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Tanguy Ndombele

This lad has undoubted skill. Though he needs to use to hurt the opposition on more regular bases.
He needs to be stationed deeper than he has been the last couple of matches. His dribbling which is top notch has more effect when he's beating a couple players in the midfield and then can play the killer ball.

Think of the first Southampton goal as the template. The past couple of games he's been starting further up the pitch so receives the ball under more pressure and and ahead of the play when we want him earlier in the move to play those killer passes as Hojbergis no where near as consistent playing them and Sissoko is incapable.
 
Sissoko is the sticking plaster on our inadequate midfield.
The blend is wrong.
Ndombele is good but I'm not sure he is what we actually need re those passes you correctly mention.
GLC is a reasonable stock midfielder but does not add that much.
Winks has turned into a nervous wreck.
PEH is very industrious and runs his socks off.
 
Sissoko is the sticking plaster on our inadequate midfield.
The blend is wrong.
Ndombele is good but I'm not sure he is what we actually need re those passes you correctly mention.
GLC is a reasonable stock midfielder but does not add that much.
Winks has turned into a nervous wreck.
PEH is very industrious and runs his socks off.
The blend is pretty damn good at the moment. We are winning games, while restricting the opposition to almost zero chances from open play. We could pick a midfield that made us a bit more expansive but that would likely expose the centre of our defence to players directly running at them and I don't think their strength lies in that. If we are drawing/losing a game late on then we have all sorts of options both in midfield and attack to come on and change our shape/approach to get us goals.
 
The blend is pretty damn good at the moment. We are winning games, while restricting the opposition to almost zero chances from open play. We could pick a midfield that made us a bit more expansive but that would likely expose the centre of our defence to players directly running at them and I don't think their strength lies in that. If we are drawing/losing a game late on then we have all sorts of options both in midfield and attack to come on and change our shape/approach to get us goals.
I genuinely think a fully fit GLC offers just as much defensively as Sissoko. Who let's be honest isn't actually much good in the defensive aspect. Constantly chasing play, rarely intercepts awful awareness. GLC intercepts better, works just as hard and as a bonus can actually pass the ball.

I await his full fitness and you will see he does everything Sissoko does and more.
 
The blend is pretty damn good at the moment. We are winning games, while restricting the opposition to almost zero chances from open play. We could pick a midfield that made us a bit more expansive but that would likely expose the centre of our defence to players directly running at them and I don't think their strength lies in that. If we are drawing/losing a game late on then we have all sorts of options both in midfield and attack to come on and change our shape/approach to get us goals.

Sorry, I'm watching a different team than you. I thought Sunday could have easily gone either way and Harry got us out of a sticky spot. WBA have poor finishers, well they are bottom.
Our midfield is energetic and runs about a bit.
 
Sorry, I'm watching a different team than you. I thought Sunday could have easily gone either way and Harry got us out of a sticky spot. WBA have poor finishers, well they are bottom.
Our midfield is energetic and runs about a bit.
Sunday was a game that ended up as a draw at worst. Jose changed to a more attacking set up in the last 20 mins for us to go and win it. It wasn't about WBA having poor finishers, it was the fact they they created zero chances.... well actually one chance in the first half when (I think it was) Grant couldn't get enough contact on a header.
 
Sunday was a game that ended up as a draw at worst. Jose changed to a more attacking set up in the last 20 mins for us to go and win it. It wasn't about WBA having poor finishers, it was the fact they they created zero chances.... well actually one chance in the first half when (I think it was) Grant couldn't get enough contact on a header.

WBA had few good headers that Loris was beaten by and fortunately went wide.

As Harry's header went in my thoughts were 'we got away with another one' and that was the same for Brighton and Burnley.
We now look constipated attacking wise.
 
I would agree that Sissoko in midfield is one of the things contributing to stifling our attacking threat these past few games - has his plus points but in games against dogged opponents I'm not sure they outweigh the negatives - Hojberg should be able to cover the defensive duties in these sorts of games, freeing up a space for a more forward thinking passer.


Of course the root of that issue is that was the intended gameplan from the manager, sacrificing attacking threat for defensive solidity - so he done his job in that regard.
 
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He needs to be stationed deeper than he has been the last couple of matches. His dribbling which is top notch has more effect when he's beating a couple players in the midfield and then can play the killer ball.

