Nabil Bentaleb

[Algeria]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

did plenty of passes, Bentaleb, but had very little penetration with him around too. did he do better in a box to box role for algeria?

Yes he performs better than in a defensive Mid.

Note that Algeria plays in a 4-3-3 with a real ''sentinel'' beside the defence who relieves Bentaleb from lot of defensive duties.

Due to the carachteristics of other players, he sometimes plays very high, and thanks to his technical abilities the Algerian game tends more to his left side.

In defensive situation when our Wingers are in fullback position, Bentaleb goes higher to be the 1st one to press the openent.

 

[metalgear]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

nice demonstration there.

i always thought bentaleb was wasted in the way sherwood played him. primarily to retain posession with sideways passes - when a number of our players could do that and we lacked penetration up front.

the way algeria plays makes senses - using bentaleb as a give and go to initiate attack higher up the pitch, and to use his positional awareness as a defensive screen.

 

[DTA]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

nice demonstration there.

i always thought bentaleb was wasted in the way sherwood played him. primarily to retain posession with sideways passes - when a number of our players could do that and we lacked penetration up front.

the way algeria plays makes senses - using bentaleb as a give and go to initiate attack higher up the pitch, and to use his positional awareness as a defensive screen.

Not to turn this thread in to another Sherwood debate, but how did we lack penatration under Sherwood considering the amount of goals that we scored?

 

[metalgear]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

we scored those goals by overloading players up front and not leaving enough at the back - so leaking goals as well. but my point is not about the amount of goals but how we can systematically create them. bentaleb's technical ability and cool head is what you need to do that and he plays too deep and spends too much time across the pitch, instead of helping the attack in the final third.

 

[tommysvr]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

His best game by far was away to Saudi Sportswashing Machine, where he played in the hole behind the striker. I wish we'd seen more of him there.

 

[billyiddo]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

His best game by far was away to Saudi Sportswashing Machine, where he played in the hole behind the striker. I wish we'd seen more of him there.

he played deeper alongside a DM n that game i thought?

with Dembele and Chadli playing the wide positions

 

[Rorschach]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

he played deeper alongside a DM n that game i thought?

with Dembele and Chadli playing the wide positions

He was definitely much more forward than usual in that game and it worked well. He has a knack for finding a bit of space and the position definitely suited his talents.

 

[billyiddo]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

maybe, i do agree that it was his best performance and also the teams best performance under Sherwood - i don't know why he didn't continue with that line up/formation from that game onward

 

[Cochise]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Vs Saudi Sportswashing Machine he and Paulinho both got forward plenty whilst Capoue anchored the midfield behind them

 

[metalgear]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Vs Saudi Sportswashing Machine he and Paulinho both got forward plenty whilst Capoue anchored the midfield behind them

how sherwood didn't notice it baffles me. bentaleb is good to watch deep, but he is more effective up front. and we've got like 3 players ready to play behind him defensively.

 

[Cochise]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

It always felt to me like Sherwood wanted to stand by his principles regardless of the results. We arguably looked at our best when we had one dedicated midfielder sitting and the other midfielder (or two) being free to get forward.

 

[scaramanga]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

maybe, i do agree that it was his best performance and also the teams best performance under Sherwood - i don't know why he didn't continue with that line up/formation from that game onward

Something about not needing a DM I believe.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Something about not needing a DM I believe.

It was absolutely stunning to see a player that TS could genuinely claim credit for helping develop then get inexplicably 'rested for his own development'…weird.

 

[milo]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

It was absolutely stunning to see a player that TS could genuinely claim credit for helping develop then get inexplicably 'rested for his own development'…weird.

I think that you are letting your dislike of the man get in the way here. There are plenty of top quality managers who will give a young player a run of games and then drop them with a view on their long term development.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I think that you are letting your dislike of the man get in the way here. There are plenty of top quality managers who will give a young player a run of games and then drop them with a view on their long term development.

I can genuinely say that whilst it might appear that way, not at all. Its a genuine thought. I know many will take youngsters out of the firing line for their long-term development, but equally, I would say that in Bentaleb's case he was hitting a run of form.

What I would concede is that given Sherwood was the one who brought him through, he will know the player/situation far better than I would. Perhaps he gave Paulinhoa run of games knowing that said-player had a world cup coming? And knowing Bentaleb had one too, maybe he felt that being a youngster, the rest would do him good going into the tournament? The invisible intangibles of coaching that I/we don't see I suppose mate...

 

[milo]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I can genuinely say that whilst it might appear that way, not at all. Its a genuine thought. I know many will take youngsters out of the firing line for their long-term development, but equally, I would say that in Bentaleb's case he was hitting a run of form.

What I would concede is that given Sherwood was the one who brought him through, he will know the player/situation far better than I would. Perhaps he gave Paulinhoa run of games knowing that said-player had a world cup coming? And knowing Bentaleb had one too, maybe he felt that being a youngster, the rest would do him good going into the tournament? The invisible intangibles of coaching that I/we don't see I suppose mate...

It's difficult to judge, isn't it. If he is still with us and around the first team squad in a couple of years time then at least we will have got something out of last season.

 

[scaramanga]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I think that you are letting your dislike of the man get in the way here. There are plenty of top quality managers who will give a young player a run of games and then drop them with a view on their long term development.

I suspect there are also a few who see a player playing above their current ability and 'rest' them before regression kicks in. That way the manager's personal PR machine goes rolling on.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

It's difficult to judge, isn't it. If he is still with us and around the first team squad in a couple of years time then at least we will have got something out of last season.

Indeed…I really really like the look of him, and have to say I thought it was a great move by Sherwood to bring him in (funnily enough I found myself defending the player early on)…I really hope it happens with him.

 

[milo]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I suspect there are also a few who see a player playing above their current ability and 'rest' them before regression kicks in. That way the manager's personal PR machine goes rolling on.

Even if that was the case here, it would not necessarily have been a bad move if the player learnt from the experience and improved as a result.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I suspect there are also a few who see a player playing above their current ability and 'rest' them before regression kicks in. That way the manager's personal PR machine goes rolling on.

An interesting viewpoint…this is a good discussion…tough to really know. I suppose only time will tell.