A question of the CM2

[TheHoddleWaddle]

What I would be interested to see, is the debate around who would people like to see as the main CM2 pairing. After a stellar performance by Alli and Dier today it makes for an interesting conundrum for Poch, when the likes of Mason, Bentaleb and Dembele are back to full fitness.

Personally, i would like to see Mason restored along side Dier. Mason perhaps offering more going forwards. Which will be hugely effective along side Dier, giving the front 3 more support.

But where does this leave an in form Bentaleb? Or Dembele? Especially considering the likes of Carroll and Winks breathing down their necks for playing time.

A lot will depend on tired legs and players filling in. But what about tactically? Would the CM2 need changing depending on the opposition? Perhaps we should have a more attacking CM2 for the games against the likes of Stoke, who park the bus. Mason / Alli?

 

[lol]

simply sell dembele

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

simply sell dembele

He can be used in the AM3 though. Would you not keep him to slot in there? But generally, I am thinking he may be surplus in the long run.

 

[thinktank]

Dier/Alli
Dier/Mason

For now that's my preference..

Dembele could well come back and be a good option next to Dier for some games and Bentaleb could find form again and give us a further option.

Very nice squad options we have now. So fucking exciting.

Long season, lots of games. Good to have the depth of cover we do.

 

[Hazelton]

Dier alongside whoever is doing well at the time.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Dier/Alli
Dier/Mason

For now that's my preference..

Dembele could well come back and be a good option next to Dier for some games and Bentaleb could find form again and give us a further option.

Very nice squad options we have now. So fucking exciting.

Long season, lots of games. Good to have the depth of cover we do.

What about those teams that stick 11 men behind the ball leaving us needing a more creative spark to find the net?

 

[thinktank]

What about those teams that stick 11 men behind the ball leaving us needing a more creative spark to find the net?

Alli or mason driving forward to assist the 4 attackers should be fine. I think the A3 is more important in that respect.

 

[Dharmabum]

Interesting topic (maybe partly because I was just thinking about it right now and then I saw the topic headline ).
Before the season started the CMF was a huge concern for several reasons....the 3 main being:
-No quality DM
-No quality box-to-box CM
-Concern about OMF (mainly Erksen not being constant enough).
But Dier has proved most, if not all (even Levy and Poch ) wrong; and when Bentaleb is match-fit there will be a stiff competition - but only if Bentaleb manage to step up his game.
Both Alli and Mason have had outstanding games this season.
Dembele has been far from as bad as a few on SC make it look like.
Now it just remains to be seen if Prtichard too can make the step up and if Carroll can keep on improving.
It is hard to say who's the better between Alli and Mason right now; I am glad it is Poch's decision.
To day's game is a squad game based on rotation so as long as all players are no fire I am not that concerned about who starts...

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Alli or mason driving forward to assist the 4 attackers should be fine. I think the A3 is more important in that respect.

It does highlight the point that the question more of, Who plays along side Dier? Not sure I thought i'd be saying that at the start of the season.

 

[thinktank]

Interesting topic (maybe partly because I was just thinking about it right now and then I saw the topic headline ).
Before the season started the CMF was a huge concern for several reasons....the 3 main being:
-No quality DM
-No quality box-to-box CM
-Concern about OMF (mainly Erksen not being constant enough).
But Dier has proved most, if not all (even Levy and Poch ) wrong; and when Bentaleb is match-fit there will be a stiff competition - but only if Bentaleb manage to step up his game.
Both Alli and Mason have had outstanding games this season.
Dembele has been far from as bad as a few on SC make it look like.
Now it just remains to be seen if Prtichard too can make the step up and if Carroll can keep on improving.
It is hard to say who's the better between Alli and Mason right now; I am glad it is Poch's decision.
To day's game is a squad game based on rotation so as long as all players are no fire I am not that concerned about who starts...

Jesus christ I keep forgetting about him; what a squad we have to work with this season.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Thats the thing, we have some serious competition for that Cm2 spot. Can only be good.

