Dembele is better as a holding midfielder

[Shea]

So we paid 15 million for an attacking midfielder who turned out to be a holding midfielder?
Someone made a booboo.

Who was once a striker wasn't he?

I don't see what makes him a good defensive midfielder?

He's not strong in the tackle, he doesn't sweep in front of the back for and protect them, he doesn't intercept or break up play very often

He basically is good at retaining possession when he has the ball but normally not great at releasing it quick enough or effectively enough

I want a Roy Keane type figure in there - right now I'd settle for a Scottie Parker.....Demeble doesn't offer any of the qualities a good defensive/combatitive midfielder do and he certainly doesn't offer the techniques that players like Carrick can in a more withdrawn defensive minded midfield role

He needs to improve his end productive going forward and become more of a box to box midfielder or he's basically not really worth anything much to us and may as well be sold, we can't carry a player who is hard to knock off the ball when he has it but fails to effectively protect the defence and break up opponents play or dictate the tempo of our attacking play and make things happen going forward

 

[Mullers]

Who was once a striker wasn't he?

I don't see what makes him a good defensive midfielder?

He's not strong in the tackle, he doesn't sweep in front of the back for and protect them, he doesn't intercept or break up play very often

He basically is good at retaining possession when he has the ball but normally not great at releasing it quick enough or effectively enough

I want a Roy Keane type figure in there - right now I'd settle for a Scottie Parker.....Demeble doesn't offer any of the qualities a good defensive/combatitive midfielder do and he certainly doesn't offer the techniques that players like Carrick can in a more withdrawn defensive minded midfield role

He needs to improve his end productive going forward and become more of a box to box midfielder or he's basically not really worth anything much to us and may as well be sold, we can't carry a player who is hard to knock off the ball when he has it but fails to effectively protect the defence and break up opponents play or dictate the tempo of our attacking play and make things happen going forward

Aye, not a very good one.
He's improved in the last couple of games but he's 27 I don't think he will improve to the standard of midfielder we need him to be at best you could say he's a squad player.

 

[faze_coys]

Stambouli can arguably do a decent job of the Bentaleb role,

lol

 

[Larryjanta]

It's honestly driving me nuts seeing all the comments people are making about Dembele holding on to the ball too long or not releasing it, or not getting into the final third...as if he should be our creative outlet and all the defensive stuff he does is just getting in the way. For crying out loud people, can't we give the man a break and finally accept that he is no longer an attacking player?!
We need to accept him for the player he has transitioned into and celebrate that we have such a beast to partner our more creative and ball playing players, the likes of Bentaleb and Mason.
Dembele has absolutely no confidence in the final third, but has amazing attributes of strength, balance and guile, all of which are what we need for a holding CM or CDM, because he rarely loses possession and he is always willing to track back. He should not be on the pitch to do the creative role ever IMO, which is something I have found infuriating about Poch's recent use of him in the 10 spot, so I was relieved when he finally got to come on as sub and play the holding role when Mason got injured against Chelsea.

Against Chelsea, Bentaleb and Dembele were awesome because they complement each other. Bentaleb and Mason are actually very similar players, they do ok together, but they are often out muscled and we scrape by in matches. They both love to get forward and move the ball forward quickly, but they need a defensive minded player next to them because although both are great at tackling as well, that is not their natural game.
I would always play Dembele and one of Bentaleb or Mason in a midfield two and hope Poch gives that combination a chance again soon. Anyway, I just needed to get this off my chest and hope that others could begin to realise his best and most crucial position is to be the foil for a more attacking player like Bentaleb or Mason.
We don't need three in midfield, we need Dembele and Bentaleb, or Dembele and Mason.
Dembele is not an attacking player any more, I repeat Dembele is not an attacking player any more...!

The problem is not so much Dembele as those who play with him. We are so slow and blunt with him playing alongside any of Capoue, Stambouli or Paulinho. We need a passer in there. Really hope Mason is back soon as we can't keep going with any combination of the other four as it stunts everything we do. I like Dembele, and, even, the other three but they're part of the reason for our struggles last season.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I like Dembele, he never hides in games, but he's a player who's attributes are hard to place consistently. He can be very slow at moving the ball and his passing lacks any kind of range or much vision. He likes to dribble, suggesting to me he should only really be played as an attacking midfielder. But even there he's never, throughout his career as an attacking player, been very prolific.

Attacking midfielder (ARM cutting in) for me is his best position. Doesn't mean occasionally he doesn't do a decent job in CM. Like others, would be better in a CM3 if played in CM at all.

 

[St José Dominguez]

Dembele would be absolutely incredible for a mid to lower PL team. I used to think maybe it's just he needs to be in a 4-3-3 but I'm not sure it's that. I just genuinely think no matter how talented he is he just hasn't got that extra bit of something that separates the good players from the outstanding ones. He has the attributes but I'm not sure he's got the mind.

