TheAmerican
Well-Known Member
- Aug 30, 2012
- 6,913
- 18,761
I put together a compilation of three strong viewpoints and breakdowns of our newest player, and how he will fit within the squad. Sorry for the length :dead:
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via: http://footballstatsandtactics.blogspot.hu/2013/08/daniel-levy-and-avb-make-another.html
Daniel Levy and AVB make another exceptional signing
Last season, Tottenham's squad lacked depth in midfield. To be precise, they lacked a certain type of midfielder. Although they had Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker on the bench, whenever Sandro or Dembélé was injured, Spurs looked one-dimensional. They missed someone who could beat his marker in possession, and provide that spark of individual brilliance that unlocks a tight defence. Do you remember Dembélé's first match at White Hart Lane? When he came on as a substitute, and scored the equaliser against Norwich City? That is exactly what Tottenham's squad needed more of.
After Tottenham missed out on the Champions League last season, they have made quality additions to the squad, and now they have enough great players to challenge on multiple levels. André Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy are preparing for the demands of the Premier League, and a deep Europa League run.
The latest in the line of summer additions is Etienne Capoue. He is a French international, who played for Toulouse last season. He had a successful year with the club, finishing 10th in Ligue 1. Capoue earned the praise of pundits as he won 8 man of the match awards in 34 games. It is understandable that he wants to make the step-up to a bigger club, but many people question if Tottenham is the right team for him. He will face fierce competition from Dembélé, Sandro, and new signing Paulinho, but if you take a look at Capoue's stats and style, it is going to be clear why Tottenham wanted him.
In order to gain an understanding on what kind of a player Capoue is, I watched Toulouse's home game against Paris Saint-Germain from last season. Although Toulouse lost 4-0, Capoue put in a solid display in midfield.
He was the one who broke up PSG's attacks in the middle, and launched the Toulouse attacks with his distribution. This role suits him very well. He had an average pass accuracy of 79% against PSG. But he was not only accurate with his passing, but very intelligent as well. He is more than happy to keep the ball if the right opportunity does not present itself. In such cases he is happy to dribble, often finding space in midfield by taking on the opposition player, and going past him to achieve a better position. Against PSG, 4 out of his 5 attempted take-ons were successful.
In defence, Capoue relied heavily on his positioning and strenght to win the ball. His strenght was apparent as he often had the better of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It seems like Capoue will not have a hard time adjusting to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Capoue was effective at pressing, which combined with his strong anticipation skills made it possible for him to make four interceptions against the champions. He made an average of 2.55 interceptions per game last season, also making a respectful 5.1 clearances per game. Even if he was unable to win the ball back, just by standing in the way of the pass, he was able to slow down PSG's attack.
His solid defencive skills were noticed by the coaching staff at Toulouse. As a result, he made 5 appearances as a defender last season. However, I doubt that AVB would want to use him as a defender. The reason for this is simple. Capoue is not particularly fast. He looks quite slow compared to Dawson or Vertonghen. Against PSG, Lavezzi outpaced him easily at the edge of the box before PSG's opener. Given that Villas-Boas prefers to play a high line, I don't see Capoue playing in the centre of defence.
On the other hand, he is quite effective in front of goal. He managed to score 7 goals last season, and also created 24 chances. His offensive skills make him capable of playing as one half of a double pivot. A double pivot is a pair of holding midfielder, who can exchange positions. Each one can play ahead of the other based on the situation, instead of having clear tasks of only defending, or only playing in a more advanced position. Just imagine the pair of Sandro and Dembélé, or Paulinho and Capoue occupying that space in front of the defence, tackling, attacking, and distributing the ball beautifully. I just can't wait for the Premier League to start!
Tottenham Hotspur have signed a quality player in Etienne Capoue. The French international lacks a little bit of pace, but he has a place in AVB's squad. He will provide defencive stability and attacking threat from the midfield.
He is an exceptional addition to Tottenham, who enhanced their chances of reaching the Champions League with the addition of Etienne Capoue.
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via: http://www.whoscored.com/Players/33590
2nd highest rated player in Ligue 1 last season
Etienne Capoue's Characteristics
+ Strengths
Aerial Duels
(Player has no significant weaknesses)
Etienne Capoue's Style of Play
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via http://www.eplindex.com/epl-news/36674/etienne-capoue-spurs-capoue-sandro-parker-stats.html
The 25-year old midfielder was reportedly close to a move to new Premier League side, Cardiff City. But, according to Toulouse president Olivier Sadran and French radio station RMC Sport, Sadran was quoted, “He will go”, when asked if a possible move to Spurs was on the cards.
Spurs are already very well stocked in terms of midfield presence with Sandro, Paulinho, Mousa Dembele, Lewis Holtby and Gylfi Sigurdsson among the names. It seems that Andre Villas-Boas is looking to build his own squad, with Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Scott Parker potentially leaving the club before the end of the transfer window.
