CB Worries

[Bishop]

Ndombele was recruited as a direct replacement for Dembele. Where do you get the idea we moved away from one central playmaker?

They may have similar names but they have totally different playstyles and outcomes.

Ndombele was bought to create as was GLC it's obvious as day. If we had wanted a direct Eriksen replacement we would have gone for Fernandez instead. The plan was clear as day, play two creative CM/AMs neither as pure a playmaker as Eriksen but both having better workrate and together you have all together more creative side rather than one that relies on a single player (Eriksen era Spurs).

 

[Finney Is Back]

I think your statement is true, i.e. CB problem bigger than CM when everyone is fit.

The issue is the gap between first 11 and backup in CB isn't that big (Sanchez isn't that much worse than Dier/Toby), but the gap between PEH and anyone trying to fill that role in squad is huge.

We need to address both in next windows

The problem here is that is would be very hard indeed to find a player not far off of Hojbjerg's level who wouldn't mind being a rotation option.

 

[Raziel]

The problem here is that is would be very hard indeed to find a player not far off of Hojbjerg's level who wouldn't mind being a rotation option.

Not sure it would be that hard (outside the fact that I don't think they are that many of his type in total)

- Similar target, a "lower level" club player who would see Spurs as a step up
- I think if we had a 2nd PEH type, against top teams Jose would play both with just one of Ndombele/Gio in front

I suspect we will end up with someone slightly different profile but still at least a defensively minded CM

 

[Finney Is Back]

Not sure it would be that hard (outside the fact that I don't think they are that many of his type in total)

- Similar target, a "lower level" club player who would see Spurs as a step up
- I think if we had a 2nd PEH type, against top teams Jose would play both with just one of Ndombele/Gio in front

I suspect we will end up with someone slightly different profile but still at least a defensively minded CM

So who then?

 

[Raziel]

So who then?

No idea, but PEH wasn't someone on my radar either ..

I think the club actually has targets/ideas both short and long term, I suspect re CM Winks/Sissoko will likely be on the could go list next summer with Skipp expected back +1 (so keeping homegrown and freeing up a foreign spot)

 

[Raziel]

Must say that I am yet to see Lo Celso adding more to our attacking play that Eriksen did (even in Eriksen's last two years).
I agree regarding his fitness, although I am a bit concerned at the number of injuries he has had since joining. I hope he won't be another Lamela in that way.
I agree that he gets in positions to score goals and this is always a good thing. His finishing is poor though, I think partly because he is so horribly one-footed. That chance on Sunday looked to me like an easy right foot finish, but Lo Celso can't use his right, so had to take it on his left making it far harder. I was a bit appalled seeing the Dele v Lo Celso v Hart keepy uppies with tennis/golf/rugby balls, Dele and even Hart using both feet but Lo Celso using only his left.
Hopefully he can get somewhere close to that Betis type of goal scoring number with us. At present though I would say he is clearly an inferior player to Eriksen, who was better in every aspect of the game than Lo Celso, other than the fact that Lo Celso is prepared to go in for 50-50 tackles.

I agree that Sissoko may be moved on this summer. However that will rely on us bringing in a replacement from another club as we would be much weaker losing him and expecting a current player to replace him. I was a bit annoyed that we didn't go in for Sangare from Toulouse last summer (he went to PSV for about £8 million in the end). Having him around for a year this season making a few appearances and getting used to English football so that he could hit the ground running as Sissoko's replacement next season would've been sensible.

I think you are being very kind to both current Eriksen and Eriksen of past two years (prior to that, yes was an amazing player)

To me what you have to look at with Gio is how he ups the pace of the game in addition to getting the ball forward, I'd argue that the one common denominator to brick Spurs performances under Poch and Jose is tempo, when we play slow and sideways we are crap, when we up the tempo and get the ball forward quickly we look a top level side.

We will have to see with the goalscoring, could be the injuries (groin), could be a confidence thing, time will tell. good news is unlike Eriksen's time here, we can swap between him and Ndombele when it isn't working for one of them.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

So who then?

McGinn.

 

[billyiddo]

Ndombele was recruited as a direct replacement for Dembele. Where do you get the idea we moved away from one central playmaker?

Says who?

