• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Bender

Status
Not open for further replies.
For me he lacks the passing finesse of either Eriksen or bentaleb (occasional brain fart aside). It appears to me, his long balls and riskier passing repeatedly fail to come off and when he loses the ball he fails to get back into position fast enough.

Long balls are by their nature riskier. I think that he was selected last year because he was prepared to play quick, riskier, attacking balls. It was his first season in the first team and he is a recent convert to his current position, so maybe it is not a surprise that he got caught out of position sometimes. Whether he can improve in this area will probably determine how his career pans out.
 
For me he lacks the passing finesse of either Eriksen or bentaleb (occasional brain fart aside). It appears to me, his long balls and riskier passing repeatedly fail to come off and when he loses the ball he fails to get back into position fast enough.
If anything, he has a great eye for a quick and incisive pass and under pressure too. I think the problem is he needs more consistency and that comes with game time.
 
@milo and @alekaras I have to say going forward I don't think he is good enough in the defensive role. I believe we need an experienced defensive midfielder like bender, there to give more protection to the back 4 and to help bentaleb in his development. That's not to say that I want Mason sold. But my opinion is he should be a squad player as opposed to a regular starter.
 
@milo and @alekaras I have to say going forward I don't think he is good enough in the defensive role. I believe we need an experienced defensive midfielder like bender, there to give more protection to the back 4 and to help bentaleb in his development. That's not to say that I want Mason sold. But my opinion is he should be a squad player as opposed to a regular starter.

It's a conversation that has been done to death this summer so it is best that we don't drag it up again but I suspect that Poch wishes to continue with a double pivot and even if we sign a more defensively aware midfielder they will not play as a DM.
 

How?

Since 2010 we have consistently ignored gaping holes in the team. We did not back redknapp when top 4 was all but there and as much as I think he's a poor manager, AVB was let down.

We failed to add key positons when the world could see what was wrong, we have made a profit in all 10 windows and have consistently been forced to buy cheap options that the manager did not want.

Frankly it's been a disaster and is largely to blame why we have regressed so far in such a short period of time
 
How?

Since 2010 we have consistently ignored gaping holes in the team. We did not back redknapp when top 4 was all but there and as much as I think he's a poor manager, AVB was let down.

We failed to add key positons when the world could see what was wrong, we have made a profit in all 10 windows and have consistently been forced to buy cheap options that the manager did not want.

Frankly it's been a disaster and is largely to blame why we have regressed so far in such a short period of time

This is the fourth or fifth most successful period in our history, so maybe a little more perspective is called for.
 
How?

Since 2010 we have consistently ignored gaping holes in the team. We did not back redknapp when top 4 was all but there and as much as I think he's a poor manager, AVB was let down.

We failed to add key positons when the world could see what was wrong, we have made a profit in all 10 windows and have consistently been forced to buy cheap options that the manager did not want.

Frankly it's been a disaster and is largely to blame why we have regressed so far in such a short period of time

Regressed from finishing 5th, with the odd chance of 4th?
 
Regressed from finishing 5th, with the odd chance of 4th?

i think he means regressed in the sense we are not close any more points wise. We used to be a point or two away, but now we are way off
 
i think he means regressed in the sense we are not close any more points wise. We used to be a point or two away, but now we are way off

Tottenham_Season_Comparison.png


In that case it's not us regressing.
 
Tottenham_Season_Comparison.png


In that case it's not us regressing.

That is a very interesting graph.
I know the point you were making there was 'top 4 pulling away whilst we are consistent" , but there is an added story there too - the GF & GA columns.

Lower GF vs higher GA suggests the margin for gaining extra points ( ie, leads ending on draws, nicking a winner, turning a losing position into a draw etc) is smaller.

I would suggest ( and I'm not going to try and model any data to back this up!) that is worth 7-10 points per season.

Hopefully improving the defence will help with this. Replacing the king of goals a Bale or Defoe scored is the hardest bit, the "goals out of nothing". Both Eriksen - Kane have that potential.
 
It's a conversation that has been done to death this summer so it is best that we don't drag it up again but I suspect that Poch wishes to continue with a double pivot and even if we sign a more defensively aware midfielder they will not play as a DM.

So how does playing Dier in midfield fit into your hypothesis?
 
That's my thinking on this too. I think it less likely that we are trying to convert him to play DM than that it's a signal we are going to buy someone to do the job properly. We may not play that way all the time, but if we are allowing for that extent of flexibility, I'd be in favour.
 
That's my thinking on this too. I think it less likely that we are trying to convert him to play DM than that it's a signal we are going to buy someone to do the job properly. We may not play that way all the time, but if we are allowing for that extent of flexibility, I'd be in favour.
I am furious however, that we have had to play Dier in midfield for the first game of the season against one of the best sides in Europe, like it was some experimental pre season game. It's simply not good enough from the team that are responsible for sorting out the transfers. I guess we will have to put up with more of the same against Stoke next week.
 
I am furious however, that we have had to play Dier in midfield for the first game of the season against one of the best sides in Europe, like it was some experimental pre season game. It's simply not good enough from the team that are responsible for sorting out the transfers. I guess we will have to put up with more of the same against Stoke next week.

There's no need to be furious. It is a waste of energy, my friend, and there are more important things to expend that on.

Are there any players that have joined other Premier League clubs that you think we have missed out on (that we could have conceivably got)?
 
There's no need to be furious. It is a waste of energy, my friend, and there are more important things to expend that on.

Are there any players that have joined other Premier League clubs that you think we have missed out on (that we could have conceivably got)?

Apart from Cabaye no. But then that's the job of the scouts and the negotiators to identify targets and get them in before the start of the season. That would enable us to hit the ground running not to forfeit precious points at the start of the season. Other teams appear to have brought in their key targets before they start their campaign. Look at Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Palace, Stoke, Swansea for example. You cannot go into the first game of the season with such serious weaknesses in key areas that we need to shoe horn a young centre back and we have only one out and out striker. Surely these should have been addressed as soon as possible. The final days of the window imo, should be for those players who would add something to the team but not absolutely critical or for the injury that you have not accounted for.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back