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Eric Dier

AngryBob

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2006
556
676
Hi defending is appaling on so many levels and is clear to see (for most). But what is really getting on my tits recently is his shocking distribution, short hospital passes to midfield, crossfield swingers to absolute nowhere, every time he just gives the ball back to the opposition. Granted, the whole team does this, but his passing and vision/awareness is Sunday league.

If that was Dave Sanches in the first 15 mins on Sunday, he'd have been hooked, but not good old Eric.
 

mdharris

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2005
1,771
3,033
Dier is probably being explicitly instructed to push into the midfield. It was successful against City when it allowed Bentancur then to press higher, leading to a goal. I remember reading at the time that perhaps it was a Mason idea.
 

Frozen_Waffles

Well-Known Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,784
9,630
The top teams always make sure there centre backs are top class. It is the foundation of everything.

80m VVD, 80m Maguire, Fofana 80m, all of the City centre backs. The goalkeeper and the centre back positions are the key areas. If it doesn't work, you go again. This is what separates the clubs with deeper pockets and us.

We competed a few years ago, because we managed to get Vertonghen, Toby and Lloris (in his prime) on the cheap.

Now Lloris is gone, Dier, Sanchez, Tanganga, Rodon, Davies (as a 3rd CB) are all nowhere near good enough for a top 6 team. Lenglet is ok as a back up, maybe. So you are left with Romero and we are playing with 3 centre backs. If we continue to play 3 centre backs next year we probably need to sign at least 2 (probably 3 CBS) and a goalkeeper.

So to put this in terms of City money as an example. Ederson - 35m, Dias 65m, Stones 50m and Laporte 60m. So over 200m to get our defence to challenging. No chance we spend anywhere near that. We are still halfway through the 'painful rebuild' and until we have the courage to sell Sanchez and Dier and invest heavily in this area we are going nowhere .

I will even say that Conte and Mourhino have worked magic to get a team with such poor defenders competing for champions league spots. Jose got Joe Rodon and was expected to get Champions league. For all the talk of Gvardiol, Skrinrar and so on, what are the chances we pay 80m for even 1 CB this summer.

I would even say making sure our signings 1 GK and 2/3 CBs are quality is more important than the manager decision.
 

Stamford

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2015
4,191
20,066
It's interesting that Sanchez every touch was booed, yet Dier doesn't.

I personally didn't want him to play again from the moment he went into the stands to confront a fan.
 

SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
1,739
8,650
He is in the top 5 for the most appearances made for us in the Premier League era. And is the highest defender. Shocking really, given that I'd argue he's only had one good season in the last six.

Age-wise he should be in his prime but he appears to be getting worse and worse, and what concerns me most is that he is the senior CB at the club and one that the other defenders should be looking up to. I'm sure he's vocal in the dressing room so comes across as a "leader" but a bad leader can be a big problem especially in a crucial position like CCB.
 

spuradik

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
418
2,434
If Levy gives him a new contract after what has transpired thus far, then it should be painfully clear to everyone that literally nothing has changed about the club - and more importantly that Levy still makes the footballing decisions.
 

Joely

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2011
1,752
4,767
With just a year left on his contract, just pray someone makes an acceptable offer this summer and we can finally be rid of him. Get the sense he has been too comfortable here for a while and all this "he is a leader, good to have around the squad" nonsense because he can string some words together is just pushed to cover his massive deficiencies as a player and to add some sort of value.

This is elite level football, being some sort cheerleader in the dressing room without ability doesn't cut it. If you are a team mate of his, I seriously doubt you look up to him as some sort of leader/senior player when he making cock up after cock up.

After that disaster at Newcastle, they rolled Dier out to talk about how the game was his 'worst footballing experience'. Just bored of these words. Last few games, got much more regard for someone like Skipp who is actually rolling up his sleeves and covering every blade of grass and showing he actually cares.
 

ukdy

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2007
1,315
5,109
With just a year left on his contract, just pray someone makes an acceptable offer this summer and we can finally be rid of him. Get the sense he has been too comfortable here for a while
The problem is this:

1. He stays and continues to stink out the team for 1 more year.
1.1 By some miracle has a good season, and gets a contract extension.

2. The club put him up for sale, but no takers, so his head drops and phones it in all year until contract is up. (being even worse then now)
 

Phil_2.0

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2008
927
1,804
He has to be paid off or forced out on loan. He cannot be allowed to hang around in the squad.

I'd rather have no replacement come in than have Dier languishing in the squad as part of a 'leadership' group.

Hes a symbol of the rot thats been allowed to set in at the club for years, when the pressures on their heads will crack and his uneasiness on the pitch translates across the whole team and squad.
 

midoshairband

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2006
7,105
14,002
it'll be staggering if he gets a new contract whilst we don't have a manager.

he's so poor why on earth would we lumber a new manager with him.
 

dirtyh

One Skin, two skin.....
Jun 24, 2011
8,695
25,299
The problem is this:

1. He stays and continues to stink out the team for 1 more year.
1.1 By some miracle has a good season, and gets a contract extension.

2. The club put him up for sale, but no takers, so his head drops and phones it in all year until contract is up. (being even worse then now)
worse than now???? How?
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,558
78,200
Maybe he could be sold back to Portugal. The pace of the league might be better for him.
 

isaac94

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2017
2,936
9,770
Maybe he could be sold back to Portugal. The pace of the league might be better for him.
couldnt see any of the big 3 clubs being able to pay his wages, and if they could, they already have superior players, pace would suit him more, but his technical ability would still be short
 

BorisTM

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2007
1,434
310
Is the situation with the defense so dier that Dier, a def midfielder, has to be played as a centerback almost every week and it looks like in each of the club's worse defeats this season?
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,182
48,812
I’m generally of the feeling that every single member of the squad has underperformed this season due to mismanagement and bad morale spreading through the squad.

This guy can sod off in the summer, though.
 

Joely

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2011
1,752
4,767
I’m generally of the feeling that every single member of the squad has underperformed this season due to mismanagement and bad morale spreading through the squad.

This guy can sod off in the summer, though.

Yep. Would be such a relief if we can move him on in the summer. Were he to move, wish him the best wherever he goes and hope he does well but he has out stayed his welcome at us. I have no idea what he actually excels at. It's as though he gets into the team on the basis of being thought of as some kind of leader, organiser etc but that is all a complete charade imo. Honestly believe there is not too much in it between him and Sanchez.

Sometimes try and work out where I'd rank him up against some of the CB's we've had in the modern day/PL era and keep finding myself dropping him lower and lower.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,182
48,812
Yep. Would be such a relief if we can move him on in the summer. Were he to move, wish him the best wherever he goes and hope he does well but he has out stayed his welcome at us. I have no idea what he actually excels at. It's as though he gets into the team on the basis of being thought of as some kind of leader, organiser etc but that is all a complete charade imo. Honestly believe there is not too much in it between him and Sanchez.

Sometimes try and work out where I'd rank him up against some of the CB's we've had in the modern day/PL era and keep finding myself dropping him lower and lower.
The drop off from Jan. and Toby to him and Sanchez was Grand Canyon-esque.
 
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