Mousa Dembele (from Rumour to DONE)

[fozzi44]

Where will he play?

 

[nedley]

With Sandro in a 4231 I would have thought.

He could also feature in any of them front 6 positions.

 

[Mr Pink]

With Sandro in a 4231 I would have thought.

He could also feature in any of them front 6 positions.

Yep.

Interesting to see if we go to a 4-3-3, he'll be epic in that set up - if we had Moutinho as well for example. But yeah, very versatile and I expect him to be used deeper given our present options for the attacking midfielder role. Can't wait to see him break forward with the ball from deeper central positions, opening the space right up - particularly at home when teams come to park the bus.

 

[Luka Van der Bale]

Spurs chat? No?

 

[llamafarmer]

Just watched his highlights from the United game, it really shows his versatility - he was sitting deep, tracking back, driving through the middle, swinging crosses in from out wide and getting in and around the box. Great signing!

 

[mattdefoe]

so elegant on the ball, brushes players aside going to be quality to watch

 

[StartingPrice]

United wanted Dembele, and are rumoured to have tried to highjack the deal, and yet he chose us.
It has been shown, previously, in list form (by someone, somewhere), that when competing with the likes of United we do indeed sometimes come out on top.

Could we now put this to bed and no-one claim when we are in for a player that United will take him, they always do?

It just annoys me. Ta muchly.

SP

 

[jamesc0le]

he probably thought , look what happened to berbatov at manure, then thought, actually, quite a few players haven't really been given enough time at manure, he's in no hurry to play for an elite european club, still young. clever man.

 

[StartingPrice]

he probably thought , look what happened to berbatov at manure, then thought, actually, quite a few players haven't really been given enough time at manure, he's in no hurry to play for an elite european club, still young. clever man.

I really don't care what the reasoning of the player is - the fact is that every time we are linked with a player and United are, this board goes into meltdown about how we have no chance 'cos United want him and we won't have a chance. But we do, we do sometimes beat them to players - and, actually, he's not that much younger than Modric.

 

[Spursking]

Good signing, but a bit overpriced. That is how it is nowadays. I am happy with the signing.

 

[jamesc0le]

Good signing, but a bit overpriced. That is how it is nowadays. I am happy with the signing.

well TF for that.

 

[StartingPrice]

well TF for that.

 

[TheVoiceofReason]

Not quite French enough for SK for Dembele to be worth the whole fifteen, but still, he has other redeeming features i guess.

 

[shaqTHFC]

Yep.

Interesting to see if we go to a 4-3-3, he'll be epic in that set up - if we had Moutinho as well for example. But yeah, very versatile and I expect him to be used deeper given our present options for the attacking midfielder role. Can't wait to see him break forward with the ball from deeper central positions, opening the space right up - particularly at home when teams come to park the bus.

This. Watching Ramires last season (especially against Barca and Liverpool in the FA cup final) for Chelsea made me think, and I really wanted us to sign a Touré/Ramires type player when it was clear Modric wanted out back in May. Watching Holland in the Euros showed how having 2 pure CDM's in a 4-2-3-1 just isn't dynamic enough.

 

[Chapel Hill Hotspur]

I don't know why people keep worrying about a 4-3-3.

We've played 4-2-3-1 every single match under AVB, and Dembele fits perfectly in that formation as the second "2"

 

[AW?]

Aren't they quite similar players then Sandro and Dembele?

 

[SandroClegane]

I don't know why people keep worrying about a 4-3-3.

We've played 4-2-3-1 every single match under AVB, and Dembele fits perfectly in that formation as the second "2"

Because AVB's said himself that we are going to 4-3-3 once he gets the team used to it and we are playing 4-2-3-1 because the current team is comfortable with it.

 

[Kendall]

Because AVB's said himself that we are going to 4-3-3 once he gets the team used to it and we are playing 4-2-3-1 because the current team is comfortable with it.

Yup.

We will move to 4-3-3 and if we can end up with a starting trio of Sandro, Dembele and Moutinho our midfield will be a damn site stronger than last year.

The front line needs tweaking to get the best out of a 4-3-3 and that's why I think VDV may be out.

 

[Chapel Hill Hotspur]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Hopefully AVB lasts long enough to change formations.

 

[Kendall]

I don't know why people keep worrying about a 4-3-3.

We've played 4-2-3-1 every single match under AVB, and Dembele fits perfectly in that formation as the second "2"

Much has been made of the 4-3-3 formation that Andre Villas-Boas is expected to bring to Tottenham Hotspur, but he went with something that the players are a bit more familiar with to start his tenure as manager, deploying his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the entire duration of the Stevenage friendly. David Bentley got a run in the attacking midfield spot to start the game, and Gylfi Sigurdsson played the second half in the role.

Villas-Boas spoke about this and a bunch of other things following the friendly. His explanation for going with a 4-2-3-1 instead of a 4-3-3 for his first friendly in charge was an understandable one.

"I think it’s what the players at the moment feel the most comfortable with. Of course changes will come when we need them."

AVB has spoken of mistakes at Chelsea, putting in a new system too quickly and trying to change too much at once. It makes sense to stick to a formation that we're used to and implement things like a high line before moving to a completely new formation and playing style.