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Mousa Dembele

Robbo said:
The problem, how I see it, is that Dembele is replacing Modric in the team - but he's not a Modric type player at all.

He's brilliant at driving past players with the ball at his feet, and does a good job tracking back and recovering lost balls, but unlike Modric he doesn't keep the ball moving and make us tick as a team. It's a shame, because I really rate Dembele, but I don't think we get the best out of him unless we get someone in to fill the void that Modric left.

A central midfield of Sandro and New Modric, with Dembele further forward, behind the striker, would be a much better way of utilising his talent, in my opinion.
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Agreed. The team was averaging 555 passes per game (5th in the league) last season but that figure has dropped to just 473 (10th best) this campaign and the signing of a passing maestro, like Moutinho, to complement Sandro and Dembele in midfield must be one of the top priorities this summer. Although perhaps Carroll, Holtby or Huddlestone can play that role during the run-in for games where some more creative passing is required.

Average passes per game:

2011/12: Modric - 70; Assou-Ekotto - 59; Parker - 59; van der Vaart - 49; Walker 48
2012/13: Dembele - 54; Naughton - 49; Vertonghen - 48; Parker - 45; Walker - 44

Key Passes per game:

2011/12: Modric - 2.7; Bale - 2.3; van der Vaart - 2.3; Adebayor - 1.8; Lennon - 1.7
2012/13: Bale - 2.4; Lennon - 2.0; Dembele - 1.9; Walker - 1.7; Adebayor - 1.1

Accurate crosses per game:

2011/12: Bale - 1.3; Modric - 1.3; van der Vaart - 1.2; Assou-Ekotto - 0.7; Lennon - 0.6
2012/13: Bale - 2.0; Assou-Ekotto - 1.1; Walker - 0.9; Huddlestone - 0.5; Sigurdsson 0.5

Accurate through balls per game:

2011/12: Modric - 0.5; van der Vaart - 0.4; Bale - 0.3; Parker 0.3; Adebayor - 0.2
2012/13: Parker - 0.3; Lennon - 0.2; Defoe - 0.2; Dempsey - 0.2; Naughton - 0.2
 
^ definitely a position which will be high on the clubs priorities come the summer. i know we've lacked someone putting the ball in the net but a player in the role mentioned above would have made the biggest difference to our team this season, i feel

a player in the middle who can help us hold on to possession whilst also looking to knit together the front 3 and our attacking play would be much more potent
 
SteveAWOL said:
Agreed. The team was averaging 555 passes per game (5th in the league) last season but that figure has dropped to just 473 (10th best) this campaign and the signing of a passing maestro, like Moutinho, to complement Sandro and Dembele in midfield must be one of the top priorities this summer. Although perhaps Carroll, Holtby or Huddlestone can play that role during the run-in for games where some more creative passing is required.

Average passes per game:

2011/12: Modric - 70; Assou-Ekotto - 59; Parker - 59; van der Vaart - 49; Walker 48
2012/13: Dembele - 54; Naughton - 49; Vertonghen - 48; Parker - 45; Walker - 44

Key Passes per game:

2011/12: Modric - 2.7; Bale - 2.3; van der Vaart - 2.3; Adebayor - 1.8; Lennon - 1.7
2012/13: Bale - 2.4; Lennon - 2.0; Dembele - 1.9; Walker - 1.7; Adebayor - 1.1

Accurate crosses per game:

2011/12: Bale - 1.3; Modric - 1.3; van der Vaart - 1.2; Assou-Ekotto - 0.7; Lennon - 0.6
2012/13: Bale - 2.0; Assou-Ekotto - 1.1; Walker - 0.9; Huddlestone - 0.5; Sigurdsson 0.5

Accurate through balls per game:

2011/12: Modric - 0.5; van der Vaart - 0.4; Bale - 0.3; Parker 0.3; Adebayor - 0.2
2012/13: Parker - 0.3; Lennon - 0.2; Defoe - 0.2; Dempsey - 0.2; Naughton - 0.2
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Wow, so this season Parker is our best passer at putting in through balls. No wonder we seem to struggle creatively, especially as his rate is the same last year. Dembele needs to do more of that, what was his ratio?
 
How can we have high through-ball stats if our 'strikers' in front aren't making any incisive runs or looking remotely dangerous in the box?
 
