Has Vlad Chiriches given AVB another selection headache?

It’s no secret that the focus of Tottenham’s spending this summer revolved largely around their midfield, but their central defensive recruit, Vlad Chiriches has proved himself to have had a positive impact on the club’s defensive displays.

The shock 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle United last weekend was the first time that Spurs had failed to keep a clean sheet with the Romanian starting, although Chiriches had to go off at half-time with what turned out to be a broken nose.

With Jan Vertonghen once again filling in at left-back for the injured Danny Rose, the former Steaua Bucharest talisman has slipped seamlessly into Andre Villas-Boas’ setup.

Chiriches’ heat map away to Aston Villa

One of the first things that stands out with Chiriches is his mobility compared to other centre-backs, shown in his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, where the midland hosts had a hard time restricting his runs.

Like Vertonghen, the 24-year-old is by no means shy of bringing the ball forward himself and providing a platform for his midfield to work from.

Chiriches’ duels this season

That’s not to say that Chiriches does so at the sacrifice of his defensive responsibilities, though. The Romanian captain is already winning an average 62% of all duels, the joint second-highest of any Tottenham defender and more than Michael Dawson has managed.

This equated to winning five of his six attempted tackles, as well as three of his five take-ons.

In a way, Chiriches seems a fine example of the modern centre-back. Able to use both feet and seemingly agile as they come, Spurs’ newest defensive asset had completed 94% of his passes in the 45 minutes played against the Magpies. Although there’s still time for it to change, he already has the best passing accuracy of any defender in AVB’s Premier League squad, with 88% of his attempts finding their target.

With one of the best defences in the English top flight this season, it comes as little surprise that Spurs have also had to perform some of the fewest defensive actions this term, too. In total the north Londoners have made just 482 defensive actions while Manchester City lead the way on just 408 actions performed at the back.

One thing that will give Villas-Boas a conundrum as a result of Chiriches’ immediate involvement is who to start upon Rose’s return to fitness. The Portuguese appears to have a taste for leading figures in the centre of his defence, with Vertonghen, Chiriches and Dawson all captaining club or country (the latter just club) at one point or another.

Chiriches’ chances created by a defender are the lowest at Spurs

One aspect of his game where Chiriches doesn’t measure, however, is in his direct attacking influence. Whereas Vertonghen and Dawson have created eight and four scoring chances, respectively, the Romanian has made just the one, firing his one shot attempt off target.

Perhaps it’s just a result of initial nerves, but in truth, it wouldn’t be such a harm to have a defender more concentrated on his rightful priorities in an age where people are now asking every position to have an impact on the goal count.

In his first few months as a Tottenham signing, Chiriches has done well to give White Hart Lane an encouraging presence to marvel at, and one goal conceded in his first six outings is still a bright sign for a player who’s having a lot asked of him.