The Evolution of Mousa Dembele from Fringe Player to Vital Cog for Tottenham

Mousa Dembele's time at Tottenham Hotspur can be split into two periods: his seasons before Mauricio Pochettino was appointed head coach and his time working with the Argentinian.

The latter is very much informed by those first years. But there has been a notable, self-contained evolution within the ongoing period, too: from a player operating on the fringes of the first team to one who has been performing like a vital cog in the ruthless machine Pochettino is attempting to build.

In a Tottenham midfield brimming with competition, that rapid evolution—or development—over the last year could feasibly slow or recede. Right now, however, Dembele is more than earning his playing time. Matt Law of the Telegraph reported the team is interested in signing him to a new contract:

Few this past summer would have anticipated Dembele getting to this point, becoming a regular starter once again, one reportedly on the cusp of receiving a new contract.

The talk heading into the season was of a possible transfer out of north London, of whether there was still a place for him in Pochettino's squad after a tough 2014-15.

Almost as much as anyone's, Dembele's case seems characteristic of the change in approach gradually being implemented at Tottenham. Underperforming, often expensive and foreign recruits are being phased out (or at least seeing their roles diminished) in favour of more committed and stylistically adaptable young talent. His particular situation was in large part a product of the aforementioned, pre-Pochettino experiences at the club.

Joining from Fulham in August 2012, the then-25-year-old's signing was part of the transition from the Harry Redknapp managerial regime to that of Andre Villas-Boas.

Gareth Bale and others like Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon were among the notable players to remain from Redknapp's Champions League side. But gone were retired captain Ledley King, charismatic attacker Rafael van der Vaart and, more pertinently to Dembele, midfielder linchpin Luka Modric.

That Dembele, along with Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen, still remains of those 2012 arrivals says something about the thinking behind that summer's refashioning of the squad (although others such as Clint Dempsey were not to last so long). At the time, though, there were expectations around Dembele that were to cloud perceptions of his subsequent contributions, if not quite obscure the actual reality of them.

On one hand, there were the selective memories of some of his swashbuckling goals and attacking forays for the Cottagers. They were the earliest and ultimately longest-lasting imprints Dembele made on the minds of the English footballing public.

On the other hand, you had the onerous task of attempting to replace Modric, the Croatian playmaker who had been so integral in Spurs' battles for sustained Champions League recognition.

As Villas-Boas and the team would find, living up to such expectations would not be a smooth process. Their Premier League-best points total of 72 was a more-than-solid return. But missing out on a top-four spot, as well as the arguable notion they only got that far because of the brilliance of the soon-to-depart Bale (the consensus player of the year) left some underwhelmed by the post-Redknapp offerings.

Dembele did admirable and influential work in the circumstances he found that season.

His debut goal in a 1-1 draw against Norwich City was not to be a sign of things to come scoringwise (just one would follow in 2012-13, an admittedly important winner away at Olympique Lyonnais in the Europa League). But the blend of strength, skill, resilience and vision of Dembele's best work quickly became integral to Spurs.

Absent for autumn games against Manchester City and Arsenal, those all-round qualities were greatly missed as Tom Huddlestone and Sandro proved too tame and unambitious a pairing. Dembele's return in late November contributed to the improvement in form that would see Spurs lose just once in the league up until costly defeats to Fulham and Liverpool in the spring.

Save for a couple of games deployed in right midfield (including the loss to the Reds), by that point Dembele had taken on more defensive responsibilities covering for the injured Sandro.

He did some fine work there, notably sacrificing his attacking instincts to ensure Spurs retained a sufficiently solid core in seeing out a 2-1 win over Arsenal. But as the campaign wore on, the Belgian's efforts began to take a toll. Intentionally or otherwise, his ceding the responsibility of driving the team forward to his more assertive midfield partner, the fit-again Scott Parker, was not for the side's betterment.

The Dembele currently playing so well for Tottenham—this writer selected him their best player in November—looks like he has finally come to terms with the changes around him since his first season at White Hart Lane. With maturity, the all-round ability developed throughout his career has seen a not-always-helpful versatility now ingrained with a more valuable adaptability.

Following on from 2012-13, the effects that varying assignments and central midfield partners had on his game became more pronounced. The struggle for consistency was exacerbated further by the changes in head coach, from Villas-Boas to Tim Sherwood and then onto Pochettino (he was not helped by disruptive injury layoffs, either).

There was still some good in those middle two seasons.

He partnered encouragingly for a spell with Paulinho early in 2013-14, striking up a steady, shared rhythm applying Villas-Boas' encouraged pressing in the midfield area. Dembele's best performances, including the home draws versus Chelsea and Manchester United and a win over Everton, were when plenty of his team's possession went through him.

He teamed well with newly promoted academy talent Nabil Bentaleb early in Sherwood's brief reign, too. But as the temporary boss experimented with different midfield permutations, the Belgium international struggled to impose himself with consistency. He was more unsure than ever just where and how he would best excel for Spurs.

The picture painted of Dembele's status last season, in which he was clearly relegated behind Bentaleb and Ryan Mason in the midfield pecking order (just 10 league starts compared to over 20 in the preceding two years) was a most despondent one. He wasn't lumped in among on-their-way-out peers like Etienne Capoue, Paulinho and Benjamin Stambouli, but he was rarely categorised among the mostly youthful contingent earning praise, either (save for a decent midwinter spell).

It is to Dembele's credit that so far in 2015-16, he has found ways to apply both his experience and quality in a more focused and determined fashion. Regardless of whether he has been deployed in right midfield, attacking central midfield or in a deeper-stationed role, he is buying into Pochettino's principles of hard work and aggression.

His successful application of them in the simpler but equally vital functions of tracking and closing down is resulting in a renewed confidence in his dribbling, shooting and overall attacking influence (he netted three goals in three straight appearances heading into November). Rather than lumbering as a utility man, his performing such different duties has proved him to be a suitably adaptable presence in a side that at its best thrives on in-game flexibility.

You can see this in the comfort with which Dembele has been able to rotate and connect with midfield team-mates Dele Alli and Eric Dier in recent games (albeit less effectively in the most recent draw with West Bromwich Albion).

Although the amount of game time to come his way in recent months has been helped by the injuries to Bentaleb and Mason, the Belgium international is now performing so well that he will not be immediately supplanted when they are available.

Dembele's finding himself again at Spurs has been perfectly timed with the emphasis Pochettino has placed on youth in his squad. He's a solid example to the likes of new academy hopeful Josh Onomah (see above) and—playing as he has so far, anyway—is someone his boss will expect to guide them through tougher tests to come.

"It's a little strange being one of the oldest in the squad, but I'm happy and I want to be part of this club for as long as possible," the 28-year-old recently told Spurs' official website. "There is a real positive energy around the club, and I'm sure we will continue to grow as a team over the coming years."

For the first time in well over a year, the prospect of Dembele as a long-term part of this Tottenham team does not feel remote.