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Eriksen: Why I was determined to prove myself at Hull

rupsmith

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2006
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For me this should be the starting line up now, considering form and balance

Lloris

Dier/Vlad - Fazio - Vert - Davies

Eriksen - Stambouli/Benteleb - Mason/Lamela

Lennon/Chadli - Soldado - Kane

And let me explain: This is a 4-3--3

- Vlad can play and his ball- playing-out-from-the-back approach is a little bit less risky on the flank. Plus his technical ability and touch mean that his delivery is not bad either. I like Vlad's ability (remember that Fulham goal?) - I know he has a few mistakes in him but think he is worth investing a little bit more time. Yedlin and Walker will need build up time as well and Dier will eventually move more central.

- with Fazio it seems like a confidence thing. He now seems like Daws (top top guy btw if anyone saw his interview post Hull), but I think once he gets more confident and knows how much time he has on the ball, he will get better

- Vert - will probably leave but decent player (maybe not as good as people make him out to be but the best we have for sure)

- Davies - he is a good player with a better defensive and positional sense than Rose. While Rose is more attack minded, his lack of touch and technique make attacks in that area break down quickly

Eriksen - nothing to say. Top player - must be given freedom to roam.

Benteleb - In my mind a wonderful player, his strength, movement, positional sense and most importantly the quickness of his rotation make him a very good focal point for play buildup. The kid is 19 or 20. I hope Poch keeps him close to the first team

Stambouli - only seen him but seems like an advanced version of what Bentelab brings. Needs time on the pitch. Will be a very good player for us in my view.

Mason - will be a core part of out team hopefully. Lamela for me is too much of a passenger, he needs to build up physically and improve decision making. It will come, he is very young and clearly not the most confident sort of guy. But he is clearly determined and has a good work ethic. Good that Poch is giving him time but like I said currently too many people carrying him.

Lennon/Chadli - for me this is the one part of the team make up I really don't understand. It is so obvious that with natural width, it will free up Kane and Soldado and Ade in the middle, with Eriksen arriving late. With Lennon's pace, he almost has to be double marked. I genuinely think Poch thinks that Lamela can offer both good wing play and because he can cut in and switch positions with Eriksen that this problem will be solved. But for me this is what is causing that confused-and-I don't-know- where-to-stand look to our approach play. We need a genuine winger. Lamela can be an amazing amazing player but right now he is not good enough.

Dembele/Paulinho/Capoue - Dembele maybe but Pauli is most likely out (Mason is way ahead of him). Capoue maybe ok but for me Benteleb/Stambouli much better on the ball and positionally.

Soldado - Kane - best combo right now. Ade and Soldado also should be ok. We could use a Berbatov/Sheringham type for ball retention, movement, creativity, technique, air threat and intelligence. Not sure where from though.

For me, the real/perhaps only change which I think would give the team a lot more balance and structure would be the one genuine winger - Azza on the right or Townsend on the left (prefer Azza though for his defensive ability and HE ACTUALLY LOOKS UP ANDROS), with Chadli an alternative to either. Chadli can also substitute for Soldado or Kane in my view - genuine goal threat but must be trained to think like a true forward.
 

2bearis2do

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2006
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2,317
Hence, our player acquisition plan was and still buy first think later?
It's crazy isn't it? Spending all that money with no clear strategy - other than "they have potential and therefore resale value".
There used to be an era when managers saw what was missing from "their team" and bought the appropriate player to fulfill that role and complete the picture/puzzle.
For an age we were missing a left back, or a left midfielder and then a striker and yet we always came out of the transfer market without that exact player.
Now we seem to have a squad of creative number 10's! No width, no central midfield pairing, no balance, no spine - these mere basics of any decent team are lacking in our squad.
Time to trim the clones and get the best players in their best positions - a transitional season on a ridiculous scale - because we never had a buying strategy post Bale and then the new guy MoPo has to work with this squad.
What an amazingly foolish way to run any business.
 

2bearis2do

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2006
3,820
2,317
He was hiding at times in the first half and like a lot of our players was not prepared to earn the right and space to play. When the space was handed over to us by them going down to 10 men he came into his own and started to run the game. I think we have a potential star in him but until he is prepared to dig in and work his nuts off (especially off the ball) in tight games he'll remain a nearly player IMHO.
Erikson actually (over 90mins) does more miles than almost anyone else on the team - see Opta Stats.
However - running around like a headless chicken is not what it is all about. Pepe Guadiola once said "players need to learn to stand still" - I rather like that (at times). Keep your shape, conserve energy, fellow players then know where to expect you etc etc.
This high pressing game - great on paper but leaves our midfield highly exposed when the pack of hounds get outfoxed by a decent Defensive player - happened time and again v Hull.
 

USAYID

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2008
395
466
Thought he was actually quite poor when Hull were at full strength and pressing hard. Got caught for pace quite a bit and lost possession too often. Came into his own when Hull couldn't get hold of the ball and turned the game around for us, but a long way short of some of the plaudits he's getting IMO.

Totally agree with you here. All I remember from the first half is him pulling out of challenges. No doubt he has a lot of talent and ability, but so far this year he is far off his performances he had in the 2nd half of last year. I do agree that he is lost on the left, and I think when we play both him and Lamela we become way too narrow, as both want to come into the middle. I'd actually like to see Lamela as the midfield playmaker, and Ericksen further up near the striker. The good think about the yound Dane is that he has a knack of scoring goals. But prove himself at Hull he did not, at least not by his own standards from last year.
 
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