6 Players That Have To Start For Spurs

4. Vlad Chiriches

Of all of Spurs new additions over the summer, the 24-year-old Romanian defender received by far the least hype when he signed from Steaua Bucharest in late August. He's also the only one out of the seven new boys that has truly hit the ground running. While marquee signings Lamela and Soldado have struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, Vlad the Impaler has embraced it and established himself as the club's most consistent centre-back. I'm not usually one for statistics, but in the nine games he's started this campaign, Spurs have only lost one - make of that what you will. In only a few appearances, Chiriches has proven himself to be comfortable on the ball, positionally aware and a keen eye for the perfect pass to initiate a counter-attack instead of hoofing the ball in panic (Dawson I love you, but take note). Basically, these are qualities that make him fit perfectly into AVB's system and why the manager has been quick to give him league starts. The sheer confidence of the man is also refreshing - let's be honest, anyone who decides to dummy Berbatov (successfully) in their own penalty area has some balls. After the match at Craven Cottage, Lewis Holtby described Vlad as 'Mr Cool at the back' which pretty well sums up his presence on the pitch and why he will be a key man this season.