Eric Dier

[Gazza]

I think your assessment of Dier is very fair tbh and mirrors my own. Solid pro and not the worst CB we’ve had and no doubt we will sign worse, but there’s a small minority on here who overpraise him and won’t ever admit when he plays badly and it’s honestly quite baffling as he’s been nothing more than a 6.5 out of 10 player consistently over his Spurs career. People point to the fact that multiple managers pick him but that’s more a failure of the club rather than a reflection of Dier really earning in on merit. I mean we don’t have much better but that’s because we haven’t adequately replaced the Belgians since they left which is damming. I hope we don’t renew his contract and we either sell him or he runs his contract down and signs for another club. I’ll applaud him when he comes back and plays against us but I’ve always found his popularity puzzling to say the least. More of a reflection of how far we have fallen more than anything.

6.5 you are generous. Solid 5

 

[Jurgen the German]

6.5 you are generous. Solid 5

You’re probably right. Davies is more of a 6.5 steady Eddie. Dier has been far more up and down. Hasn’t kicked on since he became a first choice CB and doesn’t even justify his place in the team anymore.

 

[glasgowspur]

I think your assessment of Dier is very fair tbh and mirrors my own. Solid pro and not the worst CB we’ve had and no doubt we will sign worse, but there’s a small minority on here who overpraise him and won’t ever admit when he plays badly and it’s honestly quite baffling as he’s been nothing more than a 6.5 out of 10 player consistently over his Spurs career. People point to the fact that multiple managers pick him but that’s more a failure of the club rather than a reflection of Dier really earning in on merit. I mean we don’t have much better but that’s because we haven’t adequately replaced the Belgians since they left which is damming. I hope we don’t renew his contract and we either sell him or he runs his contract down and signs for another club. I’ll applaud him when he comes back and plays against us but I’ve always found his popularity puzzling to say the least. More of a reflection of how far we have fallen more than anything.

There doesn't appear to be any grey areas any more, a player is either awful or awesome, and its seldom anyone changes thier view.
Dier, hugo and peh are prime examples.
Royal is the exception, but even he still has his detractors.

 

[thfcsteff]

There doesn't appear to be any grey areas any more, a player is either awful or awesome, and its seldom anyone changes thier view.
Dier, hugo and peh are prime examples.
Royal is the exception, but even he still has his detractors.

What I have always objected to in these player evaluations, is the extreme vitriol. It automatically makes me want to defend whoever is on the receiving end of such disproportionate opinions. He is certainly an upgrade we need going forward, but the amount of criticism he gets is way imbalanced.

 

[Mrs Vert]

You’re probably right. Davies is more of a 6.5 steady Eddie. Dier has been far more up and down. Hasn’t kicked on since he became a first choice CB and doesn’t even justify his place in the team anymore.

Cos it's either him or Sanchez. GHod its like choosing between wanting Chelsea or Arse to win the league......

 

[Mrs Vert]

What I have always objected to in these player evaluations, is the extreme vitriol. It automatically makes me want to defend whoever is on the receiving end of such disproportionate opinions. He is certainly an upgrade we need going forward, but the amount of criticism he gets is way imbalanced.

Agreed and in all honesty nobody should get that amount abuse and it should be kept in check. I'm def guilty of it. But I also think it comes from frustration when quite simply (and it's all fans) you at the basic level, expect to see players who earn xxx amount be able to do the basics like track players, control balls, catch a ball, pass. etc. Now people make mistakes but when its a weekly occurance it gets beyond a joke. And when managers don't seem to change it, it gets worse. Trent gets rinsed regularly and my pool friend was like he should just play in midfield. Arse friend thinks Holding is rubbish and can just do the basics.

If I go to a restaurant and they never got my order right I would think get new staff and management are incompetent

 

[Gutter Boy]

So essentially not his fault that he is guff?

Or our fault that we ended up with a maguire rather than a second alderweireld

 

[Jurgen the German]

Or our fault that we ended up with a maguire rather than a second alderweireld

He’s been injury free for the last few years and has had a solid run in the team to playing at CB which is “his position” according to the man himself. Not like we’ve played an attacking formation either so he’s had protection.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

He’s been injury free for the last few years and has had a solid run in the team to playing at CB which is “his position” according to the man himself. Not like we’ve played an attacking formation either so he’s had protection.

Actually we haven’t been protecting the defence
We play a system that literally invites teams to attack us
The issue with Dier is for every good moment (he does have them) he will follow it with a bad one. That then becomes the issue because of it’s him floating a pass to Kane that doesn’t make it (that’s common) the opposition are straight away on the front foot in a good position
There are other examples of issues
I think the sooner we go to a back 4 and Dier becomes cover rather than a starter, the better for him and us
He may actually look better if we’re playing front foot football as he can do his defending further up the pitch

 

[glasgowspur]

Actually we haven’t been protecting the defence
We play a system that literally invites teams to attack us
The issue with Dier is for every good moment (he does have them) he will follow it with a bad one. That then becomes the issue because of it’s him floating a pass to Kane that doesn’t make it (that’s common) the opposition are straight away on the front foot in a good position
There are other examples of issues
I think the sooner we go to a back 4 and Dier becomes cover rather than a starter, the better for him and us
He may actually look better if we’re playing front foot football as he can do his defending further up the pitch

I think with the exception of kane and Bentancur they are all guilty of that, that's the frustrating thing, they give us a glimpse of what they can do, then do something stupid.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I think with the exception of kane and Bentancur they are all guilty of that, that's the frustrating thing, they give us a glimpse of what they can do, then do something stupid.

