The Player Improvement Thread

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Lamela tackles from the wrong side because most of the time he's on the right if tracking back it means tackling with his right which is even harder than passing and shooting with your wrong foot
It's quite a hard skill to learn properly.

I've never thought of that. Good observation.

 

[thinktank]

I would like to hear what people have to say about the off the ball movement.

I think it could really improve more.

That was really evident against WB. I think we're doing much better in this regard in previous games. We seemed to not know how to deal with WB's physicality and it fazed us.

We also need to stop crowding around the 18yard box, passing it around there without anyone making short vertical runs to break through and penetrate.

 

[thinktank]

Lamela tackles from the wrong side because most of the time he's on the right if tracking back it means tackling with his right which is even harder than passing and shooting with your wrong foot
It's quite a hard skill to learn properly.

I've mentioned that before, which is why I think the best thing for him is to over-run the oppo., get goal side and then once in a better position, time a tackle and make a nuisance of himself. He tends to be impatient and feels he has to hack away asap. He doesn't.

Much better for him to develop a habit of getting onside and muting the oppo. and be in a better position to challenge for the ball.

 

[Lemon]

Lamela takes a mean corner and is much more consistent with them. He should be on them more than Christian imo.

Also Eriksen is an ideal edge of the box prowler, like Scholes.

 

[Mr Pink]

Fazio deserves a shout.

Hasn't put a foot wrong.

 

[millsey]

I'd like to see Rose and Walker improve their crossing.

Absoulotly this! How many times do they both get right up in the opposite box, unopposed, only to just cross to no one. Again and again!

 

[thinktank]

Absoulotly this! How many times do they both get right up in the opposite box, unopposed, only to just cross to no one. Again and again!

I'd say Rose is the main one doing that, though. Walker simply doesn't get enough crosses in and needs to be braver and more positive.

I'm happy to wait on Walker bringing that in though (not too long, mind) as I'm extremely grateful that he's calmed down on the crazy so much at the back.

 

[Deleted member 29446]

Eriksen:

• Attitude - he's improved a lot recently but still want more fire and aggression from him. If coco can do it, he can.

As a fellow Dane and big fan of Eriksen, this will just never ever happend.
If you moan about Eriksen when we play, which some does quiet a lot you wouldn't wanna watch a match for the danish national team where he's just soooo very poor all the time. Because his teammates is not on the same level as the players at Spurs.

+1 for the Harry Kane part, as much as a love Harry he's to selfish and greedy. Every time he gets the ball he just random shoots and it's getting annoying as fuck.

Also for Jan V i'd like to see him run forward more with the ball, he def has the quality and technique to do it.

 

[eddiev14]

Lamela should practice using his right foot and also should be braver to try his tricks to beat a man 1v1. He's shown he can do it, that bit of skill by the corner flag the other day was ridiculous.

Dembele should shoot more.

N'Jie should attempt to go on the outside and use his pace more. He's lightning.

Eriksen should focus on stepping up the intensity when the opponent gets rough like on Saturday. He should also focus more when taking corners. He's capable of the perfect delivery but sometimes I think he tries to be too clever. If he puts it in the right area it will cause a problem 99 times out of 100.

Walker, concentrate for 95 minutes. Get into the opponent's box more.

 

[Shadydan]

Nice thread this.

We can come back to it at the end of the season to see who has/hasn't improved.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Kyle Walker needs to work on adding -Peters to his surname.

Rose needs to learn how to stop crosses coming in. Needs to be more composed when he gets into forward areas.

For all that Dier has done a very solid and reliable job in the same way ManU won a title with Phil Jones doing it, I still don't see his future as a CM, when we are under pressure he tends to stop wanting the ball and for me there is just not quite enough pass move pass and guile in his game to be a top CM. Having said that, people like Marcel Desailly proved the very decent exception to that, so I'm not dismissing the idea completely, but the right partner is vital and the talented but ball dwelling Dembele or the equally non metronomic Alli are not it.

