It’s a big month for… Jermain Defoe (Tottenham & England)

You know when your boss is publicly criticising you that you have problems. Harry Redknapp was less than complimentary about his Tottenham forwards after defeat at Blackpool last week and had every reason to be.

The Spurs attackers missed more than 20 chances in a game their side needed to win, but as it was they went down 3-1 and when Roman Pavlyuchenko finally did find the net his side were already three goals to the good. They now find themselves in fourth spot but with Chelsea just two points behind with a game in hand.

And Jermain Defoe will know that Redknapp’s comments were largely directed at him; the Blackpool performance the most recent in a string of games that have seen him flatter to deceive.

The diminutive striker hasn’t scored since netting against former side Charlton in the FA Cup on January 9 and has been a shadow of the stiker who last season couldn’t stop finding the back of the net.

And believe it or not, he still hasn’t scored a league goal this season. All his Spurs strikes have come in cup competitions, be it the FA Cup or Champions League where he has scored against FC Twente and Young Boys.

In fact, we are still really waiting for Defoe to come of age and develop into the top class striker we have seen in patches, and yet as his 30th birthday rapidly approaches it feels like that may never materialise.

Performance problems aren’t exactly a new issue for Defoe; for a man who makes a living in and around the six-yard box, his strike rate has been more hit and miss than he would have liked.

In 2004-05 he hit 22 goals but the next season he managed just nine. And the next two years were similar: 18 in 2006-07 then eight in 2008.

REDKNAPP ON HIS STRIKERS “We’ve got good strikers and when the ball is dropping on their heads from five yards out and to not score is just unreal. Our strikers haven’t got enough goals this year and it’s cost us”

And after smashing in 24 last season we’re back on the downswing again, with Defoe having notched just eight goals, five of them for his club and three for England.

Granted, the former West Ham man has found starting opportunities hard to come by for Spurs since returning from an ankle injury sustained with England in September and could well blame a prolongued stay on the physio’s table for his lack of potency this term.

But five goals in 19 appearances still doesn’t make for brilliant reading.

And there was a scare this week when his troublesome ankle flared up again on a Dubai training camp, but he looks set to overcome that and be available for selection.

So who has Defoe got to get his season back on track against in March? A variety of defences it must be said. Wolves won’t be the most generous of teams, especially at home, and coming off the back an emphatic win against Blackpool – and having beaten Manchester United recently at Molineux – Mick McCarthy’s team probably quite fancy their chances.

And the 28-year-old will be lucky to get a sniff against AC Milan the following Wednesday. The Italians have only let in two goals in their last six games.

But fear not Jermain, because the rest of the month looks positively tantalising in comparison. West Ham have shipped plenty of goals on the road (and at home for that matter) and will be arriving at White Hart Lane looking for damage control. The Hammers lifted themselves off bottom spot with a win against Liverpool this weekend but have proven to be generous with their defending on the road.

And then Defoe has a chance to get back to an environment where he really enjoys himself – the international scene. A total of 15 goals in 45 games for the Three Lions isn’t much to write home about but after a hat-trick against Bulgaria in September, he will be confident he can do the same against the-not so-famously resolute back lines of Wales and Ghana.

With Payluchenko constantly reminding anyone who’ll listen that he is unhappy with not starting for Spurs, and Peter Crouch scoring the odd vital goal and bringing out the best in Rafael van der Vaart, Defoe may soon find himself down the pecking order if the goals don’t begin to flow.

So, step forward Jermain, it’s time to prove you are still the main goal poacher for Spurs and England.

More players to watch out for in March

The fallen star – Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

If he can’t strike up a decent relationship with Fernando Torres – and soon – the Ivorian may well find his time at Standord Bridge coming to a swift end. It’s clear Ancelotti is going to give the Spaniard the nod (and after shelling out £50 million, who can blame him?).

The disappointed – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

The England man has admitted this is his worst season ever but his side are still in with a shout of a treble of trophies, and will need their No.10 to rediscover his best form if they are to claim it. An acrobatic goal against rivals City and another at Wigan hinted he may be on the way back up.

The waiting – Andy Carroll (Liverpool)

A fee of £35m hasn’t even got Liverpool a kick of the ball yet from Andy Carroll but the big striker is expected to make his debut this month and will be keen to prove the hefty price tag was justified.

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