Do we have the most underrated central midfield pairing in the Premier League?

[Mumorn]

Sandro and Mousa Dembele​

These two haven't been together long in the centre of our midfield but in the short time we've seen them together, I don't think there has once been a time where I thought to myself, 'This just isn't going to work'.

They compliment each other so well and both have pretty similar traits in the fact they both mow up the ground with and without the ball, both good tacklers and defensively both very sound. Ever since Dembele and Sandro have started in the middle, both have pretty much been in contention for man of the match every game.

I know many football fans of other teams who absolutely love Dembele, but he's not quite rated as one of the best midfielders in the league, in my opinion he is. He can do things that not many people in world football can do and that is just get the ball and get past a player with relative ease and make it look both comfortable and easy at the same time.

Sandro on the other hand, isn't quite rated as highly as we all rate him. Some fans of other clubs are starting to get on his side though, some Man Utd fans I heard say they could do with someone like Sandro in there team and how he is a player they have been missing for years. Most other fans though say how he wouldn't get in there team etc and he isn't better than Parker etc.

Then again, who cares what other people think, we KNOW they are both brilliant players who are both still young and not even at there prime yet, a few more months of playing together, many more years hopefully and they can be the two we build our team around.

They are ours!

 

[raboner]

they are formidable, no doubt.. i just sometimes question the mobility/creative capabilities of the two.. i'd like to see dembele get forward and play killer balls a bit more regularly.

 

[awesome dawson]

Don't care if they are underrated, they are doing a great job.

The commentators over here in Australia wax lyrical about Dembele every game. Sandro is such a beast in defence that I challenge anyone who claims to know about football to criticize him, especially given the fact that he's already won the Copa Liberatores and become a regular in the national team setup, all at the age of 23.

 

[THFC6061]

The fact is that Sandro & Dembele have started five games for Spurs as our defensive midfield pairing and we've won four (all in the Premier League) and drawn one (v Lazio)....

...That's as near perfect a record as anyone could possibly wish for

 

[thfcsteff]

Long may they remain underrated!!!!

 

[markysimmo]

The fact is that Sandro & Dembele have started five games for Spurs as our defensive midfield pairing and we've won four (all in the Premier League) and drawn one (v Lazio)....

...That's as near perfect a record as anyone could possibly wish for

So really 5/5 with how screwed we got against Lazio with 2 good goals ruled out

 

[Zg Spur]

I love Sandro, and I think that Dembele will be great for us...But we do lack creativity, and killer balls behind the opposition defence...I hope when Dembele completley gels with the team, we might see that more often.

 

[ArcspacE]

They are doing really well but the missing piece for me is Moutinho (or any creative/deep-lying playmaker unit). We often struggle to find that incisive pass in the final third instead going out wide most of the time

A trio of

Sandro... Moutinho

........Dembele

adds a completely different dimension to our balance of creativity vs. industry

 

[Jordinho]

Most underrated? No.

 

[jpp]

I doubt if they are underrated, just that not many fans of other teams have seen them play together. One thing is true, they can and have totally bossed the midfield in big games (albeit for just a half in Manchester) and for me they are less likely to disappear for periods of the game like Modric/Parker were prone to do. Remember Arsenal away and Chelsea at Wembley?

 

[jts1882]

Long may they remain underrated!!!!

Agreed. Bad things happen when our best players get appreciated.

 

[Pirate55]

They are doing really well but the missing piece for me is Moutinho (or any creative/deep-lying playmaker unit). We often struggle to find that incisive pass in the final third instead going out wide most of the time

A trio of

Sandro... Moutinho

........Dembele

adds a completely different dimension to our balance of creativity vs. industry

I have recently asked myself with Sandro and Dembele playing so well in the middle, where would Moutinho play?

I agree with you that I would like to see Dembele moved slightly furhter forward (particularly at home), but would this disturb the equilibrium that he and Sandro have established?

 

[Bedfordspurs]

For me this pairing reminds me of the best that I've seen in the premier league... Viera and Petit.

It has physical dominance with the ability to control the game both in tempo and in shape

My fear is that we don't have a replacement for Dembele.

Make no mistake I'd love Moutinho but it would be us playing a different system again with him on board.

The current system releases the creativity through the wings which suits a fast paced game and suits our side IMO

Add Ade in for Clint or Defoe and you move to an almost total football style where you can mix and match with anyone. The fear still is we don't have like for like replacements

 

[milo]

For me this pairing reminds me of the best that I've seen in the premier league... Viera and Petit.:

It has physical dominance with the ability to control the game both in tempo and in shape

My fear is that we don't have a replacement for Dembele.

Make no mistake I'd love Moutinho but it would be us playing a different system again with him on board.

The current system releases the creativity through the wings which suits a fast paced game and suits our side IMO

Add Ade in for Clint or Defoe and you move to an almost total football style where you can mix and match with anyone. The fear still is we don't have like for like replacements

I was thinking the same thing

 

[zin]

The fact is that Sandro & Dembele have started five games for Spurs as our defensive midfield pairing and we've won four (all in the Premier League) and drawn one (v Lazio)....

...That's as near perfect a record as anyone could possibly wish for

The QPR game was their worst game in terms of player ratings (Sandro - 6.09 and Dembele - 6.39, av. game rating was 6.35). For every other game they played together they got at least 7.30 or more, way over the average match ratings. Goes to show that if they don't play better than the overall team then our performance suffers.

 

[ArcspacE]

I agree with you that I would like to see Dembele moved slightly furhter forward (particularly at home), but would this disturb the equilibrium that he and Sandro have established?

I think it would enhance it even further. Currently we have one of Sigurdsson or Demspey playing as the advanced mifielder role and to be quite honest their impact has been average at best simply because neither of them is an exceptional footballer, imv. Introducing Moutinho alongside Sandro and pushing Dembele slightly forward would take us up a notch as our industry would have the added advantage of a supeior ball-player next to them

 

[Shropshire Yid]

I think eventually we will play 4-3-3 and not 4-2-3-1 so to include Moutinho, would just mean a slight change in midfield shape.
I think we will still look for this type of player in Jan or next summer, and get him, but I think we will be heavily scouting players already in preparation to get best value for money, and thats not Moutinho.

 

[Jimmy-g]

Steady on men, lets look at it when the seasons finished, they do pass the ball nice and quick but Parker would be better for possesion, Parker also supports the man with the ball better, whatever we are in a good place.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Steady on men, lets look at it when the seasons finished, they do pass the ball nice and quick but Parker would be better for possesion, Parker also supports the man with the ball better, whatever we are in a good place.

Agree that Parker is better in possession but what's the good of that if all he can do is pass backwards and sideways, thereby disrupting our forward momentum? Sandro's defensive game is massive but whilst his forward passing often let's him down, at least it is intelligent and at least he ATTEMPTS to get the ball forward as swiftly as posible. If he could just fine-tune his radar in that respect he'd be close to world class

 

[africanspurs]

i dont think they are underated personally...alot of people have commented to me about the pairing. especially dembele . and sandro is starting to grow on people

so maybe they dont get talked about as much as other teams but i dont think they are underated. and tbf the teams that get talked about more are talked about for a reason....they are better?

only team that you would question who is better is as far as full functionality goes us united but i have to say that even they are overall better in central midfield dspite the fact of a lack of physicality and athleticism compared to us

Emirates Marketing Project midfield is better, arsenal midfield is better, chelsea midfield (not to sure on this one........) tie or we are better IMO.