Ex-Player Watch Player Watch: Mousa Dembele

[Mullers]

His hip injury is a massive issue how can you give 100% effort if you are not 100%fit?

He never put surgery off for us,he put it off because he did not want it. To be fair I would not want hip surgery so young with no guarantees it would work either it was not meant to sound like a dig.

Putting aside the injury I feel sorry for him as he is a converted forward. He has only been a midfielder for a few years now and people seem to think he is an attacking one yet he is a defensive minded central midfielder and dembele has stated this several times previously. I think the confusion over his best position does not help when people form the opinion of his form so to speak.

If he is not 100% fit and cant give 100% effort then he shouldn't play, it really is as simple as that. He should not be selected until the injury is sorted out, if he doesn't want surgery and the problem can't be sorted out he should retire or move to another club. I don't think he is so invaluable that he has to play.

 

[dagraham]

Dembele is overrated and is all style and no substance. I've rarely seen a player able to glide past people so easily, but it's rendered pointless most of the time as he does nothing with it.

I've had the debate on here before above moving him forward and to those people I'll say there's a very good reason why he's been moved back down the pitch throughout his career and it's because he offers zero end product. His passing is competent at best and never in front of the man (always behind), so even if he can be taught to play with his head up (which at 26/27 I'm not even sure that he can) I'm not convinced he's a good enough passer anyway.

The only role for him in our team imo is primarily just to retain possession for us in tight areas. For that to work though, he would need to be surrounded by creative players. Unfortunately, we are not blessed with those at Spurs. Eriksen, possibly Holtby and Lamela at best.

To be honest, I'm not really happy with the C/M in our squad generally. Sherwood was right in a way in that they are a much of a muchness. Strong, athletic players, but not a real ball player or passer among them. And Dembele is a prime example.

Also, regarding his hip injury. The day we signed him I spoke with a Fulham ST holder to get his opinion and he told me he had a long standing niggly hip problem. So we only have ourselves to blame for not doing our homework.

I'm have a feeling one of Dembele or Paulinho will go and it speaks volumes that I wouldn't really be gutted who it was. If we get a large offer for either of them then we can easily do without one of them imo.

 

[chinaman]

Dembele is overrated and is all style and no substance. I've rarely seen a player able to glide past people so easily, but it's rendered pointless most of the time as he does nothing with it.

I've had the debate on here before above moving him forward and to those people I'll say there's a very good reason why he's been moved back down the pitch throughout his career and it's because he offers zero end product. His passing is competent at best and never in front of the man (always behind), so even if he can be taught to play with his head up (which at 26/27 I'm not even sure that he can) I'm not convinced he's a good enough passer anyway.

The only role for him in our team imo is primarily just to retain possession for us in tight areas. For that to work though, he would need to be surrounded by creative players. Unfortunately, we are not blessed with those at Spurs. Eriksen, possibly Holtby and Lamela at best.

To be honest, I'm not really happy with the C/M in our squad generally. Sherwood was right in a way in that they are a much of a muchness. Strong, athletic players, but not a real ball player or passer among them. And Dembele is a prime example.

Also, regarding his hip injury. The day we signed him I spoke with a Fulham ST holder to get his opinion and he told me he had a long standing niggly hip problem. So we only have ourselves to blame for not doing our homework.

I'm have a feeling one of Dembele or Paulinho will go and it speaks volumes that I wouldn't really be gutted who it was. If we get a large offer for either of them then we can easily do without one of them imo.

If it was either Dembele or Paulinho, I'd like to keep Paulinho as he at least knows the goal is not at the end of the two sidelines where Dembele keeps on dribbling towards them.

 

[dagraham]

If it was either Dembele or Paulinho, I'd like to keep Paulinho as he at least knows the goal is not at the end of the two sidelines where Dembele keeps on dribbling towards them.

I can understand that viewpoint, but I'd choose to sell the one who can generate the most funds to address our weaknesses.

 

[We'llWinThePrem]

Needs that operation ASAP

 

[jezz]

Sell

 

[JayDub]

I think he could be brilliant for Poch in his system. Play him as one of the middle two and press the opposition. He's strong defensively, doesn't give the ball away...

On a slightly different note, how good were Schweinsteiger and Kroos playing that role last night.

 

[spurs9]

I think he could be brilliant for Poch in his system. Play him as one of the middle two and press the opposition. He's strong defensively, doesn't give the ball away...

