- Oct 25, 2005
- 32,629
- 33,579
- Staff
- #661
You fucking ungrateful...... 
Ex-Player Watch Player Watch: Mousa Dembele
- Thread starter TwanYid
- Start date
thinktank
Hmmm...
- Sep 28, 2004
- 45,893
- 68,893
Classic example of why I don't favour stats.
onlyonekeano
Well-Known Member
- Dec 28, 2004
- 198
- 283
While we can all agree that we would like to see more goals/assists result from his insane dribbling, I think that people often overlook the effect he has in committing opposition players in the centre of the field to create more space for our wing backs and front 3. Whenever he is missing, the opposition know that we have no-one to carry the ball from deep up to the last third, which makes it easier for them to double up on our wide players and reduce the space for Dele/Eriksen.
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...e-real-deal-writes-danny-murphy-a3486651.html
Tottenham's Mousa Dembele is the real deal, writes Danny Murphy
If you want to understand how important Mousa Dembele is to Tottenham, consider this: is there a team in England who wouldn’t include him in their first-choice starting XI?
He would play ahead of Nemanja Matic for Chelsea. You’d have him over any of Arsenal’s midfielders, possibly alongside Santi Cazorla if everyone was fit.
I’d take him over Ander Herrera at Manchester United, above Yaya Toure or Ilkay Gundogan at Manchester City. He is better than any of Liverpool’s midfield three.
He has all the assets you need to play for one of the world’s biggest clubs — so why hasn’t he? People ask if he could show more desire or aggression, but I played with Mousa from 2010-12 at Fulham and I believe that is unfair, especially based on his displays this season and last.
Mousa’s issue was that he didn’t become a central midfield powerhouse until his final season at Fulham, when he was already 24. Before that, he’d played on the wing or as a No10.
So, by the time he’d been at Spurs for a while and more people were seeing his quality, he was already 27 or 28. He will be 30 in July.
Millwall will have to be at their best to stop Dembele, but they can take confidence from their superb recent form. They are unbeaten in 17 matches and before the 2-1 win over MK Dons last weekend, they had not conceded a goal in 10 games.
Facing Spurs will be a huge step-up in quality, but Millwall clearly have togetherness and, because of their form, they will go out there on Sunday believing it will be their day.
Tottenham's Mousa Dembele is the real deal, writes Danny Murphy
If you want to understand how important Mousa Dembele is to Tottenham, consider this: is there a team in England who wouldn’t include him in their first-choice starting XI?
He would play ahead of Nemanja Matic for Chelsea. You’d have him over any of Arsenal’s midfielders, possibly alongside Santi Cazorla if everyone was fit.
I’d take him over Ander Herrera at Manchester United, above Yaya Toure or Ilkay Gundogan at Manchester City. He is better than any of Liverpool’s midfield three.
He has all the assets you need to play for one of the world’s biggest clubs — so why hasn’t he? People ask if he could show more desire or aggression, but I played with Mousa from 2010-12 at Fulham and I believe that is unfair, especially based on his displays this season and last.
Mousa’s issue was that he didn’t become a central midfield powerhouse until his final season at Fulham, when he was already 24. Before that, he’d played on the wing or as a No10.
So, by the time he’d been at Spurs for a while and more people were seeing his quality, he was already 27 or 28. He will be 30 in July.
Millwall will have to be at their best to stop Dembele, but they can take confidence from their superb recent form. They are unbeaten in 17 matches and before the 2-1 win over MK Dons last weekend, they had not conceded a goal in 10 games.
Facing Spurs will be a huge step-up in quality, but Millwall clearly have togetherness and, because of their form, they will go out there on Sunday believing it will be their day.
Vincent30
Well-Known Member
- Aug 31, 2012
- 900
- 3,694
Yet still people on here want him dropped, think he slows down our play and criticise the big man. We are lucky to have this guy and he deserves way more respect than some on here give him. This 'he doesn't move the ball forward' thing is some strange rumor that has spread. He doesn't score or assist enough yes. But he is constantly moving the ball on, it's bizarre that people just readily say this when it's so far from the truth.