So, what will Etienne Capoue bring to a very strong Spurs midfield?
To begin, Capoue is fundamentally seen as a defensive midfielder, while also being able to slot in at centre back – versatility is one of the main characteristics that Villas-Boas likes in a modern day player. Capoue’s versatility will help in the short term as Spurs have problems at centre backs with concerns over Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul’s fitness, with Jan Vertonghen also out injured.
It was widely acknowledged that when Sandro injured his knee in the 0-0 draw to QPR back in January, Spurs lost their steel in midfield when Scott Parker replaced the Brazilian in defensive midfield for the second part of the season.
Although, the Frenchman has been heavily coveted over the past few seasons due to his excellent performances just in front of the back four for Toulouse – he will be seen as back up to Sandro.
Standing at 6ft 2, Capoue is an imposing figure on the football pitch, but also has the capabilities of being able to read the game, averaging 2.6 interceptions per Ligue 1 game last season – a total of 87 interceptions, the same amount of interceptions as Sandro and bettered Parker’s interceptions by 37. Capoue made 2.4 tackles per game, 81 in total – compared to Sandro’s 72 total tackles and Scott Parker’s 52.
One element to look at is the amount of games the trio played; Capoue made a total of 34 Ligue 1 appearances; Sandro made 22 appearances and Scott Parker made 15 appearances.
The imposing figure is overlooked at times, as Capoue is capable of scoring goals, creating assists and dictating play from the anchorman position.
According to WhoScored.com – Ettiene Capoue averaged 10 more passes per game than any other team-mate, at 63.9 passes per game – a passing accuracy of 80.8%, compared to Sandro’s passing accuracy of 84.6% and Parker’s 83.35% pass completion, although, again, the latter played less games which can be taken into account.
Also, since Capoue made his debut for Toulouse in the 2008/2009 season, no Ligue 1 side have conceded fewer goals than Toulouse in this period (160).
Capoue has added goals to his game, in the 2012/2013 season from defensive midfield – the Frenchman scored 7 goals and created 3 goals for his team-mates – Sandro scored one and assisted two, while Scott Parker assisted one and didn’t manage to net in his 15 Premier League games.
The 25 year old midfielder made his French debut in a friendly against Uraguay in August 2012, since then Capoue has been capped a further four times and scored his first international goal versus Belarus in a 3-1 win in September 2012.
Although he will face a battle for the defensive midfield position in Spurs first XI, this is a crucial time for Capoue’s professional career with the World Cup next year. But the 25 year old can add his influence to Premier League games, and more importantly games in the UEFA Europa League.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
via: http://footballstatsandtactics.blogspot.hu/2013/08/daniel-levy-and-avb-make-another.html
Daniel Levy and AVB make another exceptional signing
Last season, Tottenham's squad lacked depth in midfield. To be precise, they lacked a certain type of midfielder. Although they had Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker on the bench, whenever Sandro or Dembélé was injured, Spurs looked one-dimensional. They missed someone who could beat his marker in possession, and provide that spark of individual brilliance that unlocks a tight defence. Do you remember Dembélé's first match at White Hart Lane? When he came on as a substitute, and scored the equaliser against Norwich City? That is exactly what Tottenham's squad needed more of.
After Tottenham missed out on the Champions League last season, they have made quality additions to the squad, and now they have enough great players to challenge on multiple levels. André Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy are preparing for the demands of the Premier League, and a deep Europa League run.
Etienne Capoue
The latest in the line of summer additions is Etienne Capoue. He is a French international, who played for Toulouse last season. He had a successful year with the club, finishing 10th in Ligue 1. Capoue earned the praise of pundits as he won 8 man of the match awards in 34 games. It is understandable that he wants to make the step-up to a bigger club, but many people question if Tottenham is the right team for him. He will face fierce competition from Dembélé, Sandro, and new signing Paulinho, but if you take a look at Capoue's stats and style, it is going to be clear why Tottenham wanted him.
In order to gain an understanding on what kind of a player Capoue is, I watched Toulouse's home game against Paris Saint-Germain from last season. Although Toulouse lost 4-0, Capoue put in a solid display in midfield.
Capoue is a defensive midfielder, who shields the defence, and starts the attack with his passing.
Capoue likes finding space in midfield with his dribbling.
In defence, Capoue relied heavily on his positioning and strenght to win the ball. His strenght was apparent as he often had the better of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It seems like Capoue will not have a hard time adjusting to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Capoue was effective at pressing, which combined with his strong anticipation skills made it possible for him to make four interceptions against the champions. He made an average of 2.55 interceptions per game last season, also making a respectful 5.1 clearances per game. Even if he was unable to win the ball back, just by standing in the way of the pass, he was able to slow down PSG's attack.
Will AVB play him in defence?
