Eric Dier

[Kiedis]

He is always very good at being where he's supposed to be. That's more difficult than it looks. A football pitch is bloody big.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Some of you guys are way to critical of Dier. He been a vital part of our team and the progress made the last years.
Some over here say he wouldnt get in to any other top team, bar arsenal. But lets reverse the question. What player from the other top teams would walk right in to our team and take Diers place?
Kante i agree, but who else?

Walk? Perhaps not. I'd argue though
- Wijnaldum is playing in a similar role right now - the middle/holding of a three alongside Milner and Keita - and doing it better IMO. More mobile and technically accomplished.
- Matic is a better player than Dier in that position
- Lucas Torreira has more potential but it's very early days, so he wouldn't

It is a fair point you make, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the weaker (if not the weakest) part of the team. Let's face it, the Wanyama of two years ago does indeed walk into the team

 

[hughy]

If Dier is our weak link, I'd take that all day long. It just shows what an unbelievable team we have these days. This guy has made over 180 appearances for us in a little over 4 seasons - he's an integral member of our squad.

It would be a huge error of judgement to assume we can simply "upgrade" him.

 

[nicdic]

Had a poor first half yesterday, but other than Dele and Lucas, everyone did. Second half he was good. Unnecessary criticism and weird to pick him out of all players for it.

 

[Shadydan]

Walk? Perhaps not. I'd argue though
- Wijnaldum is playing in a similar role right now - the middle/holding of a three alongside Milner and Keita - and doing it better IMO. More mobile and technically accomplished.
- Matic is a better player than Dier in that position
- Lucas Torreira has more potential but it's very early days, so he wouldn't

It is a fair point you make, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the weaker (if not the weakest) part of the team. Let's face it, the Wanyama of two years ago does indeed walk into the team

Wijnaldum has only recently been deployed there, let's see how he fares when he comes up against some decent opposition, not West Ham, Brighton or Palace and show consistency over the course of a season as well.

Matic, yes although people going on about Dier's lack of ability wouldn't be best please with Matic's. He isn't the best presser himself but he's better than at shuttong down passing lanes though, worth noting that Dier was Mournho's first choice over Matic last year as well.

Lucas Torreira isn't anything like Dier, he's a ball harrier like Kante, certainly wouldn't trust him in a holding role anyway.

 

[bigpalacios]

We have finished in the top three for the last three seasons and he plays every game. If he was detrimental to the team Poch would have him out of there surely.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

He looks like he has bulked up and this may be affecting his mobility, as he looks a little pedestrian this year v previous years. Just an observation, not a criticism

 

[Nebby]

He's an essential component in the team for me.

 

[Primativ]

Yep. It's clear that people who are/have been involved in football and actually have more than a hilariously superficial understanding of the game recognise just how important he is and the role that he plays.

Personally, I'll just continue to enjoy watching one of the greatest Tottenham managers in a long time continue to pick him and rate him highly to the 'critics' chagrin, while also continue to watch said critics prove their understanding as limited every time they post about him and fail to understand why he's so important.

Outrageously patronising post. I think you need to learn to accept that not everyone will have the same opinion as you on players. Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved, try watching the game and his performance again, if you think he was anything other than rubbish v United, it is you who needs to learn about the game.

 

[glospur]

Outrageously patronising post. I think you need to learn to accept that not everyone will have the same opinion as you on players. Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved, try watching the game and his performance again, if you think he was anything other than rubbish v United, it is you who needs to learn about the game.

Outrageously arrogant post.

Seeing as though Pochettino continues to pick him, Mourinho wanted to spend 50m on him and in that post I quoted an actual pro footballer said how good he was, do they all need to learn about the game? Why is it that you think your evaluation of a player and analysis of his role and performance is more valuable than people who are actually involved in the sport at a professional level? How is it fucking patronising to believe that Mauricio Pochettino and people involved at the professional level might know more about football than anonymous posters on SpursCommunity?

I'm happy to continue to see our best manager in decades continue to pick him as he has done the whole time he's been here while you lot whine about it.

The difference between you and me is that I know that I know fuck all.

 

[nicdic]

Outrageously patronising post. I think you need to learn to accept that not everyone will have the same opinion as you on players. Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved, try watching the game and his performance again, if you think he was anything other than rubbish v United, it is you who needs to learn about the game.

I'd hazard a guess that you go into each game with that approach too and it wouldn't matter what he did, save for maybe scoring a goal, or getting an assist, you'd still describe his performance as rubbish.

 

[yankspurs]

Christ. Dier is one of the best DM’s in England, if not the best. Sorry to break it to you people. The hate for him is absolutely absurd.

 

[glospur]

I'd hazard a guess that you go into each game with that approach too and it wouldn't matter what he did, save for maybe scoring a goal, or getting an assist, you'd still describe his performance as rubbish.

"Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved"

I mean, honestly, what is the point of being so intransigently wedded to one's opinion that you flat out state that no one can convince you of something that's at least somewhat subjective? An opinion's not worth shit if you're not willing to change it in the face of good, objective evidence and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

I can imagine Pochettino preparing an hour-length PowerPoint presentation explaining exactly what Dier's role is in his system, why it's valuable, why Dier is good at it, and why he continues to pick him only for the anti-Dier pseudo-football intellectuals to walk out muttering, "Pfft what would he know? Noone can convince me that he's a good player. grumble, grumble, grumble."

 

[Shadydan]

Outrageously patronising post. I think you need to learn to accept that not everyone will have the same opinion as you on players. Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved, try watching the game and his performance again, if you think he was anything other than rubbish v United, it is you who needs to learn about the game.

There was nothing patronising about his post, yours on the other hand...

 

[Primativ]

I'd hazard a guess that you go into each game with that approach too and it wouldn't matter what he did, save for maybe scoring a goal, or getting an assist, you'd still describe his performance as rubbish.

Not at all, you mistake me thinking Dier isn't playing well at the moment, to just never liking or rating him full stop. He was probably my favourite Spurs player about two seasons ago, but he has definitely regressed.

I will praise Dier when he has a good game, and criticise him when he is rubbish, like he was Monday and like he has been more often than not recently.

 

[Primativ]

"Noone can convince me that Dier is playing well at the moment or has improved"

I mean, honestly, what is the point of being so intransigently wedded to one's opinion that you flat out state that no one can convince you of something that's at least somewhat subjective? An opinion's not worth shit if you're not willing to change it in the face of good, objective evidence and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

I can imagine Pochettino preparing an hour-length PowerPoint presentation explaining exactly what Dier's role is in his system, why it's valuable, why Dier is good at it, and why he continues to pick him only for the anti-Dier pseudo-football intellectuals to walk out muttering, "Pfft what would he know? Noone can convince me that he's a good player. grumble, grumble, grumble."

He hasn't improved, you think he is getting better and better as a DM or something? He was excellent in his debut DM season, and he has not reached those heights since.

When I say nobody can convince me otherwise, it is because I can clearly see he isn't playing very well at the moment. He had a crap world cup too, and he has carried that form into the new season as far as I am concerned. He was slow, passive and lackadaisical for England at the world cup, and he is playing exactly the same way for us so far this season.

I await an upturn in his performances with baited breath.

 

[Primativ]

There was nothing patronising about his post, yours on the other hand...

Only because you agree with him no doubt. When you start telling other fans they don't understand the game, because they think a player is performing badly, and you disagree with it, that is being patronising.

 

[dagraham]

Eric Dier has visibly regressed imo. It's not poor form for me, as it's been over a long period of time.

He's never going to be the most mobile, but he seems to have become even slower in body and mind since his breakthrough season in midfield. Back then he at least used to intercept attacks, protect the back four and although his passing was limited, it was at least executed with some degree of assuredness.

Now, more often than not, the ball is like a hot potato for him and is sometimes actually painful to watch when opponents are attempting to close him down. There are some comments on here about his distribution being good, but although he has a range of passing in his locker, crucially he can only do it if there isn't a player within 10 yards of him. Unfortunately in the PL in CM that's not going to happen too often. He also takes an age to decide what to do with the ball in the first place.

Now I know one of his subtle qualities is his positioning, but I personally think this is being overplayed. It's not like he is nipping in and intercepting the ball or even hassling the opposition. I've seen countless times players getting the wrong side of him and of late ( not just on Monday although that was a particularly bad example of it), a tendency to be completely off the pace of the rest of the players on the pitch. The say a sign of a good midfield player is where time seems to slow down for them, but it seems with Dier everything else is going on double speed. I don't think it's enough to just be another body dropping in to an area of the field. It's not like Dier is the first player of his type to be able to perform this function.

As for the argument that Poch plays him so if you criticise him you're a know nothing idiot then you can't criticise Sissoko either, which is going to be an issue for 95% of people.

I love the guys attitude, and I think Poch picks him just as much for his warrior spirit as he does his ability in midfield. Poch has already indicated he thinks he is a better CB than a CM and I agree with him. He may have a mistake in him, but he can see the play in front of him as opposed to having to receive the ball in tight spaces.

I'm not saying he is crap. He's a great player to have in the squad as much for his versatility as anything ( I still think he could do a decent job at RB in a flat back four).

However, the standard of this Spurs team is being continually raised and to my mind if everyone is fit and up to speed there isn't a place in the first 11 for him for me. There are 3 better CB's and better a DM in Wanyama. In fact I would argue that at times with 3 CB's and the ability of Toby and Vertonghen to step into midfield we would be better served by playing a more progressive combination in CM.

 

[dtxspurs]

Interesting how so many can say its ok for Dele to go missing and be bad for long parts of a game, but slack off Dier for the same thing.

 

[dagraham]

Interesting how so many can say its ok for Dele to go missing and be bad for long parts of a game, but slack off Dier for the same thing.

Probably because if Dele goes missing, but comes up with crucial goals and assists which influence matches it’s not quite the same thing.

Not that Dele is above criticism, but in CM you cannot go missing. You have to be involved in a good way all the time. Even if that’s just mopping up in front of the defence and stopping the opposition.