CantSmileWithoutYou
Well-Endowed Member
- May 20, 2015
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No. But I have seen AC & DC in the same place.
Wembley I think...Brian Johnson was great...
Ex-Player Watch Player Watch: Mousa Dembele
- Thread starter TwanYid
- Start date
Wembley I think...Brian Johnson was great...
Ghost Hardware
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- Aug 31, 2012
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If he leaves, I would be very suprised it wouldn’t be for Utd. As far as we are concerned, he has such a high profile Lazio know they can make a huge amount on him and I really can’t see Levy spending 80 mil on him. He does look a great prospect though.
agrdavidsfan
Ledley's Knee!
- Aug 25, 2005
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If savic leaves it be for one of the top 5 clubs in the world hes incredible and will cost north of £80 million.
King of Otters
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- Jun 11, 2012
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He contributes nothing. Fuck all. No goals, no assists, nothing. Yes, on his day he's a fantastic player and it's easy on the eye watching him do his little turn thing (that Parker used to get lampooned for) or ghosting past a player, but those days aren't very frequent. He used to shift the ball quickly, not so much any more, he literally sucks a hole into the team and if we want to improve the actual starting eleven then his place would be better taken by someone whose figures in the goals and assists column isn't a big fat zilch.
If we want to reach this mythical next level people bang on about then some good players are going to have to go. It's a shame but for me, he's one of them, if he scored a few goals and added assists to his game he'd be an amazing player, but 12 goals and 12 assists in 232 EPL games is fucking poor whichever way you slice it.
And this is from me, who hates knocking our players
Modric rarely contributed assists or goals in any great numbers, and went on to be one of the best CMs in the world when he left us.
Dembele does what he's in the team to do, which is to exert control over the middle third of the pitch, to dominate possession, and to feed the ball into game-changing players in the team. To say he 'contributes nothing' is a bit weird tbh.
- Feb 1, 2005
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No, he doesn't and that's the problem*. IMO of course
*Although TBF he did feed Watford's midfield on several occasions last night.
LexingtonSpurs
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- Aug 27, 2013
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Worth the money for multiple reasons. We need an impact signing this summer to improve the squad, and convince players like Eriksen, Dele, Kane, et al that we are not stagnating.
King of Otters
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- Jun 11, 2012
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No, he doesn't and that's the problem*. IMO of course
*Although TBF he did feed Watford's midfield on several occasions last night.
The role of the CM has changed in recent years, with the emphasis now on the attacking midfielders to assist and chip in with goals. In that role, Dembele is one of the best in the business. He covers the ground well, shrugs players off with his strength, and recycles the ball with ease.
The only CM in the league I would rate clearly above him would be Kante, a player who has mastered the modern CM role, without ever threatening to contribute assists or goals.
DJS
A hoonter must hoont
- Dec 9, 2006
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Wow. That'll put the cat amongst the pigeons
Ha ha yeah I thought that was an unusual post from you!
Truth hurts though...
dagraham
Well-Known Member
- Sep 20, 2005
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I put this in the ratings thread for yesterdays game :
Blimey, where to start? He's always been a limited player in that as soon as he approaches the final third he hasn't a clue what to do, but his supreme ability to ghost past players and retain possession are unrivalled. An enigma really. Seemed to at least be releasing the ball quicker from last season, had an absolute monster of a performance at home against Chelsea at the start of the season and against Utd and Everton at home, but at other times just looks ready for the knackers yard. Unfortunately, if he loses the ability to get round the pitch and starts getting caught in possession then he instantly becomes not good enough for a top six team and we are probably seeing the beginning of the end.
Guess what I'm saying is if what's happening with him is just a bit of poor form then I wouldn't want to see him leave, but if it's a sign that he just can't hack it anymore then he loses everything that's good about his game.
Blimey, where to start? He's always been a limited player in that as soon as he approaches the final third he hasn't a clue what to do, but his supreme ability to ghost past players and retain possession are unrivalled. An enigma really. Seemed to at least be releasing the ball quicker from last season, had an absolute monster of a performance at home against Chelsea at the start of the season and against Utd and Everton at home, but at other times just looks ready for the knackers yard. Unfortunately, if he loses the ability to get round the pitch and starts getting caught in possession then he instantly becomes not good enough for a top six team and we are probably seeing the beginning of the end.
Guess what I'm saying is if what's happening with him is just a bit of poor form then I wouldn't want to see him leave, but if it's a sign that he just can't hack it anymore then he loses everything that's good about his game.
archiewasking
Waiting for silverware..........