Think of the first Southampton goal as the template. The past couple of games he's been starting further up the pitch so receives the ball under more pressure and and ahead of the play when we want him earlier in the move to play those killer passes as Hojbergis no where near as consistent playing them and Sissoko is incapable.
Agreed.

We really don't want Sissoko to be the one picking up the ball from the defence or the first option on when Hojbjerg'e won the ball back.

I'd far rather he played a bit deeper and we had someone who specialises in finding space a little further ahead, like GLC or Dele. Most teams press us high, so his ability to beat the press becomes more useful there. Once he's through we need the player in front to always be in space (as GLC and Dele usually are) so that the opposition has to abandon their shape to close down.
 
WBA had few good headers that Loris was beaten by and fortunately went wide.

As Harry's header went in my thoughts were 'we got away with another one' and that was the same for Brighton and Burnley.
We now look constipated attacking wise.
No they didn’t
They had a cross Dier cleared, well but comfortably and a flick on from a corner
Brighton didn’t make Hugo make a save of note and that’s despite playing nice footy
And of course Burnley had a Kane clearance to keep them out...

I do hope this is just lockdown getting you done fella
 
I would agree that Sissoko in midfield is one of the things contributing to stifling our attacking threat these past few games - has his plus points but in games against dogged opponents I'm not sure they outweigh the negatives - Hojberg should be able to cover the defensive duties in these sorts of games, freeing up a space for a more forward thinking passer.


Of course the root of that issue is that was the intended gameplan from the manager, sacrificing attacking threat for defensive solidity - so he done his job in that regard.
Getting our defensive solidity back has been a priority after throwing away a three goal lead in ten minutes, yes.

What's next after that? More defensive solidity ad nauseum? I doubt it, but we'll see.
 
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Getting our defensive solidity back has been a priority after throwing away a three goal lead in ten minutes, yes.

What's next after that? More defensive solidity ad nauseum? I doubt it, but we'll see.

https://images.app.goo.gl/XNLqtDVAMUSDQdmR8
 
Getting our defensive solidity back has been a priority after throwing away a three goal lead in ten minutes, yes.

What's next after that? More defensive solidity ad nauseum? I doubt it, but we'll see.


Burnley and West Brom are two of the lowest scorers in the league, shooting fish in a barrel comes to mind with regards to regaining defensive solidity against those 2
 
Just wait until Eriksen gets back! When we want all out attack, we can field Eriksen, Lo Celso and Ndombele behind Son, Kane and Bale!
 
I genuinely think a fully fit GLC offers just as much defensively as Sissoko. Who let's be honest isn't actually much good in the defensive aspect. Constantly chasing play, rarely intercepts awful awareness. GLC intercepts better, works just as hard and as a bonus can actually pass the ball.

I await his full fitness and you will see he does everything Sissoko does and more.
Fingers crossed you’re right (I just haven’t yet seen it with Lo Celso in a defensive sense).
 
I genuinely think a fully fit GLC offers just as much defensively as Sissoko. Who let's be honest isn't actually much good in the defensive aspect. Constantly chasing play, rarely intercepts awful awareness. GLC intercepts better, works just as hard and as a bonus can actually pass the ball.

I await his full fitness and you will see he does everything Sissoko does and more.

No he doesn't. Sissoko is worse offensively but is stronger defensively. Lo Celso has his strengths aye but he is more likely to be the most forward player in midfield (3 man and 2 man central midfield)
 
No he doesn't. Sissoko is worse offensively but is stronger defensively. Lo Celso has his strengths aye but he is more likely to be the most forward player in midfield (3 man and 2 man central midfield)
Remember post lockdown when we played GLC next to Winks or Sissoko? He was fine defensively, he's a worker and puts in a real shift.

Besides in the scenario I'm positing, the midfield would have PEH at the base as we have now and then GLC and Ndombele either side. GLC has shown enough defensively to make that work.
 
Sissoko is the sticking plaster on our inadequate midfield.
The blend is wrong.
Ndombele is good but I'm not sure he is what we actually need re those passes you correctly mention.
GLC is a reasonable stock midfielder but does not add that much.
Winks has turned into a nervous wreck.
PEH is very industrious and runs his socks off.

A bold strong call. And so far from the truth.
 
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