Bentaleb needs to work on the defensive positioning and diligence side of his game.

Mason just needs to continue to improve his final third composure when he gets there, he as excellent at this as a kid, and I think he was showing signs of this this season, coring that wonderful goal at Sunderland before getting injured.

Alli - I still don't really know what his position should be. He's not - yet any rate - dynamic and metronomic enough to be a CM2 in our CM2 and he's definitely not a "10". The boy has a real pitch presence though, a handy knack of getting into the box and clearly has ability. Right side of a 433 would be ideal right now, giving him less responsibility than in a 4231 and allow him to bomb forward from deeper positions, but at 19 he has time to develop so who knows. Lampard played in 4231's at times, but he needed some of the best footballing busy ****'s next to him and a manager that tolerates no slacking anywhere to accommodate him there.

Lamela - Signs already this year of him settling down and doing simple things instead of trying to hard to do the difficult. Needs to keep doing this, mixing it up with his moments of flair and risk taking.

Eriksen - I still think he needs to succeed with that incisive final killer pass more often than he succeeds with it now. Other than that he's a vital component for us.

Kane - He's got to stop trying to be Lional Messi and running around three players. And a bit of greedy is OK, but he's got to learn there are times when it's better for the team if he gives it to someone in a much better position.

Dembele - Whilst I think he's had a couple of outstanding games in Cm this season, I really prefer his dribbling to be done in the final third as one of the AM's. It's pointless saying "if he's going to play in Cm he has to move the ball much, much quicker" because it's just not in his DNA. He'll never be that type of player. His work ethic and tenacity suits Pochettino though.

 

[thinktank]

Eriksen:

• Attitude - he's improved a lot recently but still want more fire and aggression from him. If coco can do it, he can.

As a fellow Dane and big fan of Eriksen, this will just never ever happend.
If you moan about Eriksen when we play, which some does quiet a lot you wouldn't wanna watch a match for the danish national team where he's just soooo very poor all the time. Because his teammates is not on the same level as the players at Spurs.

+1 for the Harry Kane part, as much as a love Harry he's to selfish and greedy. Every time he gets the ball he just random shoots and it's getting annoying as fuck.

Also for Jan V i'd like to see him run forward more with the ball, he def has the quality and technique to do it.

I figured as much, with Eriksen, that that was what the manager was on about. It shouldn't matter if his national team-mates aren't up to scratch for him, he should be the one leading the passion in that case and driving them on.

He has to do some mental work on this imo. He has it in him, he just has to find it.

Need to see the tiger come out.

Irt Jan, he's ranged forward more this season than I've seen him do in a very long time. toby really has brought the best out of him. And I'd definitely use him as a back-up DM in an emergency. He's very cute on the ball when he wants to be. He's a tekkers dark horse.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I'd say Rose is the main one doing that, though. Walker simply doesn't get enough crosses in and needs to be braver and more positive.

I'm happy to wait on Walker bringing that in though (not too long, mind) as I'm extremely grateful that he's calmed down on the crazy so much at the back.

Walker just doesn't trust his own technique in those circumstances. It happens about five times a game, he just has to take a steadying touch and by then the chance has gone.

 

[Deleted member 29446]

I figured as much, with Eriksen, that that was what the manager was on about. It shouldn't matter if his national team-mates aren't up to scratch for him, he should be the one leading the passion in that case and driving them on.

He has to do some mental work on this imo. He has it in him, he just has to find it.

Need to see the tiger come out.

Irt Jan, he's ranged forward more this season than I've seen him do in a very long time. toby really has brought the best out of him. And I'd definitely use him as a back-up DM in an emergency. He's very cute on the ball when he wants to be. He's a tekkers dark horse.

Eriksen mentality is fucked up somehow, in Denmark we're spoiled ten times more than most other country's in the world. We're to nice to people to say the least. Currently a big problem for danish upcoming talents in football. Also most danish footballers get homesick.