 

[Matthew Wyatt]

Remember when we were rumoured to be signing Dembele and were all creaming over the highlights video of him tearing United apart for Fulham? I think some of us are still a bit bemused that we don't see that for Spurs. He's a fine player but I don't know what I'd do with him.

 

[arunspurs]

Holding midfielder should hold the opposition & defend back line from attack - not hold our team from attacking.

 

[arunspurs]

I really don't know what Dembele is...I wonder whether he knows it too.

Dembele was a striker, then became a winger & second striker. In those times, he will always shoot but hardly scored. Then he became a attacking mid, then a play maker and now a holding midfielder. Next is full back and Centre back . By the time he retires, he will be a average goal keeper.

Going backwards is what happening to Dembele's career.

 

[DaSpurs]

Dembele would be absolutely incredible for a mid to lower PL team. I used to think maybe it's just he needs to be in a 4-3-3 but I'm not sure it's that. I just genuinely think no matter how talented he is he just hasn't got that extra bit of something that separates the good players from the outstanding ones. He has the attributes but I'm not sure he's got the mind.

I don't know about "absolutely incredible" but I do think he would fit in better with a team afforded more space. What I really think he needs is a different league, such as Italy where he can have more time and space, as well as a less physically demanding league (I know he's a physical fella, but that makes his role all the more expected to perform and doesn't change the challenges he faces in this league).

 

[mano-obe]

I didn't want to give you negative rep so gave you an optimistic instead I agree with Ledley Knee that he may be better defending than attacking but he isn't all that either. I think every poster on here has stuck up for him some time or another, just like we do with Soldado in the hope they will come good. I just don't think it's ever going to happen. He hasn't even left us yet and I'll always be thinking "what if" , as there is a good player in there somewhere

 

[stemark44]

Dembele just frustrates the life out of me,he has all the attributes to be a top class player but he shows it very seldom.
For a guy who played as a striker............he never seems to have a shot on goal when the opportunity is there, he would much rather lay it off to someone else in a worse position.
He just makes me want to smack him.

 

[DaSpurs]

Dembele just frustrates the life out of me,he has all the attributes to be a top class player but he shows it very seldom.
For a guy who played as a striker............he never seems to have a shot on goal when the opportunity is there, he would much rather lay it off to someone else in a worse position.
He just makes me want to smack him.

My thoughts exactly. He'll move through the middle third like a figure skater, get your blood pumping a bit because of how wonderfully he did so, and then get to the final third and timidly dish off a sideways short pass. And if he does shoot, it's never a resounding hit that lifts the ball. A big fella like him should be able to make the seams strain a bit. Just simply one of the most bizarre players I've ever seen play the game at this level.

 

[arunspurs]

My thoughts exactly. He'll move through the middle third like a figure skater, get your blood pumping a bit because of how wonderfully he did so, and then get to the final third and timidly dish off a sideways short pass. And if he does shoot, it's never a resounding hit that lifts the ball. A big fella like him should be able to make the seams strain a bit. Just simply one of the most bizarre players I've ever seen play the game at this level.

Townsend & Dembele have to 'exchange' their bad behaviours

Townsend to stop shooting at will and look & pass to people around
Dembele to shoot at sight on target

Both will never happen.

 

[DaSpurs]

Townsend & Dembele have to 'exchange' their bad behaviours

Townsend to stop shooting at will and look & pass to people around
Dembele to shoot at sight on target

Both will never happen.

Haha I'd like to agree with you as I think your idea is right, but Dembele can't shoot either. I cannot recall one instance of him lifting the ball off the ground to make the keeper guess. So if he could have a fraction of Townsend's power, and he a fraction of Dembele's accuracy at least on target, then now we're talking about a dangerous player.

 

[double0]

Dembele has superb attributes very rarely matched strengh dribbling but theres also a lot to his game not suited for the style Poch whats imo.. I was a Dembele fan once still am to a degree but I think he's not developed on the speed to his game. I did think he was more suited to being a defensive mid but seeing that he doesn't move the ball fast enough have come to think he may be more suited to playing out wide on the right ie using his strengh there on rotation.

 

[lol]

dembele is best as a non spurs player

 

[tttcowan]

Agree with the sentiment. But its more he's a better DM than AM. And he's a better DM than Paulinho, Capoue and Stambouli. But that's not saying a lot frankly... I should add the word currently, there is still hope for Stambouli... I guess.

 

[ronspurs]

striker at fulham ---- > attacking mid when he signed for spurs -------> holding mid January 2015

how long before Moussa is lining up in between the sticks?

 

[Gassin's finest]

Dembele would be betrer as a Panna player... then he can just skin people all game long and never worry about having to pass or shoot.