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Mousa Dembele

I think cleaner is diers give and go

Dembele doesn't do that much. What he does is beat half the opposition before giving a relatively simple pass

I don't think he has the clever pass in his locker, but then how many players have what he has dribbling wise or ball retention wise?!?

Dier has been a revolution but plays the role differently to Dembele but as effectively
That was certainly true today. Case in point being that Dembele didn't drop in between the CBs like Dier normally does.
 
Demeble can move the ball forward better than Dier. Running with the ball, turning people. He can play further forward. He always ghosts past players in the midfield - but never seems to against defenders - a back 4. Can Poch get Dembele taking on the last man and shooting or crossing with accuracy? You never know.

He's definitely a talented player we should keep if we can.
 
Demeble can move the ball forward better than Dier. Running with the ball, turning people. He can play further forward. He always ghosts past players in the midfield - but never seems to against defenders - a back 4. Can Poch get Dembele taking on the last man and shooting or crossing with accuracy? You never know.

He's definitely a talented player we should keep if we can.

I haven't looked at the stats but my impression from watching today was that Dier's passing has been a lot more aggressive from CM than Dembele's was today
 
I haven't looked at the stats but my impression from watching today was that Dier's passing has been a lot more aggressive from CM than Dembele's was today

True. Dier has really impressed with his range of passing. Dembele also hit a tidy crossfield ball today and his passing was decent. But Dembele excels carrying the ball - when he's pressured. Bale loved space, he'd get up a head of steam and no one could touch him. Dembele, a similar size to Bale, likes to be harried! He doesn't exploit space but comes into his own with two men on him! It's like Dembele uses opponents tackles to bounce off and push him on. It can be effective in a game like today leaving people on the turf!

I guess its due to his physical attributes: Bale has pace so space was his friend, whereas Dembele has strength, so comes into his own when holding people off, turning them, and more often than not leaving them stumbling around!.

With Dier back, it would be interesting to see Dembele back on the right wing. I think Poch has unfinished business with Dembele...
 
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True. Dier has really impressed with his range of passing. Dembele also hit a tidy crossfield ball today and his passing was decent. But Dembele excels carrying the ball - when he's pressured. Bale loved space, he'd get up a head of steam and no one could touch him. Dembele, a similar size to Bale, likes to be harried! He doesn't exploit space but comes into his own with two men on him! It's like Dembele uses opponents tackles to bounce off and push him on. It can be effective in a game like today leaving people on the turf!

I guess its due to his physical attributes: Bale has pace so space was his friend, whereas Dembele has strength, so comes into his own when holding people off, turning them, and more often than not leaving them stumbling around!.

With Dier back, it would be interesting to see Dembele back on the right wing. I think Poch has unfinished business with Dembele...

He does and that is why he does not have a future as a central midfielder under Poch because he wants his midfielders to pass quickly and aggressively, not run with the ball.

I think that he is really useful as cover for the three behind the striker and he might get more chances if Chadli is out for a while but he is not enough of a goal threat and he is not as good at interchanging as the other options in these positions, to make himself a first choice.
 
He does and that is why he does not have a future as a central midfielder under Poch because he wants his midfielders to pass quickly and aggressively, not run with the ball.

I think that he is really useful as cover for the three behind the striker and he might get more chances if Chadli is out for a while but he is not enough of a goal threat and he is not as good at interchanging as the other options in these positions, to make himself a first choice.

Didn't he start the season as first choice on the right? Keeping Lamela out the team? While you are probably right, I think Poch has laid down a target for Dembele - this is his season to take his game to the next level. And to be fair Dembele has performed in every game he's played so far this season. I think his best position might be coming in off the wing. where he can use his ability on the ball.
 
Didn't watch the game but heard that at times Dembele's ability to hold onto the ball and dribble took in more than one Liverpool player at a time and helped us overcome their organised press. Was this true?
 
Didn't watch the game but heard that at times Dembele's ability to hold onto the ball and dribble took in more than one Liverpool player at a time and helped us overcome their organised press. Was this true?

Yes. He also won his fair share taking the ball off Liverpool players' toes.
 
Showed why he is our best individual CM today. Liverpool's level of pressing today meant we would see those Spurs players with technical ability and a quick brain.
 