So many opposition players and his team mates speak so highly of his ability, yet some fans struggle to see this or the impact he has on our team. He excels in the 3-4-3. because him and Wanyama allow our wing backs so much freedom, we struggle in 4-5-1. Because the 3 AM behind the forward don't work as well in that formation as we really lack pace. Nothing to do with Dembele mysteriously not moving the ball forward. The biggest issue has been the inconsistency of our 3 AM whenever we play that formation.
kendoddsdadsdogsdead
Well-Known Member
- Aug 29, 2011
- 2,188
- 3,679
tbh I think it's an easy thing for people to say when they don't understand what they're seeing. you see players who can't handle the ball when in tight areas or with someone tight, those players pass the ball early. Is that a good thing? A lot of the time they go straight back to where they came from or the end up playing a hospital ball. You need players who can beat that press and open up avenues of passing options. That's what Dembele does better than anyone in our team and probably anyone in the league. He gives out team more presence, he gives us a proper foothold and control in games. Footballers understand how important he is to help them play well.
onlyonekeano
Well-Known Member
- Dec 28, 2004
- 198
- 283
Every time I have seen one of those 'teammates' videos, Mousa is always named by our players as the best player at the club. Off the top of my head...
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10654305/dele-alli-teammates-20 (Scroll to 1:30)
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...r-am-teammates-2-0-with-tottenhams-danny-rose
(2 mins in)
http://m.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/walker-week-mousa-dembele-170117/
And at international level as well:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...art-Sergio-Aguero-Belgian-s-dream-outfit.html
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10654305/dele-alli-teammates-20 (Scroll to 1:30)
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...r-am-teammates-2-0-with-tottenhams-danny-rose
(2 mins in)
http://m.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/walker-week-mousa-dembele-170117/
And at international level as well:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...art-Sergio-Aguero-Belgian-s-dream-outfit.html
Last edited:
Dharmabum
Well-Known Member
- Aug 16, 2003
- 8,274
- 12,242
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...mbele-the-leagues-best-dribbler-a3502126.html
Even Eden Hazard can’t compete as stats crown Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele the league's best dribbler
Harry Winks' recent assessment of Mousa Dembele will come as no surprise to Tottenham fans.
"[Dembele's] different class with his balance, his strength and his technique - he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with in my life," insisted the 20-year-old.
Dele Alli holds Dembele in similarly high regard while Mauricio Pochettino has previously described the Belgian midfielder as a 'footballing genius'.
The 29-year-old has certainly not been a stranger to praise during his spell at White Hart Lane and, having been regularly paired alongside new signing Victor Wanyama, is enjoying another impressive campaign in the Spurs engine room.
Dembele's role requires plenty of dirty work in regards to defensive duties but he is also needed to push forward and contribute to attacks.
When Spurs are in transition Dembele is often at the centre of the move, dictating play with a unique, languid style that appears effortless but is evidently difficult to stop.
Dembele's dribbling completion rate (86%) is higher than any other player in England's top tier to have attempted 50 dribbles this season, according to data courtesy of EA SPORTS, such is the impact he makes with the ball at his feet.
Dembele's statistics equate to a successful dribble every 26 minutes and he has only failed with 10 of the 71 dribbles he has attempted this term.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Chelsea's Eden Hazard is out in front in regards to completed dribbles - with a total almost double that of his compatriot - but the Blues winger is still 8% shy of Dembele's completion rate.
Crucially, Dembele also boasts a superb pass completion rate in the opposition's half of the pitch, where space and time are constantly at a premium.
Dembele has completed 92% of his passes in the opposition's half this season; a higher completion rate than any other player to have attempted 700 or more in the same area of the pitch.
A host of other players have completed more passes than Dembele - including colleague Wanyama - but the Belgian's precision should not be understated.
Dembele has misplaced just 94 passes in the opposition's half to date this term and is expected to continue to be a crucial figure during the run-in.
