Portuguese Abroad season review:
Ricardo Rocha

Former Benfica defender settles quickly at Tottenham

The versatile central defender made the switch from Benfica to Tottenham towards the end of the January transfer window in a deal worth around 4.5m euros.

In Rocha, Spurs saw the perfect replacement for the recently departed Callum Davenport. They were in desperate need of cover at the back as captain Ledley King had just picked up a knee injury that subsequently saw him miss 13 consecutive league games.

Rocha made his debut on 10th February against Sheffield United, yet despite tasting defeat, the Portugal international put on a decent display and it was soon clear to the Spurs faithful that the team had acquired the services of a reliable squad player.

He went on to make 8 more league appearances – initially in the centre, effectively covering until Ledley King returned to the side, but then later on the left due to injuries to Young-Pyo Lee and fellow newcomer Benoit Assou-Ekotto. As a temporary left-back, Rocha carried out his defensive duties well, but very rarely pushed forwards suggesting that he is far more suited to one of the centre berths.

Rocha also made 4 appearances in the FA and League Cups, but was unfortunately cup tied for Spurs’ European campaign.

Smooth transition

Although it is unlikely that Rocha was bought to challenge the partnership of Ledley King and Michael Dawson at the back, the Portuguese has brought with him plenty of experience from his days in Portugal, having played an important role in Benfica’s Champions League campaign the season before.

And it was surely this experience that helped him settle into the Spurs starting eleven so soon after signing, despite having to take on the responsibility of standing in for arguably Spurs’ most consistent performer. Unfortunately the North London outfit missed their captain and managed to keep only two clean sheets in 2007.

As is the case every summer, Tottenham are currently being linked with almost anyone who has ever played football. It is no secret that manager Martin Jol and Sporting Director Damien Comolli are looking to bring in another centre back to cover for injuries and rotation next season – it looks almost certain that the signature of Auxerre youngster Younes Kaboul will soon be announced, which might make way for Anthony Gardner to find regular first-team football elsewhere.

So where does this leave Rocha?

It is likely that Rocha will spend much of next season’s league campaign on the bench, though that’s not to say that he won’t start the odd game during busy fixture periods. He will get most of his playing time in cup games, as a more than capable replacement for one of the aforementioned centre backs.

Rocha himself will be striving to emulate his ascension at Benfica. After playing an understudy role for two seasons, his form steadily improved and turned him into a regular at the Estadio da Luz. What price a similar story developing at White Hart Lane?

                           Season stats - Ricardo Rocha

                        Substitute appearances in brackets