ArcspacE said:
How can we have high through-ball stats if our 'strikers' in front aren't making any incisive runs or looking remotely dangerous in the box?
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Hoddle used to make the forwards run with his through balls and so did Sheringham. If the movement is static, then play the ball to force them to chase. But we don't have any midfielder clever enough to do that. Parker is actually very good at giving himself time on the ball and spotting the pass, but he isn't very good at executing it.
 
What does Hoddle have to do with this?

My point makes reference to how skewed these 'stats' can be if you only factor in the quality of strikeforce as the 'receiver' of your through-ball

If you have brick strikers - you'd have far less completed through-balls per game
 
Parker holds on to the ball far too long and often fails to see players making good runs, imv (kind of like Jenas in that respect)
 
ArcspacE said:
What does Hoddle have to do with this?

My point makes reference to how skewed these 'stats' can be if you only factor in the quality of strikeforce as the 'receiver' of your through-ball

If you have brick strikers - you'd have far less completed through-balls per game
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Though the strike force last season was Ade. The strike force this season was also Ade.


Apparently Bale has had far more accurate crosses this season compared to last. That i would not have guessed..
 
ArcspacE said:
What does Hoddle have to do with this?

My point makes reference to how skewed these 'stats' can be if you only factor in the quality of strikeforce as the 'receiver' of your through-ball

If you have brick strikers - you'd have far less completed through-balls per game
Click to expand...


we had the same striker this year as last season, when the stats were higher . . .

i think most people who watch us play this season all think we require some creativity in the middle of the pitch and that we haven't adequately replaced Modric or VdV (well we have kind of replaced VdV with Bale in a sense but that then means we haven't replaced Bale on the left . . . ) these stats back that up
 
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Parker is a hard working semi-clogger who's good at breaking up opposition play and protecting the back 4

If we have to rely on him for creativity in the final third - we are doomed
 
ArcspacE said:
What does Hoddle have to do with this?

My point makes reference to how skewed these 'stats' can be if you only factor in the quality of strikeforce as the 'receiver' of your through-ball

If you have brick strikers - you'd have far less completed through-balls per game
Click to expand...

Substitute Hoddle for any good passer man. The passer can make the forwards have good movement. And as has been pointed out, same strikers as last year man!
 
Old Bill said:
Substitute Hoddle for any good passer man. The passer can make the forwards have good movement. And as has been pointed out, same strikers as last year man!
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The stats are compiled on a 'completed' through ball - I'll say again - if there is no one to receive your pass or make a decent run - how can you improve those stats?
 
billyiddo said:
we had the same striker this year as last season, when the stats were higher . . .

i think most people who watch us play this season all think we require some creativity in the middle of the pitch and that we haven't adequately replaced Modric or VdV (well we have kind of replaced VdV with Bale in a sense but that then means we haven't replaced Bale on the left . . . ) these stats back that up
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Which is why people are clamouring for 4-3-3.


Dembele and Sandro were excellent together, just didn't have that creative spark. Though i thought Dembele was better then, now he seems to play defence to Parker's offence.
 
ArcspacE said:
The stats are compiled on a 'completed' through ball - I'll say again - if there is no one to receive your pass or make a decent run - how can you improve those stats?
Click to expand...

I don't know what you are trying to say man. Here is what I am saying just for clarity! Parker statistically is our best forward passer this season. Parker is a poor creative player. That is why we aren't creative. A good creative passer can actually force players with poor movement to have good movement, and works the other way too. A striker with good movement can give poor passers something different to aim for. Basically Dembele hasn't been creative enough, to bring this thing back to topic!
 
billyiddo said:
which arguably came from having a superior midfield in support of him
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That has nothing to do with ihs terrible finishing, questionable work-rate and general lack of confidence in front of goal. Dembele or Parker don't take his shots for him.

For whatever reason - he's struggled this season and hopefully can come back stronger in the Septmeber
 
Spursalot said:
Which is why people are clamouring for 4-3-3.


Dembele and Sandro were excellent together, just didn't have that creative spark. Though i thought Dembele was better then, now he seems to play defence to Parker's offence.
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something i have found very frustrating - i was expecting/hoping to see Parker slot back in to the team and play how he did in the first half of last season (when he was a vital cog in our team) but sadly he is playing more like he was towards the end of the season when he tried to take control further up the field
 
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