Player Watch: Nabil Bentaleb

Kendall · Aug 17, 2014

Neon_Knight_ said:
Decent performance and more than likely enough to keep him in the starting line-up for the next game. However, we need someone at the level of Fabregas/Toure/Modric if we want to challenge for top 4.

Bentaleb isn't a holding midfielder, so he needs to be paired with Capoue/Sandro. This means he is left with a responsibility for creativity and controlling the tempo. Hopefully one day he will be up to the task, but until then I only see him as a squad rotation player.

He can only become that player with game time. I still think he'll feature a lot for Pochettino and think he got a raw deal last year from fans suggesting he was just Sherwood's teacher's pet. It's clear there is a very good footballer there who at 19 is already well beyond his years for his position.

Gbspurs · Aug 17, 2014

Just like Harry Kane he is an outstanding talent at a very young age. He is obviously not the finished article but he has the potential to go all the way. What was Yaya Toure doing at 19? Or Lampard?

Best of luck to the lad. No guarantees but if he keeps going as he is he stands a great chance. Personally hope we don't sign Schneiderlin so he gets a chance to continue to develop.

Larryjanta · Aug 17, 2014

Bentaleb is a couple of seasons away from being an absolute monster of a CM. Really think the best thing for him is to play all cup games and to be first reserve for PL games to work out the kinks in his game.

He wouldn't be starting for any of the top 4 but Pellegrini, Wenger, Mourinho and Van Gaal would all be licking their lips at the prospect of him.

I also think we've not seen anything like the best of him yet. Can't wait to see him start to get forward a bit more, has a great shot on him.

Larryjanta · Aug 17, 2014

Gbspurs said:
Just like Harry Kane he is an outstanding talent at a very young age. He is obviously not the finished article but he has the potential to go all the way. What was Yaya Toure doing at 19? Or Lampard?

Best of luck to the lad. No guarantees but if he keeps going as he is he stands a great chance. Personally hope we don't sign Schneiderlin so he gets a chance to continue to develop.

Not sure I agree on the 2nd point. MS would improve us a great deal and, therefore, we should sign him. If Bentaleb is our 3rd choice CM then he will get more than enough games to develop

Gbspurs · Aug 17, 2014

Larryjanta said:
Bentaleb is a couple of seasons away from being an absolute monster of a CM. Really think the best thing for him is to play all cup games and to be first reserve for PL games to work out the kinks in his game.

He wouldn't be starting for any of the top 4 but Pellegrini, Wenger, Mourinho and Van Gaal would all be licking their lips at the prospect of him.

I also think we've not seen anything like the best of him yet. Can't wait to see him start to get forward a bit more, has a great shot on him.

Thing is he could well already be 3rd choice behind Dembele or Paulinho. Might even be 4th choice who knows!

stemark44 · Aug 17, 2014

Jimmypearce7 said:
Just watched Schneiderlin v Liverpool. He played quite well but Bentaleb ( and some of our other midfield players) are just as good.
Prefer to play Bentaleb and save twenty million quid or whatever on a player who will actually significantly improve the team.

We are trying to buy Schneiderlin to replace the likes of Capoue and Sandro and to play him alongside Bentaleb in our midfield.

Luka Van der Bale · Aug 17, 2014

Neon_Knight_ said:
Decent performance and more than likely enough to keep him in the starting line-up for the next game. However, we need someone at the level of Fabregas/Toure/Modric if we want to challenge for top 4.

Bentaleb isn't a holding midfielder, so he needs to be paired with Capoue/Sandro. This means he is left with a responsibility for creativity and controlling the tempo. Hopefully one day he will be up to the task, but until then I only see him as a squad rotation player.

Not every team in the top 4 has a midfielder of that quality.

Luka Van der Bale · Aug 17, 2014

stemark44 said:
We are trying to buy Schneiderlin to replace the likes of Capoue and Sandro and to play him alongside Bentaleb in our midfield.

No we're not.

Bofbro · Aug 17, 2014

stemark44 said:
We are trying to buy Schneiderlin to replace the likes of Capoue and Sandro and to play him alongside Bentaleb in our midfield.

