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Christian Eriksen

90291Spur said:
Hey, the ‘he’s definitely off’ rude boys! Thoughts?
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I think he’ll stay, but I’m not going to get my hopes up until he signs - it’s just a standard piece of speculation. You don’t ask everyone for their thoughts when you see a random piece of speculation about one of our favourites being sold elsewhere so why should something like this hold anymore weight just because it’s potential good news....
 
imcallingbullsh*t said:
He is not the conductor this season, hasnt been at his best, not sure about mentally fine tuned, think he just has his mind on 7 jobs at moment, and has no rhythmn

He played

Tip of the diamond
Right of the diamond
Middle of a 2
Wide right of a 4
Middle of a 4

Just last night, dele very similar
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Not only have they both suffered from having to cover other positions, they've both missed Dembele.

He was the reason they used to get the ball in space and now we don't have anyone doing that.
 
I'm imagining that if he signs a new contract, there will be a Barca clause or some such in there.

Not sure how to feel exactly now though. He's not been his best this year and his sale would've put a good amount of money into the transfer warchest.
 
scaramanga said:
Not only have they both suffered from having to cover other positions, they've both missed Dembele.

He was the reason they used to get the ball in space and now we don't have anyone doing that.
Click to expand...

I would further that our whole side has suffered from our sub-par wing-backs, who have needed more coverage than ever, and the lack of fitness/form of Dier and Wanyama. When either is properly fit we have the necessaries in regards to what you’re mentioning.
 
scaramanga said:
Not only have they both suffered from having to cover other positions, they've both missed Dembele.

He was the reason they used to get the ball in space and now we don't have anyone doing that.
Click to expand...

Exactly. This article sums it up well -

https://statsbomb.com/2019/01/the-rise-of-press-resistant-midfielders/

Press-resistant central players are becoming irreplaceable given current football trends of high pressing / smart pressing in high-intensity zones. Teams are realizing this, too, which is why they're in such high demand - with Frenkie De Jong and Tanguy NDombele both examples of this skillset. At their most basic, they create space for others - at their most devastating, they single-handedly decide games and entire seasons with marauding runs through midfield, opponents bouncing off them at will.

The article being headlined with a picture of Mousa isn't an accident, either - he was basically the poster boy for powerful, unstoppable press resistance, the first of a new mould of central midfielders that could counteract the gegenpressing in vogue at the time. In many ways, Poch's usage of Dembele created the tactical demand for that style of player across the continent, and is the reason why Poch loved him so much. In many ways, Mousa was a first.

No doubt the entire team has suffered from Mousa's decline and subsequent sale. Attackers have had less space to operate in, and have had to turn the ball over quicker. Dispossessions have gone up, meaning the team has had to run more to recover the ball. Defenders don't have an easy out ball ,and opponents have more players available to spring on counters.

We miss Mousa, or someone like him. Surprisingly enough, Sissoko has fulfilled many aspects of that function this season - his passing is very questionable, but in terms of pace ,strength, dribbling skills and workrate, he's pretty much been the surprise package of the season in terms of replacing Dembele.

But he's had to put in multiple shifts as a defensive midfielder, negating most aspects of this skill. And of course, we might not have him for the run-in.

Whatever happens, this summer we will need to decide what we do about that central midfield position. Do we settle on Sissoko as a DM? In that case, we need another press-resistant central midfielder to take up the slack on the other side.

Or, alternately...do we get Sissoko to play more of a ball-carrier role next season, and sign a new DM to replace him? If so, some interesting combinations emerge.

The most interesting would be to play a deep-lying regista alongside Sissoko - to provide a new vector to threaten the opponent by having that player pick up the ball in deep areas and immediately spring counters with long balls. It would also be the most balanced solution, and would allow for a team brimming with menace.

Another option would be to do away with the need for a 'pure' DM, and sign another ball-carrying player (Tanguy NDombele) to sit at the base of midfield. Then, Sissoko and NDombele could take turns alternating runs forward, and it would allow for plenty of cover for that role should one get injured.

Either way, this CL run has been an absolute blessing, because it allows us to bring in that calibre of player this summer, provided we get CL. And that, in turn, will free up Eriksen, Alli, Son and Kane to a huge extent next season - if we can pull it off.
 
thfcsteff said:
I would further that our whole side has suffered from our sub-par wing-backs, who have needed more coverage than ever, and the lack of fitness/form of Dier and Wanyama. When either is properly fit we have the necessaries in regards to what you’re mentioning.
Click to expand...
Still think we lack a press-resistant deep midfielder.
 
DubaiSpur said:
Exactly. This article sums it up well -

https://statsbomb.com/2019/01/the-rise-of-press-resistant-midfielders/

Press-resistant central players are becoming irreplaceable given current football trends of high pressing / smart pressing in high-intensity zones. Teams are realizing this, too, which is why they're in such high demand - with Frenkie De Jong and Tanguy NDombele both examples of this skillset. At their most basic, they create space for others - at their most devastating, they single-handedly decide games and entire seasons with marauding runs through midfield, opponents bouncing off them at will.

The article being headlined with a picture of Mousa isn't an accident, either - he was basically the poster boy for powerful, unstoppable press resistance, the first of a new mould of central midfielders that could counteract the gegenpressing in vogue at the time. In many ways, Poch's usage of Dembele created the tactical demand for that style of player across the continent, and is the reason why Poch loved him so much. In many ways, Mousa was a first.

No doubt the entire team has suffered from Mousa's decline and subsequent sale. Attackers have had less space to operate in, and have had to turn the ball over quicker. Dispossessions have gone up, meaning the team has had to run more to recover the ball. Defenders don't have an easy out ball ,and opponents have more players available to spring on counters.

We miss Mousa, or someone like him. Surprisingly enough, Sissoko has fulfilled many aspects of that function this season - his passing is very questionable, but in terms of pace ,strength, dribbling skills and workrate, he's pretty much been the surprise package of the season in terms of replacing Dembele.

But he's had to put in multiple shifts as a defensive midfielder, negating most aspects of this skill. And of course, we might not have him for the run-in.

Whatever happens, this summer we will need to decide what we do about that central midfield position. Do we settle on Sissoko as a DM? In that case, we need another press-resistant central midfielder to take up the slack on the other side.

Or, alternately...do we get Sissoko to play more of a ball-carrier role next season, and sign a new DM to replace him? If so, some interesting combinations emerge.

The most interesting would be to play a deep-lying regista alongside Sissoko - to provide a new vector to threaten the opponent by having that player pick up the ball in deep areas and immediately spring counters with long balls. It would also be the most balanced solution, and would allow for a team brimming with menace.

Another option would be to do away with the need for a 'pure' DM, and sign another ball-carrying player (Tanguy NDombele) to sit at the base of midfield. Then, Sissoko and NDombele could take turns alternating runs forward, and it would allow for plenty of cover for that role should one get injured.

Either way, this CL run has been an absolute blessing, because it allows us to bring in that calibre of player this summer, provided we get CL. And that, in turn, will free up Eriksen, Alli, Son and Kane to a huge extent next season - if we can pull it off.
Click to expand...
My preference is to do what we did before - no out and out DM at all. A Dembele replacement (I don't think Sissoko is even nearly that player*) with a player who is comfortable with passing the ball and reading the game well, like Dier.


*Sissoko can run with the ball quickly, but usually into space that is already there. I don't think that gets close to Dembele's ability to create that space to run into, to run past players when there's no space at all, or to just hold up play and lay it off well when available. I don't see players gambling on Sissoko beating the press the way they did Dembele.
 
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