Jurgen the German
Erik Thorstvedt
I've answered your questions mate, i think he developed his game in the areas that mattered in the new role he was being asked to play - i don't think he played that role to the same level he played at when he was used in the front four and i think that some pundits and some supporters can't quite grasp that as is evidenced with the questions you keep asking in this exchange regarding his improvement in the final third - has he improved in the final third? Let me see him play there for a run of games and i will tell you what i think? I think the two games he started recently show that there's still a player in there who is creative, works hard off the ball and links well with team mates.
I don't care for what Southgate does, most England fans seem to think he's wasting the talent available to him - so why should we value anything he does? That said Southgate was using Dele in CM, was he doing that by coincidence or wss it because that is where he was playing for Spurs on a more regular basis? If he felt there were better options available to him for that position then i don't think that supports your argument regarding Dele in the final third tbh
as for Mourinho the whole issue is that myself and others think Dele is being mistreated, so again it proves nothing - especially since he values attackers defensive attributes over their attacking contributions.
Well from memory he hasn’t played at CM on a consistent basis for a long time. He played in the front four consistently during the last year or so of Poch’s reign at the very least. I haven’t seen anything during that period up until now that shows me that he is a better player in that position than he was in his first two seasons. He’s been ok when selected this season. Has he been any worse than Moura or Bergwijn? Honestly I’d say no but at the same time he doesn’t enough to convince me he should be in the team on a consistent basis. I’d give him a run in the side because at this point Moura and Bergwijn haven’t done enough to be first choice either so I’d be happy for Jose to rotate bale and Alli and see who comes out on top. But I completely disagree with your hypothesis that he was played out of position for the majority of the 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 seasons and that he has developed as a front four player.