On a slightly different note, how good were Schweinsteiger and Kroos playing that role last night.

As true as that is, he holds onto the ball too long and in Poch's system the middle two need to play it forward as soon as possible. If this can be trained out of him, the sure he would be a good fit but he plays with his head down, so doesn't see the opportunities.

 

[Black]

Unless he is playing on the right or left wing he has no other use in the squad.

I would probably sell him.

 

[EQP]

Unless he is playing on the right or left wing he has no other use in the squad.

I would probably sell him.

Would like to see this happen.

 

[absolute bobbins]

I feel like such a git, I see this thread pop up and hope it's a new one in Transfers, not Spurs Chat

 

[Locotoro]

I voiced my concerns back in Autumn 2012 and was met with a bit of derision. He is totally unsuited to playing for a top team in my opinion because his habit of taking 27,000 touches before usually showing no self belief and playing a conservative pass is such a killer against teams who park the bus. You have to pass and move quickly and ask questions of them, not fuck around on the ball before eventually deciding to lay it off.

To be honest I have come round to @Bus-Conductor 's long held idea of playing him further up the pitch in one of the wide roles and try to make better use of his dribbling skills in more dangerous areas... But even then he would have to find more self belief and have a shot himself at times... Can someone get into his head and change the way he plays?

I, too, agree that he is far more suited to played an inside forward role rather than a central midfield role. He has all the attributes of a great forward and his weaknesses are less relevant in that position close to goal.

 

[beats1]

Yes it is.
If he wasn't fit enough he shouldn't play and if he wanted to be at his best for spurs he should have had the operation already.

But shouldn't you wait until a player is fit again to assess him and it was suggested that we wanted him back earlier because we were light in midfield when going forward with the CL push

Also the use of painkillers clearly would have an effect his game as it would effect his technique and running with his numbness

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Certainly not good enough to be one of our main men if we have proper aspirations of getting in to the top group of teams. We'd be mad to turn down a decent offer.

 

[nidge]

If he only had a very good (football) brain.

 

[Mullers]

But shouldn't you wait until a player is fit again to assess him and it was suggested that we wanted him back earlier because we were light in midfield when going forward with the CL push

Also the use of painkillers clearly would have an effect his game as it would effect his technique and running with his numbness

If he is fit enough to play then he can be assessed. We spent 100 million, we shouldn't be light in midfield. He's played in the world cup, time to stop these excuses.

 

[LiamJM10]

Dembele is overrated and is all style and no substance. I've rarely seen a player able to glide past people so easily, but it's rendered pointless most of the time as he does nothing with it.

I've had the debate on here before above moving him forward and to those people I'll say there's a very good reason why he's been moved back down the pitch throughout his career and it's because he offers zero end product. His passing is competent at best and never in front of the man (always behind), so even if he can be taught to play with his head up (which at 26/27 I'm not even sure that he can) I'm not convinced he's a good enough passer anyway.

The only role for him in our team imo is primarily just to retain possession for us in tight areas. For that to work though, he would need to be surrounded by creative players. Unfortunately, we are not blessed with those at Spurs. Eriksen, possibly Holtby and Lamela at best.

To be honest, I'm not really happy with the C/M in our squad generally. Sherwood was right in a way in that they are a much of a muchness. Strong, athletic players, but not a real ball player or passer among them. And Dembele is a prime example.

Also, regarding his hip injury. The day we signed him I spoke with a Fulham ST holder to get his opinion and he told me he had a long standing niggly hip problem. So we only have ourselves to blame for not doing our homework.

I'm have a feeling one of Dembele or Paulinho will go and it speaks volumes that I wouldn't really be gutted who it was. If we get a large offer for either of them then we can easily do without one of them imo.

Ummm...none of that makes him overrated. It makes him limited.

Which everyone already knew...

Which is why he's often criticized...

 

[Paolo10]

The Jenas is hanging out of him, terribly frustrating to watch.

 

[TheGreenLily]

I just want him to get his surgery done, if that's what is holding him back. I'm skeptical that that's the sole cause of his average displays though.

Injuries don't hold back the brain, which is where his biggest flaw is.

 

[Gbspurs]

Struggling to see what our fans seem so desperate to sell bundles of our players? Yes, we had a bad season last year and yes, so did plenty of players but the way people just want to chuck them out instantly for a new shiny toy straight away is sad.

I would be happy if we didn't sell anyone until January.