Steffen
Well-Known Member
- Aug 31, 2012
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Player Watch Player Watch: Dejan Kulusevski
- Thread starter Archibald&Crooks
- Start date
MightySpurs
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- Aug 18, 2012
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What a positive surprise Kulusevski have been.
see what a difference a intelligent footballer gives you. Thought in every decision he makes.
see what a difference a intelligent footballer gives you. Thought in every decision he makes.
C0YS
Just another member
- Jul 9, 2007
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Not cretins no, but Juve fans are very impatient and quick to judge, often very happy to actively hate on players. As someone who knows a lot of them and kind of is one. Kulusevski wasn't awful, he was just a young kid playing in a new team without a serious run of games, constantly being played in different positions without a routine and a style of play (4-4-2 under Pirlo) which really didn't suit him at all.
I think Juve mismanaged Kulusevski slightly, but also, like many fans even here, didn't take into account that they'd signed a player who only had 40 professional games under his belt, and needed to adjust to a lot of different and new things.
It's true he suits Spurs more than Juventus but Juventus didn't make the most of his talents at all, and he could have easily come good for them with time. But Juve fans complaining is what they do, the funniest thing of all is Juve's quite open hostility towards Higuain. The guy scored a lot of goals before age did its thing and was a major part in pushing them to the CL final but fans I know seem to hate him.
I don't think it's actually that surprising that Juventus have regressed since Higuain left, and not because he was awesome or anything, but because they've been crying out for an out and out striker for a long time. Okay, Ronaldo got the goals, but what he didn't do was other centre forward shit. Hold up the ball, bring people into play, and give control and structure to the attack.
To bring it back to Kulusevski, that's sort of the kind of player he thrives on playing with, but he didn't have that. He's not Chiesa who can create chances out of nothing for himself and others, he kinda needs other people to play with. What he had was being part of a dysfunctional team with Ronaldo, a dysfunction Juve are still a long way from sorting out.
There is another thing. Juve are often a team where talented young players come to die. Bernardeschi, is a great example, he comes in as a creative attacking midfielder with wonderful technique an exciting talent who was the fulcrum of a decent Fiorentina team. He is still there, but, he was constantly played out of position, he wasn't given many regular minutes and lost confidence somewhere through that whole process. He has survived somehow by reinventing himself as a functional adaptable player, but what a waste of talent.
A lot of this comes from the culture of the club. You are at Juve, you be good or get lost, and there is very little structures of development. Who was the last homegrown player to make it at Juve? I think it was Marchisio, and he only broke into the squad because Juve were in serie B. Some young players bought by Juve do succeed, but they do have a culture of not being good at developing youth and expecting performances very quickly.
This has actually been part of the issue in general with the failures to develop Italian talent, the top clubs, particularly Juventus, invest nothing into developing their players, just loan them out and hope they somehow come good, and talent goes to waste. Like Chelsea, they often keep massive number of players on the books and don't help young players find stability in a club to actually be able to develop. Thank fuck you have Atalanta in Italy, whose essential success, comes from just knowing how to invest in youth, not so much in money, but in time. This shouldn't actually be allowed to happen, keeping in mind they share a catchment Zone with the Milan clubs, and probably a bit of Juventus too, but the failures of youth development at the top clubs in Italy have allowed for Atalanta to profit. Milan and Inter seemed to have learned from this lesson, and know they too put a lot more faith in the development of young players. Juventus, still way behind.
So to conclude, yes, Kulusevski didn't perform to unrealistic Juventus expectation, but his failings there run much deeper than simply 'he didn't perform but a culture around the top Italian clubs, particularly Juventus, around youth development as a whole.
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ultimateloner
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- Jan 25, 2004
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This may have already been said to death so I'm sorry to have to add some observations/opinions.
1) Conte deserves credit because Kulu is playing with confid, the sort that comes from a coach's backing. You can tell from the way he tries to beat his marker.
2) His back-tracking has improved. This was a red signal for me when he first joined (allowed a goal, can't remember which, from failing to track back).
3) His technique, hold-up play and intelligence are good, and are his key qualities. This makes him consistent. However I also think he currently lacks tools against a low-block, and I dont know what the answer is here. Maybe go down the 'left-footed long shot' route aka Kane and Son? EIther way this is likely where he has to improve.
4) He needs to stay injury-free. So far things look good; he isn't the sort of player whose style of play attracts injuries. But he's still young, and you dont know how many games his body can take at this stage.
1) Conte deserves credit because Kulu is playing with confid, the sort that comes from a coach's backing. You can tell from the way he tries to beat his marker.
2) His back-tracking has improved. This was a red signal for me when he first joined (allowed a goal, can't remember which, from failing to track back).
3) His technique, hold-up play and intelligence are good, and are his key qualities. This makes him consistent. However I also think he currently lacks tools against a low-block, and I dont know what the answer is here. Maybe go down the 'left-footed long shot' route aka Kane and Son? EIther way this is likely where he has to improve.
4) He needs to stay injury-free. So far things look good; he isn't the sort of player whose style of play attracts injuries. But he's still young, and you dont know how many games his body can take at this stage.
curlacious
Don’t look at me. I’m irrelevant.
- Aug 29, 2017
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Berbatov? Maybe not such a sudden impact
barry
Bring me Messi
- May 22, 2005
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Bluto Blutarsky
Well-Known Member
- Mar 4, 2021
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Romero?
Bentancur?
I'd argue that all three are responsible for the uptick in play and results from February on. They each have stepped into a starting role on a PL club - and not just survived, but really raised the level of the entire squad.
We don't make CL without all 3 playing as well as they did in their respective positions.
Gassin's finest
C'est diabolique
- May 12, 2010
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VDV
easley91
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- Jan 27, 2011
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Berbatov?
ChaoticBeaver
Well-Known Member
- Apr 23, 2022
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Powerful, quick, young, has skill and can hit them from a range, maybe we found our next Bale. Thanks Juve ?
Gassin's finest
C'est diabolique
- May 12, 2010
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Ha, I've only just seen this Jimmy Fallon interview, what the hell? 
Seems so surreal seeing him on there, with the sharp suit and everything.
Edit: doh... https://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/player-watch-harry-kane.77170/post-7942134
Seems so surreal seeing him on there, with the sharp suit and everything.
Edit: doh... https://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/player-watch-harry-kane.77170/post-7942134
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Ha, I've only just seen this Jimmy Fallon interview, what the hell?
Seems so surreal seeing him on there, with the sharp suit and everything.
Amazing how good his Harry Kane impression is too
Gassin's finest
C'est diabolique
- May 12, 2010
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lol, wtf!
JKendall13
Well-Known Member
- Jul 2, 2012
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Toby.
Started all 38 games in his first season and we made UCL for the first time under Pochettino. Went from 53 goals conceded in 14/15 to 35 in 15/16 which was joint first in the league. And we really were comfortably the best defensive side in the league all that season, considering we only shared first in goals conceded because of the 5-1 against Newcastle on the final day.
Also Dele going 10 goals 9 assists on that team as a 19 year old in his first Premier League season is another contender for biggest immediate impact. Easy to forget considering how things have declined, but he was an instant sensation at such a young age.
Johnny J
Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
- Aug 18, 2012
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Defeating a low block is always hard. I actually think Kulu should do well in that situation, actually, because he's a clever player who doesn't rush and who makes good decisions with the ball.
That's a big part of how City beat low blocks. Not just pace.
ultimateloner
Well-Known Member
- Jan 25, 2004
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Yeah beating low black is hard. A common problem for big teams.
City has a whole team of players who are good at moving the ball around in triangles, and picking the right moment to release a runner.
We don't have that.
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