• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Eric Dier

Simply. Not. True.

Why do you think Poch talked Dier out of pushing the Man Utd opportunity? They tapped him up. His head was turned a bit. So why would Poch persuade a player he didn’t rate/was looking to replace to stay? At this point I am not especially bothered whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, but Alderweireld, Dembele and Wanyama were all on the block before Dier!
Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
That may well be true Steff but that could be because of a combination of fitness and contractual issues rather than Dier being a better player or more critical to the Poch team than any of the other three.
 
Dier continues to make giveaways that are so bad they make me fear for the treatment Sissoko would receive if he actually did similar...but the point Steff is making is that Dier doesn't hide. He will make mistakes and get right back on it.

I think with Poch, its an attitude thing. It's having influential players that keep everyone's standards up. Because mistakes always happen in the chaos of a game, but its how you choose to come back from them that determines how successful you will be. Dier ALWAYS comes back from them. He never hides and more often than not he wins his battles. He isn't the most talented on the ball and yet can find players with his range of passing. But it's more an attitude thing, as well as a versatility thing.

Remember...Poch dropped him after Euro 2016. He came back from that tournament and he wasn't the same Dier, in terms of being the influence around the squad that he needed to be. In terms of the focus on improvement that he needed to demonstrate. Once he got that back, he was back in the side. I think he is so important to our culture. And when we talk about Poch tactics, no doubt he prepares the team well, but I think our success is on just as much of winning the individual battles. So if he thinks players are 'on it', he'll get them in. He was willing to play a Dier/Wanyama central midfield at the end of 16/17 because they were 'on it' (aside from the West Ham away game), and it's less about how one or either can be a penetrative passer from midfield and more that they were relentless in their application and making sure everyone else was too.

That is why Dier is so key for Poch.
 
This summer, yes. But the summer after our 86 point season? Assuming Toby and Wanyama didn't get their injuries, who do you think Sanchez would have replaced in the first XI, because from the first XI that got 86 points, I think it would have been Dier.

I think Poch wanted to bring Sanchez through more slowly and prime him for this season. Clearly he was bought for his youth and potential. I think the writing was in the wall with Toby for some time. I also think he looked and saw two 29/30 year old CBs and played the margins.




Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
I think Poch wanted to bring Sanchez through more slowly and prime him for this season. Clearly he was bought for his youth and potential. I think the writing was in the wall with Toby for some time. I also think he looked and saw two 29/30 year old CBs and played the margins.




Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

That is fair enough actually. Now that I think about it, Poch did then do stuff like play Dier in the back 3 away at Utd (Sanchez on the bench). This season, with Toby available, we've seen Sanchez rotated more too. Infact, the more I think about it, the more I think Poch wants Dier to evolve into a Toby/Vert replacement.

I'm more than happy for players to make a qunt out of me when I criticise them, I hope Dier does as well. I don't think he is one of those players who is beyond criticism though (I think I said in an earlier post, only Kane and Eriksen are -- imo -- so good for us that I tend to just give them a pass when they go out of form).
 
That is fair enough actually. Now that I think about it, Poch did then do stuff like play Dier in the back 3 away at Utd (Sanchez on the bench). This season, with Toby available, we've seen Sanchez rotated more too. Infact, the more I think about it, the more I think Poch wants Dier to evolve into a Toby/Vert replacement.

I'm more than happy for players to make a qunt out of me when I criticise them, I hope Dier does as well. I don't think he is one of those players who is beyond criticism though (I think I said in an earlier post, only Kane and Eriksen are -- imo -- so good for us that I tend to just give them a pass when they go out of form).

Think he is seen as a Toby replacement, at least in the sense that he's able to play long passes from deep, similar to him
 
Think he is seen as a Toby replacement, at least in the sense that he's able to play long passes from deep, similar to him

If the longer term plan is to have Dier and Sanchez as the central defensive partnership, that works for me. Both are very good players who still have a bit of improvement in them.
 
If the longer term plan is to have Dier and Sanchez as the central defensive partnership, that works for me. Both are very good players who still have a bit of improvement in them.
Can see Sanchez getting better over time but Dier still has some way to go before becoming a reliable CB, he's rarely if ever played well in that position. He's far too susceptible to mistakes which can prove more costly in the last line of defence.

Bit like Harry saying Bale should go back to being a LB.
 
Can see Sanchez getting better over time but Dier still has some way to go before becoming a reliable CB, he's rarely if ever played well in that position. He's far too susceptible to mistakes which can prove more costly in the last line of defence.

Bit like Harry saying Bale should go back to being a LB.

He does make the odd mistake to be fair but I’m hoping that if he gets settled at centre back, he can work those out of his game. He has been shunted around a bit (right back, midfield, centre back) and is young so I’d give him the benefit of the doubt. I also think the experience of playing in midfield would help him at centre back in Poch’s system.


The other thing I like about Dier is his attitude. Proper captain in the making for me. I can see why Poch thinks he can be one of the best in the league and with an experienced Sanchez beside him, I think they could be a great pairing with a hopefully developing Foyth behind them.


My fear is that Dier just wants to play midfield and is willing to go elsewhere if we don’t play him there.
 
