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Toby Alderweireld

I’m still amazed no-one did. He’d have improved Emirates Marketing Project and United instantly even if used for specific matches and weakened us in the process for a not huge outlay.

Looks that way now, he did have a shocking run of form though, I’d have happily given him away for free at one point.
 
It's not just the high line, Mourinho tucks in the fullbacks when we are defending, so we are very compact. It gives them a lot more protection.

A very good point mate, and I would add that the final bit of this jigsaw is Mourinho making sure that Lucas/Son/whoever then drop back and cover to form a pretty formidable "curtain of cover".
 
A very good point mate, and I would add that the final bit of this jigsaw is Mourinho making sure that Lucas/Son/whoever then drop back and cover to form a pretty formidable "curtain of cover".

Exactly, the full backs tuck in and the wide players fill the space that you'd normally expect the full backs to be in. We soak up pressure and break fast when they lose possession. Or at least that's the plan against the good sides or when we're defending a lead.

I'm not quite sure yet what the plan is against sides that won't get drawn out or are defending a lead.
 
Exactly, the full backs tuck in and the wide players fill the space that you'd normally expect the full backs to be in. We soak up pressure and break fast when they lose possession. Or at least that's the plan against the good sides or when we're defending a lead.

I'm not quite sure yet what the plan is against sides that won't get drawn out or are defending a lead.
Push Aurier high up on the right side...
Feed him the ball and hope he has a good crossing day?
Moura has a ON day?
Sonny cuts in and bangs a worldly in the top corner?
 
Easily our best defender

Agreed. Thought he was magnificent last week. Problem is, as good as he is, he's on the decline. Hopefully Mourinho can get a couple of seasons out of him and not playing a high line should suit him. He could be for Dier and/or Sanchez what Naybet was for King in 04/05. Not that Dier or Sanchez are near the same league as Ledley.
 
When he came in all those years ago our defence improved overnight.
I put this down to him being able to organise the defence on the pitch.
But watching the documentary he is one of the quietest players in the squad.
He just had really good partnership on the pitch with Vertonghen from playing together as kids.
That's why that defence worked.

Now I see the need Mourinho has for sticking a vocal Eric Dier in there.
 
When he came in all those years ago our defence improved overnight.
I put this down to him being able to organise the defence on the pitch.
But watching the documentary he is one of the quietest players in the squad.
He just had really good partnership on the pitch with Vertonghen from playing together as kids.
That's why that defence worked.

Now I see the need Mourinho has for sticking a vocal Eric Dier in there.

Alderweireld was a master at defending before his injury. You'd always bet on him coming away with the ball. It took him a while to adapt to the fact that he was getting outrun and his last ditch tackles suddenly more often than not got the man and not the ball.
 
Alderweireld was a master at defending before his injury. You'd always bet on him coming away with the ball. It took him a while to adapt to the fact that he was getting outrun and his last ditch tackles suddenly more often than not got the man and not the ball.
Made a brilliant tackle of the edge of the area yesterday to take Antonio out
 
Alderweireld was a master at defending before his injury. You'd always bet on him coming away with the ball. It took him a while to adapt to the fact that he was getting outrun and his last ditch tackles suddenly more often than not got the man and not the ball.

He's a good defender. But not the leader or organiser at the back we needed on Sunday for the last 15 minutes to steady the ship.
 
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