Agreed
But I don’t think the way we play football helps the players who aren’t as good

 

[glasgowspur]

Agreed
But I don’t think the way we play football helps the players who aren’t as good

Definitely, there's no respite for the back 7, the ball is constantly coming back to them.
Must be soul destroying at times.

 

[billyiddo]

What I have always objected to in these player evaluations, is the extreme vitriol. It automatically makes me want to defend whoever is on the receiving end of such disproportionate opinions. He is certainly an upgrade we need going forward, but the amount of criticism he gets is way imbalanced.

Defense has been our weakest position for a few years now - i think the balance of criticism is about right with that in mind.

 

[Baleforce]

But we are not hoofing it long and resetting, we are trying to keep the ball and pass out, but keep fudging it up, be it poor passing or poor control or hold up play up the pitch.

 

[glasgowspur]

But we are not hoofing it long and resetting, we are trying to keep the ball and pass out, but keep fudging it up, be it poor passing or poor control or hold up play up the pitch.

I struggle to see a concerted committed plan tbh. We seem to try and play out, brick the bed and hoof it anywhere or get into a decent position and then freeze because we don't know or understand what to do next.
A lot of the time when we break the players are either tripping over each other or so far apart that it needs a worldie pass to find each other, and only kane is capable of making a pass like that.

 

[Raziel]

But we are not hoofing it long and resetting, we are trying to keep the ball and pass out, but keep fudging it up, be it poor passing or poor control or hold up play up the pitch.

And that's on the managers

In possession, Dier is suspect against a press, the midfield is constantly outnumbered so the out ball isn't obvious and his passing is a bit hit or miss.
Out of possession, he isn't great 1:1 or in the air and out model often leaves CB's exposed against runners from opposition midfield (see point above) or the WB's get beaten and put crosses in.

He's not good enough for us anymore (if he ever was), but the system isn't helping, and why you would continue that system with these players is beyond me.

Look at Klopp's Liverpool, when he first came in the defenders all looked like jokers (Lovren anyone?). VVD & Alison stabilized it, now VVD has regressed and they don't press the front as much their back line looks like jokers again.

 

[Baleforce]

I struggle to see a concerted committed plan tbh. We seem to try and play out, brick the bed and hoof it anywhere or get into a decent position and then freeze because we don't know or understand what to do next.
A lot of the time when we break the players are either tripping over each other or so far apart that it needs a worldie pass to find each other, and only kane is capable of making a pass like that.

And that's on the managers

In possession, Dier is suspect against a press, the midfield is constantly outnumbered so the out ball isn't obvious and his passing is a bit hit or miss.
Out of possession, he isn't great 1:1 or in the air and out model often leaves CB's exposed against runners from opposition midfield (see point above) or the WB's get beaten and put crosses in.

He's not good enough for us anymore (if he ever was), but the system isn't helping, and why you would continue that system with these players is beyond me.

Look at Klopp's Liverpool, when he first came in the defenders all looked like jokers (Lovren anyone?). VVD & Alison stabilized it, now VVD has regressed and they don't press the front as much their back line looks like jokers again.

I think its on the movement not being good enough and players up the pitch not working hard enough for separation.

 

[Jurgen the German]

There doesn't appear to be any grey areas any more, a player is either awful or awesome, and its seldom anyone changes thier view.
Dier, hugo and peh are prime examples.
Royal is the exception, but even he still has his detractors.

I think that’s largely because Dier and Lloris have been consistently not good enough for a number of years. It’s not their first poor season like Son is going through now. I don’t have strong opinions on PEH, he’s upgradable but I wouldn’t sell him either because I think he is a very decent option and squad player at the absolute worst. Dier has made it clear that he’s a CB but he hasn’t improved despite having a run in the side in his preferred position since Poch departed. The fact that he isn’t homegrown doesn’t help his case either.

 

[90291Spur]

I think that’s largely because Dier and Lloris have been consistently not good enough for a number of years. It’s not their first poor season like Son is going through now. I don’t have strong opinions on PEH, he’s upgradable but I wouldn’t sell him either because I think he is a very decent option and squad player at the absolute worst. Dier has made it clear that he’s a CB but he hasn’t improved despite having a run in the side in his preferred position since Poch departed. The fact that he isn’t homegrown doesn’t help his case either.

And the fact that the hierarchy at the club has not been able to upgrade him is not his fault. Some may say he “doesn’t give 100%”, but it’s not his fault he hasn’t been sold and replaced by a better player.

 

[Jurgen the German]

And the fact that the hierarchy at the club has not been able to upgrade him is not his fault. Some may say he “doesn’t give 100%”, but it’s not his fault he hasn’t been sold and replaced by a better player.

That’s true but the hierarchy aren’t on the pitch so the fans aim it at the players even though they are giving their best. I don’t blame Dier as I know he gives it his all but I don’t want to see him in our starting lineup anymore.