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Why has Eric Dier taken so easily to midfield role

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
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The benefits Tottenham have derived from his conversion to a holding midfield role this season may be multi-faceted, but the job he does is actually relatively simple.

Read the full article at UMaxit
 

doom

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2003
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not a great article once you consider Dier was put in the defensive midfielder role at sporting Lisbon and excelled there for 2 months until he got injured.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
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Good article. As stated, he is first and foremost a defender and having played a lot at CB he knows exactly what he does and doesn't want going on in front of him. A lot of other players just don't get that. He can also slot in between the CBs when the fullbacks push without compromising the back line. He's also proved to be very decent with the ball which is a big bonus. I'm surprised at how well he has done as I was not looking forward to another season like the previous one where we had no steel in midfield. I thought we had missed out big time with some decent players going elsewhere but Dier has done a fabulous job. Bit worried what will happen when he (inevitably) picks up his 10th yellow card and we have to come up with a plan B though.
 

Japhet

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Aug 30, 2010
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not a great article once you consider Dier was put in the defensive midfielder role at sporting Lisbon and excelled there for 2 months until he got injured.


2 months isn't exactly a long time to get used to a very demanding role is it?
 

chinaman

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2003
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After his tenure as a DM is finished, he'll end up as a top CD as King did.
 

Matthew Wyatt

Call me Boris
Aug 3, 2007
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I thought it a rather thin article that adds nothing to the Dier story. What's it actually saying? And, as said by @doom, it's not mentioned that he's been a DM before. Fluff piece by Seb Stafford-Bloor (sorry, couldn't help bringing up the name).
 

ginola007

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
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Some years back, King tried Dier's position for a few games, and while he did a decent job, he said it was difficult. Eventually he was switched back to centre-back and never played as a defensive midfielder again. That Dier was able to perform so well in so short a time speaks volumes about the player, the manager and the coaching staff.
 

Chris_D

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2007
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Part of the reason he's done so well is he's a really good footballer. He can tackle, head, works hard and he's quicker than he looks. Not the greatest passer in the side but he has the football brains not to try to hit passes he can't make.
 

tobias

Member
Mar 3, 2004
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Dier is now a DM. This season probably the stand out DM in the league. He was a very good prospect at CB but with Verts and Toby there why would he not just focus on the role he has stumbled into.

His performance this season will likely get him a call up to the England squad. Which he can feasibly play for the next 10 years.
 

Dennism

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2006
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This underestimates Dier's ability. He is comfortable on the ball, has a cool head, shows judgement and can pass the ball. Compare him to John Stones who is always trying party tricks to play himself out of trouble in defence and generally cocks it up.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,388
This underestimates Dier's ability. He is comfortable on the ball, has a cool head, shows judgement and can pass the ball. Compare him to John Stones who is always trying party tricks to play himself out of trouble in defence and generally cocks it up.


The other thing I like about him is that although he's young he's also a forceful character who not afraid to speak his mind. The article says that his job is relatively simple, which is true in many respects, but so many players try to make it harder than it needs to be by trying to be clever.
 

Matthew Wyatt

Call me Boris
Aug 3, 2007
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Dier is now a DM. This season probably the stand out DM in the league.
I can't disagree, but I wonder who we might compare him to? And as for all-time ... Mackay, Sounness, Deschamps, Makelele? He's his own player, of course. Great positioning and discipline -- once that's second nature I'd like to see him develop the creative/attacking side of his game. He has technique.
 

sly1

Well-Known Member
Sep 25, 2004
451
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Short, but a nicely written piece.

I thought it was a terrible article. It starts with this as the opening proposition:

"Eric Dier is not a complicated player. The benefits Tottenham have derived from his conversion to a holding midfield role this season may be multi-faceted, but the job he does is actually relatively simple."

You then expect him to go on and form an argument. You expect him to clarify what he means - is he saying that the holding midfield role is an easy role, is he saying that Dier plays the position in a particulalry simple way? - and you expect him to provide some evidence to support his idea.

Instead he just goes on to list more vague assertions about which it is hard to say if they're incorrect or even of any interest, because the writer offers no further explanation of what he's actually trying to say.

"It’s interesting, then, to note that his new position doesn’t really rely on anything outside that pool of attributes." Is it really interesting?

"For someone who occupies the role he does, his statistical contribution is nothing special. At the time of writing, he averages just two successful tackles per Premier League game and just over two interceptions" Well what would be something special? There is no comparison or analysis whatsoever.

"But, ironically, that’s also a measure of his efficiency." Oh, so it is something special after all?
 

Sweetsman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2011
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I thought it was a terrible article. It starts with this as the opening proposition:

"Eric Dier is not a complicated player. The benefits Tottenham have derived from his conversion to a holding midfield role this season may be multi-faceted, but the job he does is actually relatively simple."

You then expect him to go on and form an argument. You expect him to clarify what he means - is he saying that the holding midfield role is an easy role, is he saying that Dier plays the position in a particulalry simple way? - and you expect him to provide some evidence to support his idea.

Instead he just goes on to list more vague assertions about which it is hard to say if they're incorrect or even of any interest, because the writer offers no further explanation of what he's actually trying to say.

"It’s interesting, then, to note that his new position doesn’t really rely on anything outside that pool of attributes." Is it really interesting?

"For someone who occupies the role he does, his statistical contribution is nothing special. At the time of writing, he averages just two successful tackles per Premier League game and just over two interceptions" Well what would be something special? There is no comparison or analysis whatsoever.

"But, ironically, that’s also a measure of his efficiency." Oh, so it is something special after all?
Is this a creative writing thread I've chanced upon?
 

doom

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2003
2,368
1,338
2 months isn't exactly a long time to get used to a very demanding role is it?
you have totally missed the point - the writer claims that putting Dier in that role.. "it’s arguably one of the most impressive coaching solutions in the Premier League’s history." - it's complete bullshit because the player had already excelled in that role at another club for 9 games or so before injury. Pochettino did not "shape" Dier to fulfil that role as he had already had experience of the role.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,388
you have totally missed the point - the writer claims that putting Dier in that role.. "it’s arguably one of the most impressive coaching solutions in the Premier League’s history." - it's complete bullshit because the player had already excelled in that role at another club for 9 games or so before injury. Pochettino did not "shape" Dier to fulfil that role as he had already had experience of the role.


I stand corrected. It's all down to the handful of games he played in Portugal and nothing to do with Spurs. thanks for the heads up.
 
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