Player Watch: Ryan Mason

[southlondonyiddo]

I really like him and when Nabil comes back from injury I hope they can form a great partnership

Didn't like how he got Benteke sent off today and lucky to stay on the pitch himself

 

[carpediem991]

I agree but Bentalab would need to add the steel I am not sure he can yet

I'd love it, but I'm not sure if Bentaleb is quite tenacious and positionally disciplined enough.

I think their future is in a midfield three:

-----------Stambouli------------ alternative: Capoue, Vejlkovic
------Mason------Bentaleb------ alternative: Onomah, Winks

Edit: And if anyhow possible Schneiderlin in the Stambo role

 

[Jadon Benjamin]

More mobile, agile and skilfull than both... If he can stay injury free for the rest of the season he could be the best thing to come out of this season for us.

Getting better every game IMO.

Would like to see how he does alongside one of (the more mobile) Stambouli or Bentaleb though (although i think that Bentaleb's injured)

I think Bentaleb and Mason will make a awesome midfield duo. Havent seen enough of Stambouli

 

[Jadon Benjamin]

Well we've been playing with a "DM" for quite some time now and still shipping in goals. I'd gamble a bit and play 2 CM such as Mason/Pauly/Dembele/Eriksen.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Ramos, Redknapp, AVB, Sherwood - all saw Mason in training.

Poch deserves credit for being the first Spurs coach not only to recognise Mason's talent, but for having the courage to put him in the first team.

That's not strictly true, or at least it's misleading. Redknapp & Sherwood (I don't know about AVB) certainly commented enthusiastically about Mason's ability, but there have been two problems with his career to date: 1) he was extremely slight as a young player and has only grown into his physique very recently; 2) the sequence of loans designed to develop him to Premiership standard has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries - not just one or two, a lot of them, and one or two of them involved lengthy layoffs.

For those two reasons, despite his vision and ability, he just wasn't in a position to get into the starting midfield, or even the league squad. Successive coaching teams have stuck with him for years, because they plainly saw his quality - or he would have been sold off ages ago.

 

[spursfan77]

June 2016 - was given a new 3 year contract when he went on loan for a season at Swindon.

I'd imagine we (and he) were seeing how he did this season. But I think by Christmas we'd be in negotiations - he's only played half a dozen games but he's looking a terific - and committed to the Spurs team - player.

Ok cool thanks. I suspect it will pop up on the OS randomly that he's signed a new contract soon.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Lets not get too carried away. He's had a fine start and has the potential to get even better but on SC he's three poor games away from ****dom.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

He's fantastic.

I should be part of Levy's new scouting system, I started this thread after all.

 

[Mouse!]

Paulinho, Dembele and Capoue should actually be ashamed that they are being shown up by a 23 year old player who was playing League 1 last season and has been plagued by injuries for most of his short career.

 

[Stavi]

Think he's looked good going forward - he gets the ball and looks to move it forward quickly.

Unsure of his contribution defensively. Not sure what MP wants from him in that role but our midfield does not seem to protect our fragile defence much!

 

[yanno]

That's not strictly true, or at least it's misleading. Redknapp & Sherwood (I don't know about AVB) certainly commented enthusiastically about Mason's ability, but there have been two problems with his career to date: 1) he was extremely slight as a young player and has only grown into his physique very recently; 2) the sequence of loans designed to develop him to Premiership standard has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries - not just one or two, a lot of them, and one or two of them involved lengthy layoffs.

For those two reasons, despite his vision and ability, he just wasn't in a position to get into the starting midfield, or even the league squad. Successive coaching teams have stuck with him for years, because they plainly saw his quality - or he would have been sold off ages ago.

But the loans to Millwall and Lorient were fiascos. He spent half a season in France and didn't play a competitive second of football AFAIK.

All of us who've been aware since watching him in the Academy that Mason was a talent also knew that he had a slight and injuryprone physique. Given this, it's more than arguable that we should have kept him at Spurs, so our fitness, strength and flexibility trainers could do lots of physical work with him, and played him in cup games.

Also, DM, as the self-styled "front page gadfly", you of all people should recognise that it is "strictly true" that Poch is the first coach to have given Mason meaningful first team football.

 

[DaSpurs]

Paulinho, Dembele and Capoue should actually be ashamed that they are being shown up by a 23 year old player who was playing League 1 last season and has been plagued by injuries for most of his short career.

Completely agree. If that's not motivation enough to get the fuck going and to change your game if you want to even see time here before we ship you out, I don't know what is.

 

[hybridsoldier]

I really like him and when Nabil comes back from injury I hope they can form a great partnership

Didn't like how he got Benteke sent off today and lucky to stay on the pitch himself

I don't think he got him sent off, I think Benteke got himself sent off.

Yes he was lucky as he pushed his head into Benteke's face but Benteke raised his hands, thats an instant red in the current game. He could have rolled around like a bitch but he appealed to the 4th official.

And to be fair the Villa players did the same thing all game, played rough but rolled around when they got tackled.

 

[DaSpurs]

Think he's looked good going forward - he gets the ball and looks to move it forward quickly.

Unsure of his contribution defensively. Not sure what MP wants from him in that role but our midfield does not seem to protect our fragile defence much!

This is an illusion based on his size that needs to go. Of our central midfielders who have attempted more than five tackles this season, he has the single best tackling record. He also has the most determination to get to the play and even make the tackle in the first place. Even if he fails, but slows down the player, he at least got there and contributed something rather than other plays we've wielded who can't/won't even get to the play.

Defending from midfield is about far more than just physicality.

 

[yanno]

I don't think he got him sent off, I think Benteke got himself sent off.

Yes he was lucky as he pushed his head into Benteke's face but Benteke raised his hands, thats an instant red in the current game. He could have rolled around like a bitch but he appealed to the 4th official.

And to be fair the Villa players did the same thing all game, played rough but rolled around when they got tackled.

Agree.

Benteke was putting himself about, trying to impose his physicality and bully our players.

Lamela, Mason and Kane all barged him back, refusing to be intimidated.

For me that was good spirit, as Benteke is a beast and stronger than them all.

 

[mpickard2087]

Is it pleasing, or worrying, that I watched that game and was thinking If I was a neutral, which player is playing as if he is the captain/leader of the Spurs team? and it was Mason. He was doing the work of two men, always wanting the ball and zipping passes around and was also the one to put his foot in and fight for the cause.

The rookie of the team, and yet he's the one standing up to be counted for. Some of the others need to take a look at themselves and pull their fingers out.

 

[miles_64]

Think he's looked good going forward - he gets the ball and looks to move it forward quickly.

Unsure of his contribution defensively. Not sure what MP wants from him in that role but our midfield does not seem to protect our fragile defence much!

It's actually Capoue who let the side down defensively today. Have a look at the stats in the match thread. Mason dominated him defensively and offensively.

So excited to have him in the team BUT, having followed him for a long while, I am constantly worried about him getting injured. You just get the horrible feeling it can't last

 

[Air Jordan 3]

I really like this lad. Very positive on the ball and looks like he has been playing in prem for years.

 

[ShaunL84]

Mason is a cross of Modric and Roy Keane.

The flair, movement and passing of Luka but the steel and bite of Roy Keane.

 

[yanno]

Mason is a cross of Modric and Roy Keane.

The flair, movement and passing of Luka but the steel and bite of Roy Keane.

Nah.

Roy Keane would have snapped Benteke's leg in half at the knee....