- Jul 5, 2004
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Last few games MD definitely seems less effective. If he's shot his bolt, let him go to China.
- Feb 1, 2005
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You do know that in his entire EPL career he's only got something like a dozen goals and a similar number of assists? That's poor.
He doesn't chip in with assists or goals as you suggest, not at all and this season, nothing. (unless I've misunderstood what you wrote) and even if he could stop himself playing simple passes directly to an opposing player I'm not at all sure he's crucial part of the team any more. I've never said he was crap or anything, I like him, but I just feel he's had his time and what he's giving us now isn't good enough any more.
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spursfan77
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- Aug 13, 2005
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He just doesn't complete a 90 minutes regularly enough now and I think he said himself that the physical demands from Poch are just too much for him.
If thats the case then he's got to go. Ive never been his biggest fan but I think central midfield along with our fullbacks can be improved on.
With the caveat that Winks comes back from his injuries ok. If he does then we might be ok, but Id still like a top quality central midfielder to come in who would go straight into the starting line up. Thats going to cost the big bucks though unfortunately.
If thats the case then he's got to go. Ive never been his biggest fan but I think central midfield along with our fullbacks can be improved on.
With the caveat that Winks comes back from his injuries ok. If he does then we might be ok, but Id still like a top quality central midfielder to come in who would go straight into the starting line up. Thats going to cost the big bucks though unfortunately.
King of Otters
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I think you are misunderstanding what I'm saying. For me, Dembele is a CM, similar to Kante, Herrera, Fernandinho etc. This is distinct from specialist attacking midfielders, like Dele, Eriksen and Lamela.
The responsibilities of the modern CM cannot be measured in simple assist and goals metrics. What they do goes far beyond that, and involves a lot more defensive responsibility than a world class footballer like Pogba, for example, is capable of handling.
So Dembele doesn't contribute assists and goals, but he isn't in the team to provide those things, just as Kante isn't expected to make match-winning contributors to Chelsea.
What he does do is dominate the middle third of the pitch in a way that few midfielders in the Prem are capable of doing, by winning the ball back, looking after it and recycling it effectively. If he did all that as well as contributing Eriksen-like assist and goal numbers, he'd be Zidane, and wouldn't be playing for Spurs anyway.
He may well leave, because he's getting on, he's injury prone, and Levy isn't likely to hold onto a depreciating asset if he thinks he can get a good price for him now, but I would be shocked if we managed to improve on him.
Guntz
Loves a good meme/gif
- Aug 15, 2011
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I'd happily spend the potential Rose and Toby fees on him.
The guy is an absolute monster.
GetSpurredOn
Well-Known Member
- Jun 18, 2006
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Seems like Dembele is thinking of getting out before his body gives out and goes past it at PL tempo. Shame, as when on form he's an absolute powerhouse. I'd hoped for a long time that Onomah could develop into his long term heir, utilise his natural frame with his more progressive passing game, however if Dembele does go, I like the look of Frenkie De Jong, typically technical for a Dutch player/Ajax graduate, has that Dembele ability to slalom out of trouble.
archiewasking
Waiting for silverware..........
- Jul 5, 2004
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Doucoure at Watford might be worth thinking about. Always strong and impressive.
Disappointing against us on Monday night I thought but that was just one game of course.
WiganSpur
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- Aug 31, 2012
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If Poch is going to stick rigidly to a 4-2-3-1 then I wouldn't want Doucoure.
He's basically Sissoko but much better, I think he's more of a number 8 than a number 6.
WiganSpur
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- Aug 31, 2012
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It's not so much the lack of goals and assists that i'm critical of, it's the inconsistency of his general performances and his inability a lot of the time to release the ball quickly to Eriksen and Dele.He contributes nothing. Fuck all. No goals, no assists, nothing. Yes, on his day he's a fantastic player and it's easy on the eye watching him do his little turn thing (that Parker used to get lampooned for) or ghosting past a player, but those days aren't very frequent. He used to shift the ball quickly, not so much any more, he literally sucks a hole into the team and if we want to improve the actual starting eleven then his place would be better taken by someone whose figures in the goals and assists column isn't a big fat zilch.
If we want to reach this mythical next level people bang on about then some good players are going to have to go. It's a shame but for me, he's one of them, if he scored a few goals and added assists to his game he'd be an amazing player, but 12 goals and 12 assists in 232 EPL games is fucking poor whichever way you slice it.
And this is from me, who hates knocking our players
But yeah, I agree with the general argument that he wouldn't be a massive miss as long as we replace him adequately.