 

[oskathegobshite]

Dier and Alli cannot be dropped at the minute. Hopefully Mason, Bentaleb, Dembele and Pritchard waiting in the wings will ensure all the midfielders are competing with each other and pushing each other on to new heights

 

[npearl4spurs]

simply sell dembele

100% agree. Dembele is definitely not good enough for the AM3 now with all our options there. Even more so when Pritchard comes back into the fold.

I think Dembele on his day can be Dier's backup in the Europa league. But he deserves to be playing more than that, which is why we should sell him if he wants to go

 

[MendD3]

We are so well covered for cm it is insane now.

Dier has been an absolute revelation, DM is definitely his best position, physically he's an absolute monster, very strong and even faster, a great player to defend a counter attack

I think Alli is so similar to Jenas its insane, lets hope he carries his form better than Jenas. Mason is another developing into a similar mould of a ex Spur in Scotty Parker. Bentaleb is another gem, never forgetting how he bossed Chelsea last year and Tom Carroll seems to have bulked up and could potentially be the best of the lot!! Dembele will be wondering where he fits in.

 

[ClintEastwould]

Dier - Mason

First choice for me. Never been a huge Bentaleb fan and Alli seems to do well as a sub for now. Dembele to be used further forward if at all or in big matches for possession retaining.

 

[raggy]

I don't even see how Dembele is in the conversation. Pochettino has shown time and again he doesn't like him playing as part of the mid two. Poch would pick Carroll in the mid two before he put Dembele there.

Dembele will get games on the right where we can use his hold up play and ball retention, I doubt we see him in the mid two in a Spurs shirt ever again.

 

[lukespurs7]

Just such good competition for places. My worry would be that aside from Dier who is now one of the first names on the teamsheet and is an absolute rock in there who else can play the DM role like he can if he's injured. I'd not trust Mason, Dembele, Carroll, Bentaleb etc to do that, i'd trust them all to play the role next to the DM as Ali did today but I think we have 6 CM options 1 DM and 5 CM's so the answer is probably to eventually move on Dembele and replace with another DM then we'll have a better balance.

As for who to play as our first choice i would say it depends on the opposition but the top 3 combinations for me would be:
Dier + Mason
Dier + Ali
Mason + Ali
Mason + Bentaleb

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Just such good competition for places. My worry would be that aside from Dier who is now one of the first names on the teamsheet and is an absolute rock in there who else can play the DM role like he can if he's injured. I'd not trust Mason, Dembele, Carroll, Bentaleb etc to do that, i'd trust them all to play the role next to the DM as Ali did today but I think we have 6 CM options 1 DM and 5 CM's so the answer is probably to eventually move on Dembele and replace with another DM then we'll have a better balance.

As for who to play as our first choice i would say it depends on the opposition but the top 3 combinations for me would be:
Dier + Mason
Dier + Ali
Mason + Ali
Mason + Bentaleb

That's 4…..

True re Dier. He cannot play every game this season. However, there is an option to play Wimmer at CB, and bring Toby forward to the DM role. That said, Bentaleb would probably be my choice to replace Dier in the DM role, albeit as a stop gap. Toby has been too good with Jan to change it too much.

 

[lukespurs7]

That's 4…..

True re Dier. He cannot play every game this season. However, there is an option to play Wimmer at CB, and bring Toby forward to the DM role. That said, Bentaleb would probably be my choice to replace Dier in the DM role, albeit as a stop gap. Toby has been too good with Jan to change it too much.

Haha. After we scored 4 today for me every number = 4.

 

[Larryjanta]

I don't really see us playing a rigid 2 man CM - we have one players holding (Dier) and one roaming (Mason/Alli) but the 10 seems to drop much deeper than last season making us more of a 4-3-3. I would like to see us play Dier, Mason & Alli in some games tbh. I think Mason, Winks and Carroll are much more suited to our style than Dembele which is why, when he played, Moussa was used more advanced.