His solid defencive skills were noticed by the coaching staff at Toulouse. As a result, he made 5 appearances as a defender last season. However, I doubt that AVB would want to use him as a defender. The reason for this is simple. Capoue is not particularly fast. He looks quite slow compared to Dawson or Vertonghen. Against PSG, Lavezzi outpaced him easily at the edge of the box before PSG's opener. Given that Villas-Boas prefers to play a high line, I don't see Capoue playing in the centre of defence.
On the other hand, he is quite effective in front of goal. He managed to score 7 goals last season, and also created 24 chances. His offensive skills make him capable of playing as one half of a double pivot. A double pivot is a pair of holding midfielder, who can exchange positions. Each one can play ahead of the other based on the situation, instead of having clear tasks of only defending, or only playing in a more advanced position. Just imagine the pair of Sandro and Dembélé, or Paulinho and Capoue occupying that space in front of the defence, tackling, attacking, and distributing the ball beautifully. I just can't wait for the Premier League to start!
Conclusion
Tottenham Hotspur have signed a quality player in Etienne Capoue. The French international lacks a little bit of pace, but he has a place in AVB's squad. He will provide defencive stability and attacking threat from the midfield.
He is an exceptional addition to Tottenham, who enhanced their chances of reaching the Champions League with the addition of Etienne Capoue.
A video of Etienne Capoue against Montpellier:
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via: http://www.whoscored.com/Players/33590
2nd highest rated player in Ligue 1 last season
Etienne Capoue's Characteristics
+ Strengths
Aerial Duels
Strong
Passing Strong
Through balls Strong
Tackling Strong
Ball interception Strong
Concentration Strong
Blocking the ball Strong
- Weaknesses(Player has no significant weaknesses)
Etienne Capoue's Style of Play
- Likes to play long balls
- Plays the ball off the ground often
- Indirect set-piece threat
- Likes to tackle
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via http://www.eplindex.com/epl-news/36674/etienne-capoue-spurs-capoue-sandro-parker-stats.html
The 25-year old midfielder was reportedly close to a move to new Premier League side, Cardiff City. But, according to Toulouse president Olivier Sadran and French radio station RMC Sport, Sadran was quoted, “He will go”, when asked if a possible move to Spurs was on the cards.
Spurs are already very well stocked in terms of midfield presence with Sandro, Paulinho, Mousa Dembele, Lewis Holtby and Gylfi Sigurdsson among the names. It seems that Andre Villas-Boas is looking to build his own squad, with Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Scott Parker potentially leaving the club before the end of the transfer window.
So, what will Etienne Capoue bring to a very strong Spurs midfield?
To begin, Capoue is fundamentally seen as a defensive midfielder, while also being able to slot in at centre back – versatility is one of the main characteristics that Villas-Boas likes in a modern day player. Capoue’s versatility will help in the short term as Spurs have problems at centre backs with concerns over Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul’s fitness, with Jan Vertonghen also out injured.
It was widely acknowledged that when Sandro injured his knee in the 0-0 draw to QPR back in January, Spurs lost their steel in midfield when Scott Parker replaced the Brazilian in defensive midfield for the second part of the season.
Although, the Frenchman has been heavily coveted over the past few seasons due to his excellent performances just in front of the back four for Toulouse – he will be seen as back up to Sandro.
Standing at 6ft 2, Capoue is an imposing figure on the football pitch, but also has the capabilities of being able to read the game, averaging 2.6 interceptions per Ligue 1 game last season – a total of 87 interceptions, the same amount of interceptions as Sandro and bettered Parker’s interceptions by 37. Capoue made 2.4 tackles per game, 81 in total – compared to Sandro’s 72 total tackles and Scott Parker’s 52.
One element to look at is the amount of games the trio played; Capoue made a total of 34 Ligue 1 appearances; Sandro made 22 appearances and Scott Parker made 15 appearances.
The imposing figure is overlooked at times, as Capoue is capable of scoring goals, creating assists and dictating play from the anchorman position.
According to WhoScored.com – Ettiene Capoue averaged 10 more passes per game than any other team-mate, at 63.9 passes per game – a passing accuracy of 80.8%, compared to Sandro’s passing accuracy of 84.6% and Parker’s 83.35% pass completion, although, again, the latter played less games which can be taken into account.
Also, since Capoue made his debut for Toulouse in the 2008/2009 season, no Ligue 1 side have conceded fewer goals than Toulouse in this period (160).
Capoue has added goals to his game, in the 2012/2013 season from defensive midfield – the Frenchman scored 7 goals and created 3 goals for his team-mates – Sandro scored one and assisted two, while Scott Parker assisted one and didn’t manage to net in his 15 Premier League games.
The 25 year old midfielder made his French debut in a friendly against Uraguay in August 2012, since then Capoue has been capped a further four times and scored his first international goal versus Belarus in a 3-1 win in September 2012.
Although he will face a battle for the defensive midfield position in Spurs first XI, this is a crucial time for Capoue’s professional career with the World Cup next year. But the 25 year old can add his influence to Premier League games, and more importantly games in the UEFA Europa League.