Spurs travel to Burnley on Saturday afternoon aiming to solidify their place in the top four with victory over Sean Dyche's side.
The Clarets have a solid record at Turf Moor this season, having conceded just 12 goals on home turf, and are likely to prove to be a tough nut to crack.
Dembele will be hopeful he can help to prise the hosts open.
Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...mbele-Tottenham-s-midfield-driving-force.html
Mousa Dembele is Tottenham's midfield driving force with the Belgian topping the Premier League passing and dribbling stats this season
The headlines usually belong to Harry Kane or Dele Alli but, as regular watchers of Tottenham Hotspur know, their true driving force comes from the midfield engine room.
And integral to that thrust is their indomitable Belgian Mousa Dembele, a man whose outstanding consistency makes him one of the best enforcers in the Premier League today.
The stats certainly support this assertion, with the 29-year-old topping the charts in terms of dribbles and passes in the opposition half.
In the 20 Premier League matches he has been involved with this season, Dembele has attempted 1092 passes and successfully found the intended recipient with 998 of them.
This pass completion rate of 91 per cent puts him ahead of other midfield pass masters such as Yaya Toure of Manchester City, Granit Xhaka of Arsenal, N'Golo Kante of Chelsea and Ander Herrera of Manchester United.
But the place Dembele really excels is when driving Spurs forward in the opposition half - he stands head and shoulders above the opposition with his pass completion rate of 92 per cent, or 676 of 738 attempted passes.
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS DRIBBLE COMPLETION 2016-17
TeamPlayerDribbles AttemptedDribbles Completed Dribble Completion Rate
TottenhamMousa Dembele716186%
ChelseaEden Hazard15211978%
MiddlesbroughAdama Traore14811074%
ChelseaWillian584374%
BournemouthJack Wilshere715172%
ArsenalAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain745270%
West Ham UnitedManuel Lanzini775470%
Manchester CityDavid Silva594169%
ChelseaVictor Moses654569%
EvertonRoss Barkley644266%
Data courtesy of EA Sports
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS PASS COMPLETION 2016-17
TeamPlayerPasses AttemptedPasses CompletedPass Completion Rate
Tottenham HotspurMousa Dembele109299891%
Manchester CityYaya Touré110198790%
MiddlesbroughAdam Forshaw1145102189%
ArsenalGranit Xhaka1419126389%
ChelseaN'Golo Kante1665146988%
Manchester UnitedAnder Herrera1642144788%
Manchester CityDavid Silva1605140788%
BournemouthHarry Arter1506132088%
ChelseaNemanja Matic1448126988%
LiverpoolGeorginio Wijnaldum1233107887%
Again, this places him well ahead of the usual suspects - Xhaka, Kante, Manchester City's David Silva and Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum.
But it isn't just when passing the ball that Dembele is effective, it's also when dribbling it as well.
According to the stats, courtesy of EA SPORTS, Dembele has completed 61 of 71 attempted dribbles, or a success rate of 86 per cent.
The next highest are Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Middlesbrough's Adama Traore, although admittedly they have tried to dribble the ball much more.
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS PASSING IN OPPOSITION HALF 2016-17
TeamPlayerPasses Attempted Opp HalfPasses Completed Opp HalfPass Completion Rate Opp Half
Tottenham HotspurMousa Dembele73867692%
ArsenalGranit Xhaka94582287%
ChelseaN'Golo Kante99286187%
Manchester CityDavid Silva1195103086%
LiverpoolGeorginio Wijnaldum80468886%
ArsenalMesut Ozil111795485%
Manchester UnitedAnder Herrera102887185%
West Ham UnitedManuel Lanzini72261185%
Tottenham HotspurVictor Wanyama92778485%
BournemouthHarry Arter89675784%
With Dembele's strong contribution, it's easy to see why Spurs have been Chelsea's closest challengers in the Premier League this season, even though the margin to bridge of 10 points is likely to prove too much.
However, Tottenham do have an opportunity to overcome Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, which takes place at Wembley on April 22.
Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.
