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Etienne Capoue
- Thread starter Jordinho
- Start date
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
I believe he did well because we sat deep with men behind the ball. Still not convinced he is the man for Poch's preferred system with the high line mainly due to his lack of mobility or positional sense.
metalgear
Luka Modric
who else better than him for now? dembele slows the game down, bentaleb's positional sense is far worse. stambouli perhaps but he'll need more time.
i know pressing with the high line is the goal, but maybe our players are just better suited to play a more conventional game.
Lack of positional sense?! How do you explain him winning so many interceptions at Spurs and Toulouse (4th most for a DM in the league so far this year)?
Also to the guy who said he just plays 10 yard passes between centre-backs - how do you explain him having the most long passes of any outfield player in the league so far this year?
Some strange opinions going round here...
Personally I still think he's very similar to Carrick, including his lack of mobility. That's obviously his biggest weakness, but overall I think he's looking an increasingly good player in that deep-lying passer and holder role.
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
My view on Capoue is based on what I have seen myself rather than stats. I felt he was very poor for the Moreno goal vs Liverpool and he played a big part in the concession of both goals vs Sunderland. This added to his performances in central defence last season where he looked anything but positionally savvy have not convinced me. Not seen any of those long passes a la Carrick which you say he has in his locker. Carrick was light years ahead of Capoue. IMHO Carrick was a much better passer, dictated our play to a far greater extent and was much more mobile, oh and he made many headed clearances in our box which made us better at defending set pieces. I would love the Carrick we had in 2005/6 he was phenomenal. Capoue has a long way to go before he can be compared favourably to Carrick. Personally I would rather have Morgan Schneiderlin in there.
Granted Capoue played well yesterday but as I have said he was helped by us sitting deep with men behind the ball. HOWEVER, Poch clearly likes him and I like Poch so I am willing to bow to greater wisdom.
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glorygloryeze
Tom Huddlestone
I do like Capoue but he would have been a liability yesterday if we had not sat deep to play on the break. He has a tendency to get the ball caught under his feet and be dispossessed too easily at times. There was one time when he was dispossessed and ambled back at a snails pace even though this interception left us very badly exposed at the back. Luckily nothing came of it.
He has a decent passing range (his ball to Chadli - which Chadli fluffed horrifically! - at the end of the first half was very good. But you can be sure at WHL, when we'd be more likely to try and be on the front foot, he would be the player that opposition would press and target the most to catch us off guard.
Next week's game versus Southampton will possibly show how he compares to Schneiderlin (and likely not favourably...)
He has a decent passing range (his ball to Chadli - which Chadli fluffed horrifically! - at the end of the first half was very good. But you can be sure at WHL, when we'd be more likely to try and be on the front foot, he would be the player that opposition would press and target the most to catch us off guard.
Next week's game versus Southampton will possibly show how he compares to Schneiderlin (and likely not favourably...)
glorygloryeze
Tom Huddlestone
Also, what exactly does Capoue bring to our game that Thudd didn't? I'm truly intrigued on this point as atm I can't see much difference tbh..
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
Good post mate.
metalgear
Luka Modric
yes but what would you do?
Ade's folks are ok really
Ramon Vega
Reeeeeallly - you're going to compare these two!??
Thudd had a greater range of passing for me, and more importantly, far more accuracy with the long ball.
However, Capoue's positional sense is stricter than Thudd's and he's more solid in the tackle.
Lastly, i've seen milk turn quicker than Huddlestone! He was one of the slowest, least agile players we had at that time. During one season I lost count of the amount of opposition attacks that would completely cut him out of midfield with just a couple of quick passes. In short - the game has got quicker, and Thudd simply couldn't deal with it effectively enough.
Ultimately very different types of player for me, despite their similar position on the pitch.
Exactly, and Capoue is a good player.
He is clearly a favourite of Poch, its always him plus AN Other - Could you really see Hudd being a mainstay with the way Poch wants his teams to play?
