Scout Report – Eidur Gudjohnsen

Some would suggest swapping the sunnier climes of the French Riviera for north London in January is tantamount to madness, but, in moving from Monaco to Tottenham Hotspur on loan till the end of the season, Eidur Gudjohnsen done just that.

Despite talks and a medical with West Ham, the Icelander opted instead for Spurs, much to the chagrin of new Hammers owner David Sullivan. Although both clubs offered the same financial package, their current aspirations are considerably different; Harry Redknapp’s attempt to break the Premiership top four, versus Gianfranco Zola’s relegation battle.

Initially, many had expected the majority of Gudjohnsen’s playing minutes would be coming off the bench as a sub for Spurs, but the situation has subsequently changed; not only has Robbie Keane’s move to Celtic undoubtedly increased his chances (given that Pavlyuchenko has sampled a mere 66 Premiership minutes all season) but, more interestingly, Redknapp has hinted at a change in formation, turning away from his favourite 4-4-2 to accommodate the new recruit.

“He can play several positions for us, in a midfield or attacking-midfield role if we want to change our system. We’ve lost Aaron Lennon to injury so we haven’t got a great deal of width. We can play a diamond formation if we want to and he can be a big player in that system.”

Perhaps it was this hint from Harry that lead the Fantasy Premier League game to classify Gudjohnsen as a midfielder. Regardless, it’s that classification that makes him a potential fantasy target for the remainder of the season…

Despite being part of the English game for a number of years with both Bolton and Chelsea before leaving for Barcelona, Gudjohnsen, still only 31, surely has a few years left in him at the top level. With Spurs facing a four-way battle with Villa, Liverpool and Man City for the holy grail that is fourth spot and a place in next season’s Champions League, his vast Premiership and European experience could come in handy as the season really starts to heat up.

A lack of playing time at Monaco, however, means he is currently way short of match fitness, with some reports suggesting it may be up to a month before Gudjohnsen is ready for first team action.

Coming in at a very reasonable £6.0 in FPL, and listed as a midfielder, Gudjohnsen has a proven goalscoring record in England (averaging roughly one goal every three league games) and will surely settle in well with such an attack-minded team whenever he takes the field.

At times this season, Spurs have been scoring for fun, but occasionally, a stubborn defence – Hull, Stoke and Wolves at home – has seen them falter. Perhaps that is where Gudjohnsen will come in; as a creative ball player, he offers qualities that differ from what Spurs currently have up front. Qualities, essentially, that could well be the difference between a good end to the season and a great one.