Didn't he start the season as first choice on the right? Keeping Lamela out the team? While you are probably right, I think Poch has laid down a target for Dembele - this is his season to take his game to the next level. And to be fair Dembele has performed in every game he's played so far this season. I think his best position might be coming in off the wing. where he can use his ability on the ball.

Lamela played this summer, Dembele didn't. So I think that it is difficult to tell whether he was keeping him out of the team by preference.

I suspect that he will be sold. I do not think that he is going to be able to force his way into the first 11, and he is going to want first team football ahead of the Euros.
 
I had given up on him, for the same reasons as you. He's an 'almost' player. But this season Dembele has fire in his belly. He is performing and in a tough game today where pool outran us, closed down everything, he was key to our midfield which sometimes looks over run. He was holding off 2 or 3 players and releasing the ball.

I get that Poch wants fast passing, but it can be very helpful having someone who can hold people off and pass forward - rather than go backward which ends up with Lloris kicking.

So on this season so far, I've changed my view - Dembele needs to build on this promising start. Hopefully take his marauding runs into the box. He can be a key for us, as he was today.
 
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I had given up on him, for the same reasons as you. He's an 'almost' player. But this season Dembele has fire in his belly. He is performing and in a tough game today where pool outran us, closed down everything, he was key to our midfield which sometimes looks over run. He was holding off 2 or 3 players and releasing the ball.

I get that Poch wants fast passing, but it can very helpful having someone who can hold people off and pass forward - rather than go backward which ends up with Lloris kicking.

So on this season so far, I've changed my view - Dembele needs to build on this promising start. Hopefully take his marauding runs into the box. He can be a key player for us.

I don't think that he is going to be able to force his way into the team when everyone is fit and I do not think that he will be happy sitting on the bench. I like Dembele but that is how I see it.
 
Outstanding today. Scary good.

Him and Dier will HAVE to be our central midfield pairing. Regardless of whether or not they lack creativity or not. Both there on merit now.

Chadli going off is now an excuse to finally drop him. Alli to play behind Kane and infront of Dembele/Dier with Eriksen and Lamela either side.
 
I think Dembele's problem was he was too happy sitting on the bench or playing within himself in the team. Not pushing himself essentially. Poch seems to be on that now, demanding more from him. Asking him to work harder and show more. If Dembele can keep doing that and take his game forward - literally into the box - then he will warrant a place.

We need an older figure in there. Okay he's only 28 is he? But at least its one older head.
 
I think Dembele was absolutely instrumental for us against Liverpool. One of the few really standout performances in a really scrappy game and the reason was that he simply did not lose the ball and actually did his job which was to make us defensively solid. He did it in a completely different way to Dier, but with the same success. His composure when being pressed is what stood out for me. He did not become sloppy and it actually made him play better.

In a squad of footballers you need variety of players. Dembele is a bit of a one-off and this season he has had some very good games. I hope he gets a new contract and I hope he goes on and proves a lot of the doubters wrong. Quite how he gets criticism when other players don't, despite playing better than them shows to me that there is serious bias against him.
 
I think Dembele was absolutely instrumental for us against Liverpool. One of the few really standout performances in a really scrappy game and the reason was that he simply did not lose the ball and actually did his job which was to make us defensively solid. He did it in a completely different way to Dier, but with the same success. His composure when being pressed is what stood out for me. He did not become sloppy and it actually made him play better.

In a squad of footballers you need variety of players. Dembele is a bit of a one-off and this season he has had some very good games. I hope he gets a new contract and I hope he goes on and proves a lot of the doubters wrong. Quite how he gets criticism when other players don't, despite playing better than them shows to me that there is serious bias against him.
Yes yes yes. Great post Gazza.
 
People like to talk about how he doesn't move play forward quickly etc...

But when you sucker in 2 players, mug them both off and play the ball, you have just taken 2 players out of what is ordinarily a very congested area. That will prove massively valuable at times this season - especially against the big boys.
 
People like to talk about how he doesn't move play forward quickly etc...

But when you sucker in 2 players, mug them both off and play the ball, you have just taken 2 players out of what is ordinarily a very congested area. That will prove massively valuable at times this season - especially against the big boys.

But only if you keep the ball moving forward and don't turn around and keep running with it in random directions.
 
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