Mousa Dembele (from Rumour to DONE)

[felmani26]

Let's hope he's better than his namesake, Moussa Saib!

 

[worcestersauce]

Didn't really catch my eye on Sunday but I'd be happy to be convinced of his qualities.

 

[felmani26]

Didn't really catch my eye on Sunday but I'd be happy to be convinced of his qualities.

Good technical and physical player with plenty of upside - would say he's an ideal transfer target personally so long as we aren't shafted over transfer fee and wage demands.

 

[ParkySpur]

I like him a lot but I don't see the logic in him being a potential Luka replacement.

I don't think he would be a modric replacement per se. But I think he would fill a hole if Modric were to go. We would just play slightly differently. Like I've posted in other threads he would giveus such flexiblity in our formations. I think we would be able to play any combination of 3 out of: Parker, Sandro, Modric, Dembele, VDV.

Personally, if we get Dembele and keep hold of Modric, I would like to see Livermore sent out on loan to another Premiership club. He is at the stage where he needs to be playing regularly to improve. Each time I have seen him play recently he seems to have gone backwards slightly until he gets back into the flow. Send him on loan to Fulham as a sweetener!

 

[Breezer]

If we can offload our deadwood: Gomes, Jenas, Kranj, Pienaar, Bentley, Dos Santos, Bassong, Corluka. That would be 7 players! Replace them with 4 quality signings. I'd go for Shay Given, Vertonhgen, Dembele, Remy. 1 player for every position.

I don't think Dembele would replace Mods buttttt i think he would be more effective. IMO he would score and assist more but not sure about his defensive side. Would also be excellent in the VDV role...

 

[Supersi32]

If we can offload our deadwood: Gomes, Jenas, Kranj, Pienaar, Bentley, Dos Santos, Bassong, Corluka. That would be 7 players! Replace them with 4 quality signings. I'd go for Shay Given, Vertonhgen, Dembele, Remy. 1 player for every position.

I don't think Dembele would replace Mods buttttt i think he would be more effective. IMO he would score and assist more but not sure about his defensive side. Would also be excellent in the VDV role...

Made the 2nd most tackles in the PL this season, surprising I know.....

 

[Breezer]

Made the 2nd most tackles in the PL this season, surprising I know.....

Very hard to believe! SIGN HIM NOW!!!

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Dembele's a classy footballer. Very good feet. Love the way he evades people and just glides past them. Similar and perhaps even a little better in that respect to Modric. Obviously Modric plays deeper and gets on the ball far more and is maybe a better thinking footballer. Would love Dembele though and he would definitely improve us either starting or coming off the bench and can play in a number of positions.

 

[beats1]

I have not been impressed by modric defensively this season he definitely seems to work harder when playing alongside Hudd whether he thinks he doesn't have to track back as much when he is next to parker or Sandro I don't know but he was leaving the DM exposed alot this season

 

[Joe091]

Why not go for Dempsey? Isn't he on the market now? He's technically a midfielder I think, and he can certainly score lots of goals.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think he'd be a very useful member of the squad. People are talking about him 'replacing' various players but the fact is that we all know we haven't rotated enough this season and having players like Dembele to come in would be brilliant. I think he could play behind a target man, in the modric role (in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-1-1) and I suspect he wouldn't be bad on either side of the midfield or in a front 3 either.

His tackling is good (apparently), he has quick feet and reads the game very well. Plus he absolutely glided (glid?) past Sandro on 2 or 3 occasions on Sunday and practically nobody can do that.

My personal feeling is that Modric is off, but if we had a selection of central attacking players like Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar + 1 other wideish player (Remy?) then I think we'd be sorted.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think he'd be a very useful member of the squad. People are talking about him 'replacing' various players but the fact is that we all know we haven't rotated enough this season and having players like Dembele to come in would be brilliant. I think he could play behind a target man, in the modric role (in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-1-1) and I suspect he wouldn't be bad on either side of the midfield or in a front 3 either.

His tackling is good (apparently), he has quick feet and reads the game very well. Plus he absolutely glided (glid?) past Sandro on 2 or 3 occasions on Sunday and practically nobody can do that.

My personal feeling is that Modric is off, but if we had a selection of central attacking players like Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar + 1 other wideish player (Remy?) then I think we'd be sorted.

Exactemundo - exactly my reasoning as well.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I think if we're to play a 433 Dembele would be a good signing as with both Parker and Sandro we go ultra defensive and Modric ends up easier to double up on. This guy however seems to offer a degree of the solidity that the other two offer without sacrificing attacking impetus and drive, so a midfield three of him, Modric and Sandro would have a far better balance than Modric, Sandro and Parker, which I dislike completely. Not too dissimilar to City's Barry, Silva and Toure combination with Parker or Sandro doing the pure defensive role of Barry, Modric playmaking a la Silva and Dembele providing that drive that Toure does. The problem though would be, can you trust Modric and Dembele to provide the goals and assists that Silva and Toure do? I'm not so sure, but perhaps in this formation it's a possibility. I don't know, I'm not paid for this shit.