@thfcsteff, I get you like Dier, but my opinion is he is not good enough as either a centre back or defensive midfielder. A bit like you and others consistently calling out Dembele when he,in your opinion, does not reach the heights you expect of him. There is nothing unreasonable in the criticisms of him, it’s just that you don’t agree with them- fair enough.

That Toby has not yet performed to his previous level does not detract from Dier’s poor performances. None of our defenders are currently covering themselves in glory. However, Verts and Toby have shown themselves to be excellent centre backs and Sanchez a very able back up. Dier hasn’t proved himself as a centre back in the same way.

At set pieces, I have noticed that he gets bullied far too easily which is surprising for a big guy. If he is going to hold on to players then he needs to be stronger or alternatively rather than holding on go all out to win the ball in the air ahead of the bloke he is marking. In midfield when we are pressed high, he simply struggles to wrest back control for us, that’s what I meant by him going missing. We need our central midfielders to do that and a fit Wanyama, Dembele before this season and a fit Winks all play through the press better than him. He makes mistakes when under no pressure. I think he is the weakest of our centre midfield options and I am certain if all of them were fit he would not be in the starting 11.

But that is my opinion I am not asking you to agree with it. This is what a forum is for and I really dislike the ”whipping boy” narrative for honest criticisms of a player. It potentially shuts down debate even if that is not the intention. Let’s be honest criticisms of Dier do not hold anywhere near the same level of vitriol as those directed against the likes of Sissoko or Aurier.





Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

Fair enough Rob, you are right, opinions are ours to have for sure. I think the one thing you said that I have to say is flat-out wrong is that Dier hides. You might not rate him, but he does not hide mate.

Anyway, agreed on the theory of disagreement mate. COYS


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
That is fair enough actually. Now that I think about it, Poch did then do stuff like play Dier in the back 3 away at Utd (Sanchez on the bench). This season, with Toby available, we've seen Sanchez rotated more too. Infact, the more I think about it, the more I think Poch wants Dier to evolve into a Toby/Vert replacement.

I'm more than happy for players to make a qunt out of me when I criticise them, I hope Dier does as well. I don't think he is one of those players who is beyond criticism though (I think I said in an earlier post, only Kane and Eriksen are -- imo -- so good for us that I tend to just give them a pass when they go out of form).

Not looking to make a qunt mate, to be fair this is simply a spirited debate and I think Robspur made some very fair comments with regards to my contributions (which have bordered on qunty!)...all good, we all want the same...COYS


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
Can see Sanchez getting better over time but Dier still has some way to go before becoming a reliable CB, he's rarely if ever played well in that position. He's far too susceptible to mistakes which can prove more costly in the last line of defence.

Bit like Harry saying Bale should go back to being a LB.

I think Dier has certainly paid a price for his versatility.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
Fair enough Rob, you are right, opinions are ours to have for sure. I think the one thing you said that I have to say is flat-out wrong is that Dier hides. You might not rate him, but he does not hide mate.

Anyway, agreed on the theory of disagreement mate. COYS


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
No worries Sir, even when we disagree your posts are an enjoyable and generally very fair read.
 
I think Dier has certainly paid a price for his versatility.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
The way I see it Dier is much more of a natural DM than he ever will be a CB.

IMO his greatest strength is his ability to sense danger and make a timely interception or tackle, a skill best deployed in front of the defence. When playing well he's brilliant at breaking up attacks and setting one of our own going. That skill is more of an advantage at DM where he has the freedom to go hunting down attacks and break-up them up. At CB he must stay more disciplined in keeping his position which to my mind is not his strongest suit.

True, his passing can be a little off at times but he's also capable of quality long balls as he showed in the (edited) 2-1 win at Brighton. In that match he made 89 successful passes out of a total of 95 and it was he who launched the brilliant attacking move that was rounded off by Lamela's superb goal.

Also not convinced Dier is as good at dealing with the sort of aerial crosses and balls over the top that CDs more frequently have to face. They are the last line of defence so they have to be rock solid. He sometimes has a tendency to get disorientated in those situations which can be more costly than further upfield.

Overall he does seem to be going through a mostly poor spell of form atm but I'm sure he'll come through it eventually and start to show us once again what a great natural DM he can be.
 
Last edited:
The way I see it Dier is much more of a natural DM than he ever will be a CB.

IMO his greatest strength is his ability to sense danger and make a timely interception or tackle, a skill best deployed in front of the defence. When playing well he's brilliant at breaking up attacks and setting one of our own going. That skill is more of an advantage at DM where he has the freedom to go hunting down attacks and break-up them up. At CB he must stay more disciplined in keeping his position which to my mind is not his strongest suit.

True, his passing can be a little off at times but he's also capable of quality long balls as he showed in the Carabao cup tie against Watford. In that match he made 89 successful passes out of a total of 95 and it was he who launched the brilliant attacking move that was rounded off by Lamela's superb goal.

Also not convinced Dier is as good at dealing with the sort of aerial crosses and balls over the top that CDs more frequently have to face. They are the last line of defence so they have to be rock solid. He sometimes has a tendency to get disorientated in those situations which can be more costly than further upfield.

Overall he does seem to be going through a mostly poor spell of form atm but I'm sure he'll come through it eventually and start to show us once again what a great natural DM he can be.

Did you actually watch the Watford match?o_O
 
Back