Lets be fair to Capoue, the start of last season before he got injured against Arsenal I for one thought he looked very good for a player new to the premier league. Getting injured for that long while trying to still adapt must be tough. To then come back when the manager is under severe pressure and being played CB isn't exactly an ideal or confidence boosting start. AVB got sacked and capoue didn't last a full game (vs southampton IIRC) before being replaced by Bentaleb who Sherwood loved. I don't think we saw much of Capoue again other than scoring against City in the home defeat. I think he's started this season very strong, with the right kind of player next to him he can be even better and bare in mind he is enjoying his longest run in the team which for me will translate into growing confidence and even better performances.
One of our best players this season IMO
One of our best players this season IMO
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
I have answered this previously; once match fit I would have stambouli holding, alongside bentaleb, then in the middle of the forward three I would rotate between Chadli and dembele and aim to win the ball higher up the pitch for lamela/Lennon , eriksen. In the jan transfer window I would then go for my schneiderlin type player. Like I said though Poch believes at the present that Capoue is the best option for the holding midfield role and as he sees the players every day in training I am happy to bow to his greater knowledge.
metalgear
Luka Modric
stambouli - untested,
bentaleb - has been given a chance but obviously still wet behind the ears
and i haven't seen enough about stambouli to remotely guess how he would operate alongside bentaleb. from the little i've seen his committed challenges risks us getting caught with bentaleb no where near the centre of defence.
sounds really risky to me.
agree with you poch knows best and knows where to place his bets; but I am not counting on another central midfielder until we are sure who we want to rid of. we'll get more out of a period of serious consolidation for now.
metalgear
Luka Modric
i think a lot of observers can't see past his perceived lack of mobility and lanquid, unassuming style of playing. Carrick is a good example not for the obvious, but in the sense that you will miss and appreciate him more if he's not playing - implying that the player imposes a presence and control of space off the ball, through excellent movement and positioning.
you have players like rose and walker who are able to use their speed to get into positions, parker and sandro use their heart and throw their bosdies in the line of fire. carrick and capoue are players who use their experience and awareness to control space to avoid the attacks before they happen (by cutting out options).
don't think there is a best "type" of player, but fans definitely have their preferences.
Mumorn
Vic Buckingham
A player's primary concern when a new manager comes in is how regularly he will feature. Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment gave the Tottenham squad a chance to prove themselves at White Hart Lane, with some performing better than others, on the back of Tim Sherwood’s sacking. The passionate boss isolated a number of first teamers and fans largely welcomed his exit.
A full pre-season allowed Pochettino to analyse every member of his new team and while a number of fan favourites fell by the wayside - Michael Dawson and Sandro, in particular, moving on to pastures new - one who has benefitted from the new managerial setup is Etienne Capoue. The Frenchman arrived from Toulouse last summer, somewhat surprisingly considering the midfield options available to then head coach André Villas-Boas. Prior to injury in the North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium last season, though, Capoue looked set to become an important member of the Spurs first team.
However, Nabil Bentaleb leapfrogged him in the pecking order after Sherwood's appointment, with Capoue’s final appearance of last season coming in a 1-0 defeat at Norwich in February. Seemingly out of favour and linked with a return to France after a solitary season in England’s capital, the 26-year-old has been given a new lease of life under Pochettino and has grabbed the opportunity to impress with both hands. Only captain Younes Kaboul and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (540) have registered more league minutes this season than Capoue (526) of all Spurs players, with the midfielder now considered a key member of the squad.
Tasked with shielding the defence in a midfield pivot in Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, Capoue is excelling in perhaps one of the most important positions on the pitch. What makes his displays more impressive is that the Argentine is yet to find a regular midfield partner for the former Toulouse star. Capoue has started alongside Bentaleb, Mousa Dembélé and, most recently, Ryan Mason, but has not allowed the lack of consistency in the middle of the park to affect him.
