Player Watch Player Watch: Dejan Kulusevski

[Ribble]

I feel like Kulusevski is suffering from a lack of rotation throughout the season. Everyone else has been injured at some point so he's had to play nearly every game. He's probably knackered.

Yeah that's what I think more likely, especially given how physical his game is overall. There was a point mid-season when he had run the furthest of any player in the PL and he's only had a few days out at most since.

 

[keithtighe93]

I think we need to relax here.

Yeah, he’s clearly not a fit for the system as a wide man, but he’s not a shit player.

Granted his last few appearances have been shit, but he’ll come good again soon.

Long term, for me, he has no role here, good squad player for now though

 

[Styopa]

I think we need to relax here.

Yeah, he’s clearly not a fit for the system as a wide man, but he’s not a shit player.

Granted his last few appearances have been shit, but he’ll come good again soon.

Long term, for me, he has no role here, good squad player for now though

He’s also still learning. He’s 23, will be 24 this month. We think of him as a senior player but he’s still one of the younger players who play regularly: he’s just a year older than van de Ven and Johnson, for example. He’s younger than virtually every other player who starts regularly other than Udogie and Sarr. Werner, Richarlison, Maddison, Bissouma are all 3 or 4 years older than him.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

He's just out of form. It's not uncommon for young players to go through these patches. He's got too much quality for him to be permanently written off.

 

[kernowspurscoach1977]

I’d love to see how bare our squad was if everytime a good player has a dip in form we sold them!!

 

[easley91]

I’d love to see how bare our squad was if everytime a good player has a dip in form we sold them!!

Would only be the CBs and Vicario.

 

[dontcallme]

I’d love to see how bare our squad was if everytime a good player has a dip in form we sold them!!

I really don't think it is simply about a dip in form. His suitability to play as a winger in Ange's team has been questioned all season.

 

[mil1lion]

I’d love to see how bare our squad was if everytime a good player has a dip in form we sold them!!

It's ok we'll sign a replacement so we can moan about them when they dip in form until they get sold too

 

[mil1lion]

I really don't think it is simply about a dip in form. His suitability to play as a winger in Ange's team has been questioned all season.

He was fine in the system earlier in the season though. It's just that teams have adjusted now and leave little space so they sit off and counter us. It's the new blueprint to playing us and players like Kulusevski and Maddison are suffering while pacey players like Werner and Johnson are thriving more. We just have to find the answers in these games to make it work for those type of players as well.

 

[G Ron]

If Richarlison is out long term I’d seriously consider playing Deki up top centrally. He’s a physical presence who can hold the ball up and play with his back to goal. His stint away at Luton was fantastic and so he can do it. We need a focal point against the low block teams and it frees Sonny up to play wide again.

Not the long term solution of course, but definitely an option.

 

[jurgen]

He's proved his quality plenty of times, particularly in the big games against better teams where his strength on the ball is a huge asset.

His form isn't good, but the idea of selling him is silly.

He's also rarely injured, and can run for the full 100+ minutes of a typical premier league game, week after week, which is very helpful for a top squad.

 

[mil1lion]

If Richarlison is out long term I’d seriously consider playing Deki up top centrally. He’s a physical presence who can hold the ball up and play with his back to goal. His stint away at Luton was fantastic and so he can do it. We need a focal point against the low block teams and it frees Sonny up to play wide again.

Not the long term solution of course, but definitely an option.

I don't think we'll play a low block for a bit now though

 

[dontcallme]

He was fine in the system earlier in the season though. It's just that teams have adjusted now and leave little space so they sit off and counter us. It's the new blueprint to playing us and players like Kulusevski and Maddison are suffering while pacey players like Werner and Johnson are thriving more. We just have to find the answers in these games to make it work for those type of players as well.

There were plenty of posts early in the season questioning his suitability for the winger role.

 

[mil1lion]

There were plenty of posts early in the season questioning his suitability for the winger role.

Yeah but there's plenty of posts about a lot of bollocks

End of the day every team will have technical players like Deki. We do need players who bring something different otherwise we'll be too predictable. If we always play pace out wide teams will adjust again. It's just about adapting so if Kulusevski plays we know he'll come inside and we won't have the same width or he can play infield. He's a good option who is struggling for confidence and struggling against defensive teams.

 

[bubble07]

I'm sure he isn't but he looks a little overweight

 

[ikky]

I remember people were debating who was better, him or Saka? and whether we got lucky in missing out on luis Diaz and getting Kulu instead. And for the first 6 months you could easily argue we had the best player of the 3, but since his initial promise he seems to have regressed quite a lot and the other 2 aforementioned players are easily ahead of him.

 

[djhotspur]

I really don't think it is simply about a dip in form. His suitability to play as a winger in Ange's team has been questioned all season.

Also, the guy played half a good season under conte, plus 1 good season at palma… so is this form not is natural whereas those other two were him playing above himself?
I like Kulu he has some talent but I do think we need to be ruthless in building a squad that can compete and suits ange.

 

[djhotspur]

Yeah but there's plenty of posts about a lot of bollocks

End of the day every team will have technical players like Deki. We do need players who bring something different otherwise we'll be too predictable. If we always play pace out wide teams will adjust again. It's just about adapting so if Kulusevski plays we know he'll come inside and we won't have the same width or he can play infield. He's a good option who is struggling for confidence and struggling against defensive teams.

I don’t mind players who cut inside, but the issue is Kulu doesn’t really do it effectively, his shooting is pretty poor if I’m honest. If he was able to cut in and curl it top bins then great but he doesn’t

 

[whitechina]

On the one hand I really like and appreciate him, but many times in the past we could sell players and we held kn too long.
Depending on what Ange wants, who is available and the finances~ we should have an open mind with most of our players.
Some will leave who all supporters like, but ultimately it is a squad game and we have to believe this time the club knows what it is doing.
If a good offer comes in that suits us I can see him moving on this summer (like it or not)

 

[Yantino]

I absolutely love Kulusevski. He's going through a poor run of form at the moment, but I'm not so short sighted that I forget how unplayable he has been at times.

He's still very young and raw and needs to work out his best position. He's going to be a huge part of our success in the squad.