Even Eden Hazard can’t compete as stats crown Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele the league's best dribbler
Harry Winks' recent assessment of Mousa Dembele will come as no surprise to Tottenham fans.
"[Dembele's] different class with his balance, his strength and his technique - he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with in my life," insisted the 20-year-old.
Dele Alli holds Dembele in similarly high regard while Mauricio Pochettino has previously described the Belgian midfielder as a 'footballing genius'.
The 29-year-old has certainly not been a stranger to praise during his spell at White Hart Lane and, having been regularly paired alongside new signing Victor Wanyama, is enjoying another impressive campaign in the Spurs engine room.
Dembele's role requires plenty of dirty work in regards to defensive duties but he is also needed to push forward and contribute to attacks.
When Spurs are in transition Dembele is often at the centre of the move, dictating play with a unique, languid style that appears effortless but is evidently difficult to stop.
Dembele's dribbling completion rate (86%) is higher than any other player in England's top tier to have attempted 50 dribbles this season, according to data courtesy of EA SPORTS, such is the impact he makes with the ball at his feet.
Dembele's statistics equate to a successful dribble every 26 minutes and he has only failed with 10 of the 71 dribbles he has attempted this term.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Chelsea's Eden Hazard is out in front in regards to completed dribbles - with a total almost double that of his compatriot - but the Blues winger is still 8% shy of Dembele's completion rate.
Crucially, Dembele also boasts a superb pass completion rate in the opposition's half of the pitch, where space and time are constantly at a premium.
Dembele has completed 92% of his passes in the opposition's half this season; a higher completion rate than any other player to have attempted 700 or more in the same area of the pitch.
A host of other players have completed more passes than Dembele - including colleague Wanyama - but the Belgian's precision should not be understated.
Dembele has misplaced just 94 passes in the opposition's half to date this term and is expected to continue to be a crucial figure during the run-in.
Spurs travel to Burnley on Saturday afternoon aiming to solidify their place in the top four with victory over Sean Dyche's side.
The Clarets have a solid record at Turf Moor this season, having conceded just 12 goals on home turf, and are likely to prove to be a tough nut to crack.
Dembele will be hopeful he can help to prise the hosts open.
Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...mbele-Tottenham-s-midfield-driving-force.html
Mousa Dembele is Tottenham's midfield driving force with the Belgian topping the Premier League passing and dribbling stats this season
- Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele is the Premier League's best dribbler and has the best passing accuracy in the opponent's half
- The Belgian has been the team's driving force in many games this season
- He outstrips likes of N'Golo Kante, David Silva and Ander Herrera
- Spurs find themselves 10 points behind Chelsea in the league table
The headlines usually belong to Harry Kane or Dele Alli but, as regular watchers of Tottenham Hotspur know, their true driving force comes from the midfield engine room.
And integral to that thrust is their indomitable Belgian Mousa Dembele, a man whose outstanding consistency makes him one of the best enforcers in the Premier League today.
The stats certainly support this assertion, with the 29-year-old topping the charts in terms of dribbles and passes in the opposition half.
In the 20 Premier League matches he has been involved with this season, Dembele has attempted 1092 passes and successfully found the intended recipient with 998 of them.
This pass completion rate of 91 per cent puts him ahead of other midfield pass masters such as Yaya Toure of Manchester City, Granit Xhaka of Arsenal, N'Golo Kante of Chelsea and Ander Herrera of Manchester United.
But the place Dembele really excels is when driving Spurs forward in the opposition half - he stands head and shoulders above the opposition with his pass completion rate of 92 per cent, or 676 of 738 attempted passes.