Only Erik Lamela (7.30) and Eric Dier (7.26) have a better WhoScored rating than Capoue (7.14) of all Spurs players in the Premier League this season, reinforcing how well he has started the campaign. Supporters may have felt Capoue’s first team action would be minimal despite a return to fitness, but the lack of World Cup action proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Paulinho, Dembélé and Bentaleb have all underwhelmed after returning to domestic duties, while Sandro clearly did not do enough to impress Pochettino. Links with Morgan Schneiderlin, coupled with the eventual signing of Benjamin Stambouli, could have seen Capoue’s playing time lessen, but the form he has shown, reminiscent of his final season for Toulouse, has rendered him undroppable to date.
Only 4 players are averaging more passes per game than Capoue (78.3) in England’s top tier this season, while only Cesc Fàbregas (133 vs Aston Villa) and Jordan Henderson (111 vs Aston Villa) have played more accurate passes in a single match this term than Capoue (110 vs QPR). Of all Spurs players to feature this term, only defender Vlad Chiriches (6) is averaging more tackles and interceptions per game than the French midfielder (5.83) and it’s obvious what Capoue’s role in the team is.
"I don’t want someone who just sits in front of the back four and doesn’t go anywhere, but that’s just my personal view," former Spurs coach Les Ferdinand said back in January in a dig about the deployment of the holding midfielder. For a football team to succeed in modern football, however, a player who breaks up play and recycles possession efficiently is a necessity. Sherwood’s Spurs may have opted against the use of a defensive midfielder, compromising the solidity of the team, but Pochettino is clearly in favour of them.
The Argentine used either Victor Wanyama or Jack Cork in a similar role for Saints last season, allowing Schneiderlin to push on and support the attack. Pochettino is yet to find the right partner for Capoue, but a player who can read the game as well as the former Toulouse star and use possession as effectively as him - Capoue has an impressive pass success (88.9%) this term - was always going to appeal to the Spurs boss.
In games such as Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, where Pochettino's side were unlikely to see much of the ball, someone to win possession in the defensive third was essential and Capoue did this superbly in the North London Derby. No player made more tackles (5), while only Kieran Gibbs (6) made more interceptions (5) in the encounter, in what was a highly efficient performance from the Spurs man. Unsurprisingly, only Lloris (7.63) earned a better WhoScored rating than Capoue (7.56) of all Tottenham players in the stalemate.
Of all outfielders in the Premier League this season, the Frenchman has played the most accurate long balls (52). He is the ideal player to match the high-pressing, counter-attacking system that Pochettino favours, with the midfielder able to pick out a teammate from distance. When factoring in that Spurs play more compact, with the attacking-midfield trio of Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli all preferring to cut inside when on the ball, Capoue’s influence becomes more pertinent.
Pochettino prefers his full-backs to overlap and stretch the opposition and with Capoue’s excellent distribution, the team can swiftly transition from defence to attack. The high number of accurate long balls highlights how the midfielder receives the ball in the defensive third and can spot the run of either Dier, Kyle Naughton, Ben Davies or Danny Rose on either flank.
After being linked with a move to Napoli in January, followed by a potential return to France over the summer, Capoue is establishing himself as a first team regular at White Hart Lane this term. Pochettino has placed a lot of faith in the midfielder and now fans are seeing the best of the 26-year-old as he shines in front of the back four and if Spurs are to enjoy some long-awaited success this season; Capoue may play a crucial role in this dream becoming reality.
Finney Is Back
Luka Modric
Hmmmm - I absolutely loved watching Carrick play and I absolutely hate watching Capoue. For me there is a quite a big difference in the way that they play. Carrick wanted the ball in much tighter spaces than Capoue and had much better control (probably why he was able to demand the ball in tighter spaces). Carrick also seemed to play a lot more forward passes than Capoue. Capoue also only seems to want to receive the ball when standing somewhere in between our centre halves, whereas Carrick would also take the ball further up the pitch and really act as the hub of our team. I also thought Carrick was more mobile and better positionally (Capoue seems to be caught wrong side on too many occasions - granted not really against Arsenal where the whole team sat very deep, but against Liverpool and WBA at home it happened on numerous occasions).
Mumorn
Vic Buckingham
He compares well to Man Utds Carrick from recent years imv.
He does -so much so that he probably wont be appreciated properly by many on here until he leaves...