then get on with it. What are you doing wrong? Train harder, work harder and your time will come. 
"Dom Ball was last season so frustrated at not playing, but we had played 11 and won 11. But when his chance came, he was ready. You saw what he did. Dom is a great example."

That is how a manager looks at the situation, he doesn't make excuses, so nor should players and fans. Players are employed by a club to train, those who train best will get a game to play. Rotation will kick in and when it does a player has to take his chance.

Tottenham Hotspur is not a charity, there was a separate Foundation set up for that. You don't pick a player to play just to see what he can do. Pre-season friendlies are for that or cameo roles as a substitute. When you are put on as a sub you have to perform, when you get a game in a cup competition you have to perform.

We can't keep every player who might come good just as we can't fill the squad with players who might be able to play Premier League football. You should be able to show something on the training ground in a year. If you can't show development, then are are plenty of other fish in the sea who can.

Sorry to be tough, but you go, someone else comes in. That is how you become the best, you set high standards and you are ruthless. Alex Pritchard, Clinton Njie, Federico Fazio, Benjamin Stambouli are examples of that ruthlessness. It is the right thing to do to progress the club, the club is more important than any individual player.

If a player isn't playing he needs to look in the mirror. Dominic Ball did that in Scotland and now he gets the chance to show Pochettino what he can do on the pre-season tour to Australia. Will he show Pochettino he can have a role to play within the squad next season? He has the attitude, we'll soon find out how much his game has progressed.