That would be silly.

Sweech · Aug 17, 2014

stemark44 said:
We are trying to buy Schneiderlin to replace the likes of Capoue and Sandro and to play him alongside Bentaleb in our midfield.

Schneiderlin would be partnered with Capoue, Dembele, or Sandro with Bentaleb backing them up.

Bofbro · Aug 17, 2014

Sweech said:
Schneiderlin would be partnered with Capoue, Dembele, or Sandro with Bentaleb backing them up.

Atm we have Dembele or Capoue alongside Bentaleb or Paulinho with Sandro out in the cold, Morgan would be fighting with Paulie and Bents.

Sweech · Aug 17, 2014

Bofbro said:
Atm we have Dembele or Capoue alongside Bentaleb or Paulinho with Sandro out in the cold, Morgan would be fighting with Paulie and Bents.

I'm still pretty sure Pauli is going to end up being played in the 3 behind the striker.

We may even see Dembele there as well.

ClintEastwould · Aug 18, 2014

Sweech said:
I'm still pretty sure Pauli is going to end up being played in the 3 behind the striker.

We may even see Dembele there as well.

Just out of curiosity, where have you got that notion from? He only played there once or twice last season and hasn't featured at all under poch

Sweech · Aug 18, 2014

ClintEastwould said:
Just out of curiosity, where have you got that notion from? He only played there once or twice last season and hasn't featured at all under poch

It's purely opinion based on his skillset. He doesn't have the defensive mentality Poch likes in his CMs, but he does have the neat flicks and runs into the box that Poch seems to like for his AMs. I see him essentially as a better Davis for Poch.

ClintEastwould · Aug 18, 2014

Sweech said:
It's purely opinion based on his skillset. He doesn't have the defensive mentality Poch likes in his CMs, but he does have the neat flicks and runs into the box that Poch seems to like for his AMs. I see him essentially as a better Davis for Poch.

Gotcha. We should have to find some use of Pauli and I agree he just doesn't have what it takes in CM2 but I also can't see him shining enough in one of the 3 to stamp a place there. Interesting to see how pochetinno uses him

Sweech · Aug 18, 2014

ClintEastwould said:
Gotcha. We should have to find some use of Pauli and I agree he just doesn't have what it takes in CM2 but I also can't see him shining enough in one of the 3 to stamp a place there. Interesting to see how pochetinno uses him

Again, personal opinion, but I can see him doing well in the front 3. This is the guy that while everyone bitched about him was still tied for being our 3rd best goalscorer in the Prem last year (would be 3rd if you didn't count penalties). Put him in a position to succeed, which I think is the AM spot, and he's shown he can get the rewards.

ClintEastwould · Aug 18, 2014

Sweech said:
Again, personal opinion, but I can see him doing well in the front 3. This is the guy that while everyone bitched about him was still tied for being our 3rd best goalscorer in the Prem last year (would be 3rd if you didn't count penalties). Put him in a position to succeed, which I think is the AM spot, and he's shown he can get the rewards.

He could do okay there, he picks up the odd goal and has a few flicks here and there but I think he'd be regularly a sub in that position. We have eriksen lamela holtby and Chadli who are more suited to that position and I just can't see him out wide so it'd have to be behind the striker.

ClintEastwould · Aug 18, 2014

@Sweech in case you're wondering- I can only see paulinho being a regular success in a CM3. Anything else would be asking too much of his jack of all trades skillset. IMO of course

Sweech · Aug 18, 2014

ClintEastwould said:
He could do okay there, he picks up the odd goal and has a few flicks here and there but I think he'd be regularly a sub in that position. We have eriksen lamela holtby and Chadli who are more suited to that position and I just can't see him out wide so it'd have to be behind the striker.

Out wide? All 3 play behind the striker. I've only really ever seen the wingbacks actually running in the wide areas and sending in crosses with any sort of regularity.

I do agree though that it's a very clogged position group and playing time may be hard to come by. I still think he'd do perfectly well in that position though.

MrWoolley · Aug 18, 2014

I was really impressed with him Saturday and I thought he was one of our main positives from last season. With the right coaching he can really push on this season.

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