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Player Watch: Nabil Bentaleb

UpTownSpur

Says it like it is
Dec 31, 2014
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:ROFLMAO: Cant stop, wont stop scoring goals. I know he won't come back but if he somehow did, the 4141 formation would suit him superbly. Here is one fun looking configuration.

----------Wanyama-----------

Lamela ----- Alli ---- Nabil ---- Son

------------- Kane ------------




His goals are coming as he's playing further forward, so he'd be competing with Ali and Eriksen for a place, not Wanyama's, Dier or Dembele.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/11/0...he-always-knew-he-was-an-attacking-midfielde/

Poch concluded he wasn't a viable option at CM because of his poor defensive attributes and it seems Schalke have concluded the same. And if he was still at Spurs, he'd just be warming the bench as we have better options in more advanced roles.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
His goals are coming as he's playing further forward, so he'd be competing with Ali and Eriksen for a place, not Wanyama's, Dier or Dembele.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/11/0...he-always-knew-he-was-an-attacking-midfielde/

Poch concluded he wasn't a viable option at CM because of his poor defensive attributes and it seems Schalke have concluded the same. And if he was still at Spurs, he'd just be warming the bench as we have better options in more advanced roles.


IMO the problem wasn't so much Bentaleb's defensive attributes as the CM pairings he played in. At that time we didn't have a Wanyama/Dier type and Poch refused to play Capoue or Stambouli. Neither Bentaleb nor Mason had an ounce of defensive sense and our goal difference that season was shocking. I think he'd be fine next to Wanyama or Dier though and would be a decent option if we wanted to take the shackles off and play a bit more progressively.
 

Blake Griffin

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
14,133
38,225
also despite what that article states he is still playing as a cm, it's just he's no longer playing as the deepest midfielder like he was with us. schalke play 3142 with him in the centre of the 4.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
His goals are coming as he's playing further forward, so he'd be competing with Ali and Eriksen for a place, not Wanyama's, Dier or Dembele.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/11/0...he-always-knew-he-was-an-attacking-midfielde/

Poch concluded he wasn't a viable option at CM because of his poor defensive attributes and it seems Schalke have concluded the same. And if he was still at Spurs, he'd just be warming the bench as we have better options in more advanced roles.

What's wrong with competing with Eriksen or Alli, he was a better player between boxes than Alli. Alli gets criticised when he doesn't score for his lack of contribution or slowing game down in buildup. Bentaleb was one of our best midfielders easily, when in 14/15 and one of the best when he made his debut, out of position, and in an unstable team, which gets forgotten. As people say he was a W/AM in the academy. What Alli has over him is his goal contribution whether that be goals or assists. At the moment it looks like Bentaleb is showing he can be just as or almost as good in that respect when given the opportunity in Germany, so why could he not have played there for us.

A lot of people have been criticising Eriksen and saying he needs competition so ye, he could have been rotated with Eriksen. Both of them rotate and occasionally go out wide, which Bentaleb would easily have been able to do. He knows how to play on the wing, and can cross, see him playing at LB against Everton and assist for Kane in NLD.

And finally we bought Sissoko to play on the wing, who's meant to be big and strong which is even more ridiuclous. Anyone remember what happened when big strong Sissoko came up against a 19yo Bentaleb on the wing.

Go to 50secs


Watch the whole vid if you want and tell me how we can let him go when he was doing this at 19. Tbf to Poch we weren't playing 4141 when he left but surely he could be brought back to play in it next year
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758


I love that he is so silky and tries tricks and the little flashes. Funnily enough, people complain we don't have enough Spurs players and he is exactly one. Doing things with a flourish, but not everyone wants that.

Again if he was an unknown that video would be in the scouting thread, with people saying we should sign him.
 

EQP

EQP
Sep 1, 2013
7,960
29,659
Just to kinda confirm that he is most likely not coming back, when was the last time the Spurs website did a "players on loan roundup" section. I would have thought that Nabil would have least been on there 3-4 times considering how many goals he scored.
 

UpTownSpur

Says it like it is
Dec 31, 2014
2,266
4,362
19m seems to be the price

Depends what the exchange rate is as the fee agreed was in Euros, so has gone up from £17m to £19m due to currency fluctuations, and seems more likely to go back down again now the post Brexit shock has worn off.
 
