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Jan Vertonghen

Jordinho said:
He's okay, but nothing special. Poor at marking players, prone to mistakes, no real leadership. If I could upgrade on one position in our team, he would be top of my list.
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If we want a better centre back than Vertonghen I think we'll most likely have to develop him ourselves. Look at some of the money spent by us and others at or near the top on centre backs in recent (and not so recent) years... Not many that would be clearly better than Vertonghen. And although Alderweireld is now looking all shiny and perfect, he doesn't really look better than Verts did in his first season.

He does make mistakes, but most central defenders do. The amount of actual mistakes this season has been relatively low I think. And he had Giroud in his back pocket (and palm of his hand). Both Dier and Alderweireld failed at marking Giroud for set pieces against Arsenal and we were almost punished. Had that been Verts I have a feeling it would have been highlighted a bit more on here as it seems more fitting to the current story being told.
 
He looks happy these days. And he gets under the oppositions skin without crossing the line. Would like to see him get a new contract.
 
braineclipse said:
If we want a better centre back than Vertonghen I think we'll most likely have to develop him ourselves. Look at some of the money spent by us and others at or near the top on centre backs in recent (and not so recent) years... Not many that would be clearly better than Vertonghen. And although Alderweireld is now looking all shiny and perfect, he doesn't really look better than Verts did in his first season.

He does make mistakes, but most central defenders do. The amount of actual mistakes this season has been relatively low I think. And he had Giroud in his back pocket (and palm of his hand). Both Dier and Alderweireld failed at marking Giroud for set pieces against Arsenal and we were almost punished. Had that been Verts I have a feeling it would have been highlighted a bit more on here as it seems more fitting to the current story being told.
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Sorry brain have to disagree. Alderweireld is streets ahead of verts in terms of organisation and leadership. It's no coincidence that we have looked stronger defensively since he has been in the team. I believe we would miss Toby more if he was not in the team. You point out the Arsenal game for Giroud's header who was Dier's man. In an earlier passage of play when giroud headed over the bar I saw verts start to challenge Giroud then let him go. He doesn't strike me as one who likes to spoil his perfectly quaffed hair! That said he has been much better defensively this season but I think some of that down to play ing along side Toby. Very good with the ball at his feet and a very good passer. Always felt he was a midfielder rather than centre back.
 
Jordinho said:
He's okay, but nothing special. Poor at marking players, prone to mistakes, no real leadership. If I could upgrade on one position in our team, he would be top of my list.
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Funny how fans can see the same player from opposite angles, for me is one of the best CB's we have had for ages.
 
braineclipse said:
If we want a better centre back than Vertonghen I think we'll most likely have to develop him ourselves. Look at some of the money spent by us and others at or near the top on centre backs in recent (and not so recent) years... Not many that would be clearly better than Vertonghen. And although Alderweireld is now looking all shiny and perfect, he doesn't really look better than Verts did in his first season.

He does make mistakes, but most central defenders do. The amount of actual mistakes this season has been relatively low I think. And he had Giroud in his back pocket (and palm of his hand). Both Dier and Alderweireld failed at marking Giroud for set pieces against Arsenal and we were almost punished. Had that been Verts I have a feeling it would have been highlighted a bit more on here as it seems more fitting to the current story being told.
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My thoughts as well. I think the partnership between Jan and Toby is the best in the Prem. I know some fans keep going on about the headers Giroud got on Sunday but if they take the red hate glasses off they will see that Giroud may be poor on the deck but he is one of the best in the air and would trouble any CB if given the right service.
 
Vertonghen is playing very well atm, probably mainly because he's with his mate Toby and boy have we benefited!
But let's not get ahead of ourselves here: one thing Verts is NOT is a leader. If he was he'd have shown such qualities by now and not need his old chum to look consistently good.

Watch what happens when Toby is out and he has to partner one of our non-senior CBs, like say Wimmer: the sloppy goals and lack of man-marking will become a lot more obvious.

It's the reason why if Poch wants to play a different CB partnership to give a rest to one of Toby or Verts he'll almost always choose to play Toby and one other and NOT Verts and one other.

I guess we should just enjoy the good form whilst it lasts until ebruary when the inevitable plummet happens...
 
Robspur12 said:
Sorry brain have to disagree. Alderweireld is streets ahead of verts in terms of organisation and leadership. It's no coincidence that we have looked stronger defensively since he has been in the team. I believe we would miss Toby more if he was not in the team. You point out the Arsenal game for Giroud's header who was Dier's man. In an earlier passage of play when giroud headed over the bar I saw verts start to challenge Giroud then let him go. He doesn't strike me as one who likes to spoil his perfectly quaffed hair! That said he has been much better defensively this season but I think some of that down to play ing along side Toby. Very good with the ball at his feet and a very good passer. Always felt he was a midfielder rather than centre back.
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Strange how Dier and Toby can also lose Giroud in the same game, in set piece situations that should be more predictable. Yet no comments are made about their hair or attitude...

Alderweireld has similarly looked excellent alongside Vertonghen. And Vertonghen looked very good in his first season, most of his games next to Dawson iirc. Another player that seemingly only played well with a leader next to him.

It's not a coincidence that we look better defensively with Toby in the team. Just like it's not a coincidence that we look better defensively with Dier in the team. Just like it's not a coincidence that we look better defensively with an in form Walker in the team. Just like it's not a coincidence that we look better defensively after Pochettino has had a full season to work on the team. Just like it's not a coincidence that we look better defensively with Lamela instead of Townsend in the team. And so on and so on...

Vertonghen has been a part of that. Just because Alderweireld so far hasn't been a part of our team when we've struggled defensively doesn't mean that he for example would have looked better than Vertonghen alongside Fazio with the team we had last season.
 
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