 

[ParkySpur]

I think he'd be a very useful member of the squad. People are talking about him 'replacing' various players but the fact is that we all know we haven't rotated enough this season and having players like Dembele to come in would be brilliant. I think he could play behind a target man, in the modric role (in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-1-1) and I suspect he wouldn't be bad on either side of the midfield or in a front 3 either.

His tackling is good (apparently), he has quick feet and reads the game very well. Plus he absolutely glided (glid?) past Sandro on 2 or 3 occasions on Sunday and practically nobody can do that.

My personal feeling is that Modric is off, but if we had a selection of central attacking players like Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar + 1 other wideish player (Remy?) then I think we'd be sorted.

Exactly exactly exactly. Thats one exactly for each paragraph that echoes my sentiments precisely. I couldn't agree more.

Plus, I don't care what people say, he can shoot. He may not be the best finisher in the world, but I predict that if he came to spurs he would increase our potency from outside the box.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think if we're to play a 433 Dembele would be a good signing as with both Parker and Sandro we go ultra defensive and Modric ends up easier to double up on. This guy however seems to offer a degree of the solidity that the other two offer without sacrificing attacking impetus and drive, so a midfield three of him, Modric and Sandro would have a far better balance than Modric, Sandro and Parker, which I dislike completely. Not too dissimilar to City's Barry, Silva and Toure combination with Parker or Sandro doing the pure defensive role of Barry, Modric playmaking a la Silva and Dembele providing that drive that Toure does. The problem though would be, can you trust Modric and Dembele to provide the goals and assists that Silva and Toure do? I'm not so sure, but perhaps in this formation it's a possibility. I don't know, I'm not paid for this shit.

I think Sandro, Parker and Modric would work in the 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1...whatever we call it) given a bit of time to get used to it. They hardly played it this season and with a bit of work they could play it alot better, particularly with Sandro getting forward a bit more as the season went on.

I just envision us playing a 4-2-3-1 with the midfielders being 'split' as below (just as an example) with lots of the players being very versatile and bening able to play in a couple of positions and also being able to transition into a 4-4-1-1 or other formations:

DM (i.e. the '2') - Sandro, Parker and Livermore
AM (i.e. the '3') - Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar, Remy

 

[Mr Pink]

I think Sandro, Parker and Modric would work in the 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1...whatever we call it) given a bit of time to get used to it. They hardly played it this season and with a bit of work they could play it alot better, particularly with Sandro getting forward a bit more as the season went on.

I just envision us playing a 4-2-3-1 with the midfielders being 'split' as below (just as an example) with lots of the players being very versatile and bening able to play in a couple of positions and also being able to transition into a 4-4-1-1 or other formations:

DM (i.e. the '2') - Sandro, Parker and Livermore
AM (i.e. the '3') - Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar, Remy

This would all make great sense if Harry intends to do this, or at least start thinking this way more often.

But as others have said, I do fear he's looking at Remy to be and out and out foward, as opposed to someone operating in one of the 3...

Its a bit up in the air in terms of what Harry's approach will be for next season.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I think Sandro, Parker and Modric would work in the 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1...whatever we call it) given a bit of time to get used to it. They hardly played it this season and with a bit of work they could play it alot better, particularly with Sandro getting forward a bit more as the season went on.

I just envision us playing a 4-2-3-1 with the midfielders being 'split' as below (just as an example) with lots of the players being very versatile and bening able to play in a couple of positions and also being able to transition into a 4-4-1-1 or other formations:

DM (i.e. the '2') - Sandro, Parker and Livermore
AM (i.e. the '3') - Modric, VdV, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Pienaar, Remy

I just struggle to accept any formation for us which involves two out and out defensive midfielders in our centre, whether it's 442, 433, 4411, 451, 4231, 352, blah blah blah. Every time we've tried it in any guise it's just been horrible viewing with isolated forwards and null creativity. That's why, despite Livermore being inferior to both Parker and Sandro, we look better with Livermore next to either one of them than with those two together.

 

[talkshowhost86]

This would all make great sense if Harry intends to do this, or at least start thinking this way more often.

But as others have said, I do fear he's looking at Remy to be out and out foward, as opposed to someone operating in one of the 3...

This is why I'm not entirely sold on the idea of Remy. He's clearly not going to play like Adebayor, and by all accounts he isn't a winger. Where does he fit in if Harry is going to continue playing 4-4-1-1?

 

[shaqTHFC]

Nice bit of skill he can use on blackpool when they're in the pl next season.

 

[jbstarr14]

"There's a moose - loose - aboot this hoose!
Na na na na nana - nananana nana - na na nana nana naaaaaaaa"
(etc etc)



I'll get my coat....