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Blake Griffin

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
14,133
38,225
Just to kinda confirm that he is most likely not coming back, when was the last time the Spurs website did a "players on loan roundup" section. I would have thought that Nabil would have least been on there 3-4 times considering how many goals he scored.

Tottenham HotspurVerified account ‏@SpursOfficial 12h12 hours ago
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Happy birthday, @nabilbentaleb42!
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Nabil Bentaleb ‏@nabilbentaleb42 12h
@SpursOfficial thanks !
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Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
The fact he couldn't get near the team last season and that he was happy to sell him would indicate this.

All it indicates is a tactical inflexibility and an inability to maximise resources. For a player with poor defensive attributes running our midfield we didn't do too bad, 5th, a cup final, and all this aged 20 with another rookie and a bunch of lazy incoherent players like Chadli and Townsend ahead of him (not to mention no Alderweireld behind him).
 
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Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
I love that he is so silky and tries tricks and the little flashes. Funnily enough, people complain we don't have enough Spurs players and he is exactly one. Doing things with a flourish, but not everyone wants that.

Again if he was an unknown that video would be in the scouting thread, with people saying we should sign him.

And defend Alli when he constantly gives the ball away because "he's a flair player and losing the ball trying flicks is what he's supposed to do".

Dembele has also been caught dawdling on the ball leading to guilt edged chances in just about every game he's played this season, something everyone wanted Bentaleb tarred and feathered for, despite the kid being 20 not 28.
 

Vincent30

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
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And defend Alli when he constantly gives the ball away because "he's a flair player and losing the ball trying flicks is what he's supposed to do".

Dembele has also been caught dawdling on the ball leading to guilt edged chances in just about every game he's played this season, something everyone wanted Bentaleb tarred and feathered for, despite the kid being 20 not 28.

Completely agree regarding Alli, right now without his golden touch in front of goal he is really adding so very little. Losing posession, silly flicks, nothing of much note. It would be great if Bentaleb hasn't burnt bridges here, but who bloody knows what has happened there. The one thing i do love about him, is his passion when he plays. Right now i'd rather have players like him in the team than Eriksen. Unfortunately, it seems that the price is set and it's likely they will take up the option.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
Completely agree regarding Alli, right now without his golden touch in front of goal he is really adding so very little. Losing posession, silly flicks, nothing of much note. It would be great if Bentaleb hasn't burnt bridges here, but who bloody knows what has happened there. The one thing i do love about him, is his passion when he plays. Right now i'd rather have players like him in the team than Eriksen. Unfortunately, it seems that the price is set and it's likely they will take up the option.

Well tbf to Alli he is playing exactly the same as he was last year, in fact he is starting to dribble down blind alleys less. However as well know he was scoring goals or getting assists which gets him a by and generally rightly so. However if he is doing neither then his actual play is getting more scrutiny and that isn't the best
 

Cravenspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 31, 2011
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I have been a very harsh critic of Bentaleb in the past. I thought he gave the ball away cheaply far too often and was stuck in between positions. I am at fault for putting so much pressure on the kid at such an early age cause the physical ability has always been there. I just seemed to never like his attitude as it always felt he didn't want to be a part of it.

But after watching him this year at Schalke, I have to say I am very proud of the kid. Dude is changing my opinion of him with every game he plays further up the pitch. The more and more I see him in that german side, I say "he is direct competition for Eriksen and Dele."

Now that is a complete 180 after what I was saying in the offseason, so well done kid, well done!!!

Is there a chance to pull him back off loan? We could really use some competition in our anemic midfield

EDIT: My bad, should have read a couple pages back :) Bye Nabil! Good work on proving us doubters wrong. Hope the form kicks on!
 
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millsey

Official SC Numpty
Dec 8, 2005
8,735
11,504
I have been a very harsh critic of Bentaleb in the past. I thought he gave the ball away cheaply far too often and was stuck in between positions. I am at fault for putting so much pressure on the kid at such an early age cause the physical ability has always been there. I just seemed to never like his attitude as it always felt he didn't want to be a part of it.

But after watching him this year at Schalke, I have to say I am very proud of the kid. Dude is changing my opinion of him with every game he plays further up the pitch. The more and more I see him in that german side, I say "he is direct competition for Eriksen and Dele."

Now that is a complete 180 after what I was saying in the offseason, so well done kid, well done!!!

Is there a chance to pull him back off loan? We could really use some competition in our anemic midfield
Nope there's no way to bring him back, even next season. He's gone
 
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