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS DRIBBLE COMPLETION 2016-17
TeamPlayerDribbles AttemptedDribbles Completed Dribble Completion Rate
TottenhamMousa Dembele716186%
ChelseaEden Hazard15211978%
MiddlesbroughAdama Traore14811074%
ChelseaWillian584374%
BournemouthJack Wilshere715172%
ArsenalAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain745270%
West Ham UnitedManuel Lanzini775470%
Manchester CityDavid Silva594169%
ChelseaVictor Moses654569%
EvertonRoss Barkley644266%
Data courtesy of EA Sports
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS PASS COMPLETION 2016-17
TeamPlayerPasses AttemptedPasses CompletedPass Completion Rate
Tottenham HotspurMousa Dembele109299891%
Manchester CityYaya Touré110198790%
MiddlesbroughAdam Forshaw1145102189%
ArsenalGranit Xhaka1419126389%
ChelseaN'Golo Kante1665146988%
Manchester UnitedAnder Herrera1642144788%
Manchester CityDavid Silva1605140788%
BournemouthHarry Arter1506132088%
ChelseaNemanja Matic1448126988%
LiverpoolGeorginio Wijnaldum1233107887%
Again, this places him well ahead of the usual suspects - Xhaka, Kante, Manchester City's David Silva and Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum.
But it isn't just when passing the ball that Dembele is effective, it's also when dribbling it as well.
According to the stats, courtesy of EA SPORTS, Dembele has completed 61 of 71 attempted dribbles, or a success rate of 86 per cent.
The next highest are Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Middlesbrough's Adama Traore, although admittedly they have tried to dribble the ball much more.
PREMIER LEAGUE MIDFIELDERS PASSING IN OPPOSITION HALF 2016-17
TeamPlayerPasses Attempted Opp HalfPasses Completed Opp HalfPass Completion Rate Opp Half
Tottenham HotspurMousa Dembele73867692%
ArsenalGranit Xhaka94582287%
ChelseaN'Golo Kante99286187%
Manchester CityDavid Silva1195103086%
LiverpoolGeorginio Wijnaldum80468886%
ArsenalMesut Ozil111795485%
Manchester UnitedAnder Herrera102887185%
West Ham UnitedManuel Lanzini72261185%
Tottenham HotspurVictor Wanyama92778485%
BournemouthHarry Arter89675784%
With Dembele's strong contribution, it's easy to see why Spurs have been Chelsea's closest challengers in the Premier League this season, even though the margin to bridge of 10 points is likely to prove too much.
However, Tottenham do have an opportunity to overcome Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, which takes place at Wembley on April 22.
Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.
onlyonekeano
Well-Known Member
- Dec 28, 2004
- 198
- 283
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...no-tottenham-news-mousa-dembele-a7660826.html
Worth a read - some great quotes on just how highly regarded he is by Poch. The article also gives an interesting insight into the three principles that have really been the key drivers of our improvement under Poch - mentality, off-the-ball approach and individual player development.
Worth a read - some great quotes on just how highly regarded he is by Poch. The article also gives an interesting insight into the three principles that have really been the key drivers of our improvement under Poch - mentality, off-the-ball approach and individual player development.
tommyt
SC Supporter
- Jul 22, 2005
- 6,190
- 11,080
Mauricio Pochettino praises silk and steel of Tottenham ‘genius’ Mousa Dembélé
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...urnley?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...urnley?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard
He is my fave player... He is just brilliant. He is just so strong, his dribbling is just sensational and he can dominate midfield against the big teams. Wish he was more creative but his creativity comes by the fact he takes three or four players out of the game which frees up the others to do their shit
Shadydan
Well-Known Member
- Jul 7, 2012
- 38,247
- 104,143
Preech!
Typical Spurs
Well-Known Member
- Feb 10, 2016
- 992
- 4,638
What about going past players with ease in our own defensive third and relieving a load of pressure? For me that is harder than in the final third when giving it away doesn't have the same repercussions
razzmaster
Well-Known Member
- Jun 21, 2008
- 2,330
- 13,167
So underrated by some of our fans who focus on his weaknesses and fail to appreciate his incredible strengths. Can't think of another midfielder in world football with his skillset.
dontsalebale
Active Member
- May 12, 2011
- 441
- 571
Still getiing faint praise and snide comments. From a fair section of this Forum. There lack of football knowledge is shocking. Poch thinks he is a genius they think he is counter productive and should be replaced. Baffling