People in Denmark dont think Eriksen will come much further than Tottenham because of his personality. He has been compared to Michael Laudrup 100 times and mentioned in the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. That's a big problem for Eriksen and i hope someone can help him fulfill his potential, maybe some kind of mental-coach could do the job. Hopefully he will stay at Spurs many years and achieve his goals here.

Dont you mean Toby on the DM instead of Vert?
A position he has played before.

 

[thinktank]

Walker just doesn't trust his own technique in those circumstances. It happens about five times a game, he just has to take a steadying touch and by then the chance has gone.

Iirc he never used to be so tentative. He even plays negative when he's in motion towards the FB and he checks and passes lateral or back. Needs to take the bull by the horns up there and be a nuisance and continual test the FB.. It's crucial we get width and balls into the 'kill zone' from our FBs or we become too predictable.

This is also why we end up spread around the 18yard box so much trying to unlock a defense (invariably, without anyone making vertical runs to pick the lock).

I'm sure poch is onto this but we need to improve aspects of our game, like this, to take us to the next level,

 

[thinktank]

Eriksen mentality is fucked up somehow, in Denmark we're spoiled ten times more than most other country's in the world. We're to nice to people to say the least. Currently a big problem for danish upcoming talents in football. Also most danish footballers get homesick.

People in Denmark dont think Eriksen will come much further than Tottenham because of his personality. He has been compared to Michael Laudrup 100 times and mentioned in the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. That's a big problem for Eriksen and i hope someone can help him fulfill his potential, maybe some kind of mental-coach could do the job.

Dont you mean Toby on the DM instead of Vert?
A position he has played before.

He's very passive, that was evident from the start. Interesting insight on Danish players in general there, too. Hopefully poch works his magic on him and steadily brings consistency of rage into his game.

Oh, and Toby is a given. I said Verts in an 'emergency'.

I'd actually like to see Dier and Toby play CM in a crucial game against tough opponents. Toby's distribution is amazing. Could be a real asset in some games next to Dier. And could stick CCV next to Verts for such a game. That would be a very strong spine with Lloris behind it and you'd still get good artistry from Toby in the middle.

 

[thinktank]

Kyle Walker needs to work on adding -Peters to his surname.

 

[guate]

I find all the information above regarding Eriksen interesting as I really, really like the guy and enjoy the creativity he brings to the team. However for my tuppence worth I'd love to see him grow a pair instead of shying away from 50/50 balls (anyone remember the Yaya Toure incident a while back) and get stuck in a bit more.

 

[thinktank]

I find all the information above regarding Eriksen interesting as I really, really like the guy and enjoy the creativity he brings to the team. However for my tuppence worth I'd love to see him grow a pair instead of shying away from 50/50 balls (anyone remember the Yaya Toure incident a while back) and get stuck in a bit more.

It's the difference between being him and being Willian, for example. I'm a big admirer of Willian and he's consistently been Chelsea's best player this season imo. He wasn't that tenacious when he first came to the prem but he's certainly added that to his skillet and he's a great player.

Eriksen has to realise that he could still be much better. Needs to refresh his mentality and set the bar very high for himself and dig deep and push himself.

 

[fletch82]

Lamela should practice using his right foot and also should be braver to try his tricks to beat a man 1v1. He's shown he can do it, that bit of skill by the corner flag the other day was ridiculous.

Dembele should shoot more.

N'Jie should attempt to go on the outside and use his pace more. He's lightning.

Eriksen should focus on stepping up the intensity when the opponent gets rough like on Saturday. He should also focus more when taking corners. He's capable of the perfect delivery but sometimes I think he tries to be too clever. If he puts it in the right area it will cause a problem 99 times out of 100.

Walker, concentrate for 95 minutes. Get into the opponent's box more.

Useing your opposite foot for lamela is more than likely a confidence issue
I am sure he can use it but it's more about training your mind then just having a practice
Do you ever try to write with your wrong hand ? It's just not natural it feels awkward and normally at adult age is a incredibly difficult thing to learn

It's why we now try to teach kids as young as possible to use both feet so it becomes a normal thing for the mind to process.