Because we sold our playmaker, didn't buy a like for like replacement and we have not once set up to play that way since Eriksen left the club

 

[glorygloryeze]

Absolutely serious. Lo Celso can pass reasonably well, does his fair share of defensive work, carries the ball fine, but for an attacking midfielder who came to us as Eriksen's replacement, his shooting is diabolical. Zero league goals in 33 appearances. If that was anyone else people on here would be singling them out but because the general view is Lo Celso is a 'baller' he gets away with it. It's fine for people to have different views on players. I'll stick to mine thanks.

 

[StephenH]

Absolutely serious. Lo Celso can pass reasonably well, does his fair share of defensive work, carries the ball fine, but for an attacking midfielder who came to us as Eriksen's replacement, his shooting is diabolical. Zero league goals in 33 appearances. If that was anyone else people on here would be singling them out but because the general view is Lo Celso is a 'baller' he gets away with it. It's fine for people to have different views on players. I'll stick to mine thanks.

Good post!

 

[braineclipse]

I think there is too much focus on one player replacing another. There are similarities between Lo Celso and Eriksen. There are similarities between Ndombele and Dembele. But there are also differences, and similarities between those two and other players.

The important thing is that we get a well working team now, not who replaces who.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I think there is too much focus on one player replacing another. There are similarities between Lo Celso and Eriksen. There are similarities between Ndombele and Dembele. But there are also differences, and similarities between those two and other players.

The important thing is that we get a well working team now, not who replaces who.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Bishop]

I think there is too much focus on one player replacing another. There are similarities between Lo Celso and Eriksen. There are similarities between Ndombele and Dembele. But there are also differences, and similarities between those two and other players.

The important thing is that we get a well working team now, not who replaces who.

Ndombele is closer to Eriksen than he is Dembele. Thinking they are the same player as some are just because of a similarity in name and skin colour is foolish.

 

[billyiddo]

Ndombele is closer to Eriksen than he is Dembele. Thinking they are the same player as some are just because of a similarity in name and skin colour is foolish.

In fairness there were YT highlights which showed him as a Dembele with better end product from his time at Lyon so i can see why that comparison exists but it should be clear by now that he's more a creative player who has more strings to his bow than vice versa.

However i didn't see much that showed Lo Celso as a playmaker so not sure where AD got that impression from

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

In fairness there were YT highlights which showed him as a Dembele with better end product from his time at Lyon so i can see why that comparison exists but it should be clear by now that he's more a creative player who has more strings to his bow than vice versa.

However i didn't see much that showed Lo Celso as a playmaker so not sure where AD got that impression from

It’s clear he’s not a patch on Dembele defensively and he’d have to improve to play in that base of the midfield role that Dembele did for us.

i agree when he came here there were the Dembele comparisons, but it’s become obvious they were very wide of the mark. Ndombele is much better offensively and Dembele much better defensively.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

It’s clear he’s not a patch on Dembele defensively and he’d have to improve to play in that base of the midfield role that Dembele did for us.

i agree when he came here there were the Dembele comparisons, but it’s become obvious they were very wide of the mark. Ndombele is much better offensively and Dembele much better defensively.

Hence why Dembele played in a DM role alongside another DM and Ndombele doesn’t

 

[JerusalemMan]

Absolutely serious. Lo Celso can pass reasonably well, does his fair share of defensive work, carries the ball fine, but for an attacking midfielder who came to us as Eriksen's replacement, his shooting is diabolical. Zero league goals in 33 appearances. If that was anyone else people on here would be singling them out but because the general view is Lo Celso is a 'baller' he gets away with it. It's fine for people to have different views on players. I'll stick to mine thanks.

Did he come to us as Eriksen's replacement? Just because some thought that, does not mean that's the way it is.
The stat certainly sounds bad. But how many of those games were sub appearances? Or had him taken off early due to fitness issues?
And how many shots has he actually had in those appearances?

Maybe a baller can get away with it because his role is not to score but to do other, different, but still important, things

 

[Finney Is Back]

McGinn.

What do you think Villa would price him at?

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

What do you think Villa would price him at?

He's 26....about £30m

Maybe they'd be interested in Winks?

 

[braineclipse]

Absolutely serious. Lo Celso can pass reasonably well, does his fair share of defensive work, carries the ball fine, but for an attacking midfielder who came to us as Eriksen's replacement, his shooting is diabolical. Zero league goals in 33 appearances. If that was anyone else people on here would be singling them out but because the general view is Lo Celso is a 'baller' he gets away with it. It's fine for people to have different views on players. I'll stick to mine thanks.

"For an attacking midfielder"

According to transfermarkt he played quite a lot of his games as a central midfielder. That's where I remember him thriving last season as well.