Player Watch Player Watch: Dejan Kulusevski

[ComfortablyNumb]

Compared to Ndombele and Lo Celso, they both look far better suited to the pace and physical demands of the Premier League.

We don't really know that yet. Citeh's game is hardly about pace and physical demands. If they prosper against Leeds, or Southampton, then that would be more impressive. Burnley will be a good test.

 

[dtxspurs]

Compared to Ndombele and Lo Celso, they both look far better suited to the pace and physical demands of the Premier League.

That move to lead to the kane 1v1 he missed is the kind of thing Ndombele was capable of but couldn't do 1/2 the defensive work Bentancur did yesterday.

 

[Snarfalicious]

My Dad said the same thing yesterday.

Maybe @bigfrooj is your dad.

 

[JCRD]

We simply wouldn’t have won yesterday without him and Bentancur in the team, they give us so much more than the players they replaced. It shows that the business done in January was pretty good even if there is plenty of improvement to be made yet.

I dont think we can say that. I mean didnt we beat Man City last season? playing pretty much the same way and we also won earlier this season playign pretty much the same way. May have been without Ndombele and GLC and actually we even won without Kane.

I take the point they both played well especially Kulu and really liked how he played.

 

[Delboy75]

Said few pages back and I’ll stick by it he could play in a 2 with Bentancur. Played virtually as a midfielder yesterday. He has the physicality and technique. Although hopefully Skipp back soon but might be an interesting experiment.

 

[slartibartfast]

Maybe @bigfrooj is your dad.

Nah. You try deciferering a txt from my Dad. No way thats the same person.

 

[slartibartfast]

I dont think we can say that. I mean didnt we beat Man City last season? playing pretty much the same way and we also won earlier this season playign pretty much the same way. May have been without Ndombele and GLC and actually we even won without Kane.

I take the point they both played well especially Kulu and really liked how he played.

I think what he may have been getting at was same as what my Dad was getting at, not so much we wouldn't have won without them, more we wouldn't have won with Winks and Sanchez starting.

 

[chrisd2k]

Said few pages back and I’ll stick by it he could play in a 2 with Bentancur. Played virtually as a midfielder yesterday. He has the physicality and technique. Although hopefully Skipp back soon but might be an interesting experiment.

Dembele did it. I think centrally in a 3 not so sure about 2

 

[chrisd2k]

People moaning Kulu was slow are the same people that didn’t want Traore because he had no end product.

Having a player who isn’t all about running in behind massively helps us on the right side and we haven’t had a player like him since Eriksen, almost every passage of play, even if he wasn’t favourite, he would somehow manage to keep the ball.

Can’t wait to watch him develop on the right side with Lucas coming on in place of Kane and son/maybe royal. No reason or him not to play 90 minutes as he suits the game if we’re chasing or if we’re cruising.

Finally a signing who has come in and hit the ground running, been waiting for so long it’s just a massive relief.

Not following this train of thought... I didn't want Traore because of this fact but ain't bothered by Dejans pace. Don't see how the two things track...

 

[JCRD]

I think what he may have been getting at was same as what my Dad was getting at, not so much we wouldn't have won without them, more we wouldn't have won with Winks and Sanchez starting.

Ok I see... well i mean we would never know but I think I know one thing - if Sanchez played instead of Dier, we would have conceded more than the goals we did. Wehther we would have won is another matter.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Very interested in seeing how he gets on going forward. He seems the ideal foil for Son and Kane in the 3. I said the videos looked like a more hardworking version of last seasons Bale and yesterday was a good first step towards that.

As others have said he seems to have a nice mix of technical ability, footballing intelligence as well as decent size and work ethic. Very promising signing as with Bentancur.

 

[bigfrooj]

Nah. You try deciferering a txt from my Dad. No way thats the same person.

I‘m sure I would be proud to be your father. What’s a txt?

 

[Pallyali]

I do not believe those running stats. No way Son ran a lot less than Kane. Son was back doubling up with Sess as an extra LB every City attack and then was sprinting past Kane on the counter. Son covered a lot of ground yesterday.

He was subbed right?

 

[DJS]

Said few pages back and I’ll stick by it he could play in a 2 with Bentancur. Played virtually as a midfielder yesterday. He has the physicality and technique. Although hopefully Skipp back soon but might be an interesting experiment.

No, just no.

 

[Aay_Jay_Dee]

Happy with what I saw but if I am being honest the jury is still out for me. Feel Bentancur has shown a lot more promise so far. Kulu has still looked decent but he's clearly still apprehensive. Strikes me as a player that needs to play with confidence to release his full potential. Not exactly pacey either. However clearly has talent and good technique. Still early days and is promising. He's also only 21 ffs so we need patience.

 

[The Apprentice]

In both Kulusevski and Bentancur, it's refreshing to sign a couple of players who are still capable of running around in the 97th minute. Have a look at the lead up to the final whistle. A ball dinked down the line and Kulu puts in a good 50/60 yard sprint to try and compete for the ball. That's next level endurance.

 

[cjbyid]

To cover the distance he did against the best team in England and still being so new to the league is very impressive, even lasting the full 100mins.

Same for Bentacur.

Not an easy thing to do.

 

[mil1lion]

How could Hugo run 5 Km?

By not being Ndombele

 

[davidmatzdorf]

When I heard we were after Kulusevski, I took quite a bit of time and watched multiple compilations of his play, in part because he's the kind of player I like and I was enjoying it.

The one thing that stood out for me was his calmness and lack of panic or hurry, especially when shooting and scoring. In nearly all the goals I saw, he stroked or passed the ball into the net with precision and no drama, usually into a corner.

I found it greatly heartening that, when Son set him up for his first Spurs chance, four minutes into his first start, he did exactly the same: stroked the ball precisely through Cancelo's legs and into the goal.

He's not slow, as some twat was obstinately insisting in another thread the other day, but he's not a speedster either. He has a decent turn of pace and, judging by his assist after 95 minutes, he has substantial stamina as well. What he has that is equally important is calmness and that's worth a step of pace. He doesn't flap and he doesn't dither. He makes a decision and delivers the ball. As the saying goes, he plays with his head up.

He doesnt appear to be affected by the occasion, by pressure. He sees the ball, he doesn't panic and he plays the ball. As well as scoring his goal 4 minutes into his first start, he was able to stand up a precise, unhurried cross for the winner an hour and a half of football later.

He doesn't play anything like Christian Eriksen, but I can see why he likes to play as a no. 10. He sees the game well and his brain is ahead of his feet.

He's only 21. I think he has enormous potential as a seriously influential player.

 

[matthew.absurdum]

Confirmation that Conte did want Deki when he was in Inter