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Player Watch: Georges-Kévin N'Koudou

Aug 9, 2008
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8,415
They doubled up on him several times and he still did well. Looks like he's adapting to Poch's ethos. A couple assists/ goals and he'll definitely play with more creative freedom.
i disagree with the last part, he is not adapting to pochs ethos in tracking back, he ball watches and stops running to help out on defensive duties
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
Personally I thought it was more of the same. He's lively and keen but there isn't much to what he does. Even the occasion where he 'skinned' Alves, after they'd all half stopped when he held the ball on the floor, he then let two of them chase him down and nothing came of it. On the ball he was ok at best, He blazed over from KWP's delicious cross, and he also lost the ball in our third for the second goal conceded.

If he wants to make it here there's got to be a fuck load more coherence and consistency to what he does.
 
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C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
i disagree with the last part, he is not adapting to pochs ethos in tracking back, he ball watches and stops running to help out on defensive duties

Since when have Poch teams tracked back? We press from the front, our offensive players tend to stay in that part of the field, and win the ball high up.

I don't think tracking back is part of Poch's ethos.
 

glospur

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2015
2,608
9,806
Since when have Poch teams tracked back? We press from the front, our offensive players tend to stay in that part of the field, and win the ball high up.

I don't think tracking back is part of Poch's ethos.
Not sure about that. We regularly see Kane and Dele tracking back and winning teh ball near our own box.
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
Not sure about that. We regularly see Kane and Dele tracking back and winning teh ball near our own box.

Sure people track back, but its not part of the DNA, high pressing, and winning the ball further forward is more important. I'd say players track back under poch less than they did under Redknapp or Jol.

Fundamentally, in our team its the holding midfielders who normally cover for the fullbacks, not the wide players.
 

ComfortablyNumb

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2011
3,970
6,128
Sure people track back, but its not part of the DNA, high pressing, and winning the ball further forward is more important. I'd say players track back under poch less than they did under Redknapp or Jol.

Fundamentally, in our team its the holding midfielders who normally cover for the fullbacks, not the wide players.
I tend to agree with this, but GKN seemed almost to be playing the wingback role at some points, and tracking back is definitely a requirement there.
 

king26

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,103
1,490
Since when have Poch teams tracked back? We press from the front, our offensive players tend to stay in that part of the field, and win the ball high up.

I don't think tracking back is part of Poch's ethos.
agree
 

THFCSPURS19

The Speaker of the Transfer Rumours Forum
Jan 6, 2013
37,886
130,485
Personally I thought it was more of the same. He's lively and keen but there isn't much to what he does. Even the occasion where he 'skinned' Alves, after they'd all half stopped when he held the ball on the floor, he then let two of them chase him down and nothing came of it. On the ball he was ok at best, He blazed over from KWP's delicious cross, and he also lost the ball in our third for the second goal conceded.

If he wants to make it here there's got to be a fuck load more coherence and consistency to what he does.
I agree. It was nice to see him zoom past Alves but in reality, there wasn't much quality in his game.
 

Ghost Hardware

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
17,996
61,593
The only way he is going to get better is game time, I don't see how we can expect anything more of him now then we did last season as he hasn't exactly been playing during the off season. We hardly used him last season, we need to ether start playing him more or sell him. No point keeping him on the bench and expecting him to magacily improve.
 

JUSTINSIGNAL

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2008
15,980
48,498
Was another strange transfer, just like njies

I don't think it was that strange. We took a chance on a rough diamond with the hope that Poch would work his magic and he would make some useful contributions for us. He was never going to come in and make an immediate impact considering we paid £11m for him. The thing is, when you take a chance on a young player at such a cheap price inevitably sometimes the transfer doesn't work out.

Taking into account our budget restrictions I fully see the sense of transfers like these. If the player applies himself and improves, then the upside can be massive. If he doesn't, then we can easily sell him on at a small loss. I fully expect to see more signings of this ilk until we can start competing at the upper end of the market.
 

mattie g

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2007
935
2,168
I was honestly more impressed than some others with his appearance on Saturday. He looked confident was very strong with the ball at his feet. He gave PSG a tough time, and even if his final ball wasn't the best, he made things happen and gave the opponent something to worry about.

Opinions and all, of course, but I'm thinking he'll show enough in this preseason to warrant more game time.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I don't think it was that strange. We took a chance on a rough diamond with the hope that Poch would work his magic and he would make some useful contributions for us. He was never going to come in and make an immediate impact considering we paid £11m for him. The thing is, when you take a chance on a young player at such a cheap price inevitably sometimes the transfer doesn't work out.

Taking into account our budget restrictions I fully see the sense of transfers like these. If the player applies himself and improves, then the upside can be massive. If he doesn't, then we can easily sell him on at a small loss. I fully expect to see more signings of this ilk until we can start competing at the upper end of the market.

Exactly and how many people have bemoaned us not taking punts on these sort of players, when they inevitably end up realising their potential and saying that we missed the boat and asking why we didn't sign them.
 

Bulletspur

The Reasonable Advocate
Match Thread Admin
Oct 17, 2006
10,690
25,246
I was honestly more impressed than some others with his appearance on Saturday. He looked confident was very strong with the ball at his feet. He gave PSG a tough time, and even if his final ball wasn't the best, he made things happen and gave the opponent something to worry about.

Opinions and all, of course, but I'm thinking he'll show enough in this preseason to warrant more game time.
I am with you on this. Its easy for others to criticize his every move, ridiculing his inexperience and expecting him to be a world beater in a very rare start for us. He will make mistakes and show poor judgement at times but show me any one in our 1st eleven who doesnt? I am very happy with what I saw, which is someone who is settling in and improving under Poch, who can make a difference to our squad if given a chance.

Exactly and how many people have bemoaned us not taking punts on these sort of players, when they inevitably end up realising their potential and saying that we missed the boat and asking why we didn't sign them.
Nailed!
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,635
4,670
Impresssed with NKoudou great assist for Janssen he seems to have bulked up a bit could be an asset if used correctly.
 

DanNolan

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2006
1,369
2,524
I think one thing that strikes me about last season is that our first choice XI are as good as anything in the league. What we need to identify is how to build a squad that best copes with the entire season. I like Nkoudou I actually think he has star quality, but even if your unsure of him I think it's important to see him as an option that helps the squad.
With his style of direct running and trickery he would cause defences in the bottom half all kinds of trouble and would mean an Alli or eriksen gains a rest. If Nkoudou plays 8 games with two goals and three assists then for me he's been a valuable member to have especially if that means that eriksen for example played less and was better on the bigger champions league or league games?

Nkoudou being an impact sub at Wembley will create lots of problems for opposition players. I'm happy he seems to really have stepped up this preseason and if this continues he deserves a second season
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
I just don't see it.He makes some very odd decisions on the ball and gives it away a lot.I think it's kind of clear who poch trusts and who he doesn't.As things stand he's another body so would most likely give him another season but I just don't see any composer on the ball at all.It all looks very rushed and panicky
 
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