Mousa Dembele

[Sandman]

He does more harm to our attack at CM though. The delaying there allows teams to get back and set against us. Sherwood and Poch moved him further forward in an effort to cure turgid.

I would rather slow play in our own half in the middle of the transition that up front where we need quick passes and 1-2's in and around the box to open up the space. I like Dembele, he has a lot of good qualities but as an attacking player he does not. Its as a deep player or nothing for me.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Did anyone watch us play arsenal at home last season?

Did anyone watch us play Evrton last season?

What about West Brom away?

Dembele played well in those games in a balanced central role with Mason and Bentelab supporting Eriksen, Chadli and Kane

Watch the second goal here and you can see exactly what Dembele does, that players like Lamella can only dream of!!!!

The guy can play an attacking role where a big part of his role is taking the ball forward and holding it in the opposition half (so we dont get hit with a counter) and passing it simply

He isn't gonna spray 50 yard passes and probably isn't gonna place a slide rule pass onto a button, but in our current side none of them can do that other than maybe Kane and Eriksen

 

[parklane1]

Did anyone watch us play Ar5ena1 at home last season?

Did anyone watch us play Evrton last season?

What about West Brom away?

Dembele played well in those games in a balanced central role with Mason and Bentelab supporting Eriksen, Chadli and Kane

Watch the second goal here and you can see exactly what Dembele does, that players like Lamella can only dream of!!!!

The guy can play an attacking role where a big part of his role is taking the ball forward and holding it in the opposition half (so we dont get hit with a counter) and passing it simply

He isn't gonna spray 50 yard passes and probably isn't gonna place a slide rule pass onto a button, but in our current side none of them can do that other than maybe Kane and Eriksen

To be honest I do not think they are many ( if any) that are saying Dembele is not/has not got all the skills to be a very good player. However he has played over 100 games for us and in most of them he has shown very little of the talent he has, as I have said elsewhere he promises much but delivers rarely. Not sure why this is because he should be a very good player ( maybe its a mental thing?). But I honestly believe ( and have said so before) that if we get a good offer for him Poch will sell.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

To be honest I do not think they are many ( if any) that are saying Dembele is not/has not got all the skills to be a very good player. However he has played over 100 games for us and in most of them he has shown very little of the talent he has, as I have said elsewhere he promises much but delivers rarely. Not sure why this is because he should be a very good player ( maybe its a mental thing?). But I honestly believe ( and have said so before) that if we get a good offer for him Poch will sell.

His first season with Sandro they were immense together

He has had more highlights than most but his role isn't about the spectacular.

I think people are expecting things that maybe he isn't there to deliver

His game current is about taking the ball forward, holding the ball up to allow others to get up with play (we dont have quick players to do that) and stopping the opposition. He does all of that well. What he doesn't do is quick nippy passes but we honestly IMO dont play like that without him in the team so why would we with him in it

I would have agreed with you a few weeks back regarding Poch selling him but I dont see it now.

I honestly think we will be lining up with a slightly different formation now that suits him more than most and Poch will want to use him

After one game who knows to be honest but thats how I'm judging it. I guarantee there will be a completely different perspective come the end of August

 

[parklane1]

His first season with Sandro they were immense together

He has had more highlights than most but his role isn't about the spectacular.

I think people are expecting things that maybe he isn't there to deliver

His game current is about taking the ball forward, holding the ball up to allow others to get up with play (we dont have quick players to do that) and stopping the opposition. He does all of that well. What he doesn't do is quick nippy passes but we honestly IMO dont play like that without him in the team so why would we with him in it

I would have agreed with you a few weeks back regarding Poch selling him but I dont see it now.

I honestly think we will be lining up with a slightly different formation now that suits him more than most and Poch will want to use him

After one game who knows to be honest but thats how I'm judging it. I guarantee there will be a completely different perspective come the end of August

Nothing would please me more then to see Dembele play to the best of his ability ( because as I have already said he has the skills), and I hope I am wrong but after 3 years and over 100 games I do not see it changing for him, we shall see.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Completely on board with you Bedford!

 

[metalgear]

great player that dembele...not sure if he fits poch's sytem though.

 

[Spurmac1974]

Was chatting to a mate yesterday who is a United fan, he also plays at a really high level. He was at Old Trafford on Saturday and was really impressed by how we set up tactically. The player he picked out as the most impressive on the day was Dembele! Said he was strong as an ox, technically brilliant and let down by the rest of the midfield except Dier who he was also impressed by. Also said Walker was immense both off the ball and on the ball. All in all though we were a very good side just let down by a lack of pace & penetration.
Means nothing of course when Gutter Boy has you written off as a player

 

[Gutter Boy]

How can you still write on a player, when he's 28 and played 100 mediocre-to-poor games for us? It's not like he's some raw young talent that needs polishing

 

[Rorschach]

Was chatting to a mate yesterday who is a United fan, he also plays at a really high level. He was at Old Trafford on Saturday and was really impressed by how we set up tactically. The player he picked out as the most impressive on the day was Dembele! Said he was strong as an ox, technically brilliant and let down by the rest of the midfield except Dier who he was also impressed by. Also said Walker was immense both off the ball and on the ball. All in all though we were a very good side just let down by a lack of pace & penetration.
Means nothing of course when Gutter Boy has you written off as a player

I thought he had a very good first half and was a little surprised he was taken off.

 

[mudshark]

The guy can play an attacking role where a big part of his role is taking the ball forward and holding it in the opposition half (so we dont get hit with a counter) and passing it simply

The problem is this is the part that tends to go missing in the crucial phase of an attack which means we often fail to capitalise on a positional advantage, and for me it boils down to our lack of pace in key areas. You'll frequently see him carrying the ball square, fending off opposition players, buying time waiting for our plodding runners to get ahead of the ball. By then, though, the opposition defence are back in position, like resetting the pieces on a chess board, and we're back to playing in front of them, trying to thread stuff through the eye of a needle again. There've been many occasions when I've thought he'd be better off having a go himself, but he generally passes up opportunities to do that. My personal feeling is that Dembele would be a great deal more valuable to us in an attacking sense with more pace in the team. Will be, hopefully.

 

[Spurmac1974]

How can you still write on a player, when he's 28 and played 100 mediocre-to-poor games for us? It's not like he's some raw young talent that needs polishing

Thats the biggest load of nonsense Ive read from you and thats saying something, hes had many good games for us and some outstanding games! Unfortunately your eye for a player is extremely poor. In fact I would say its blind to certain players, also do you really feel a player cant improve with age??? If that is the case then you clearly havent a clue!

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The problem is this is the part that tends to go missing in the crucial phase of an attack which means we often fail to capitalise on a positional advantage, and for me it boils down to our lack of pace in key areas. You'll frequently see him carrying the ball square, fending off opposition players, buying time waiting for our plodding runners to get ahead of the ball. By then, though, the opposition defence are back in position, like resetting the pieces on a chess board, and we're back to playing in front of them, trying to thread stuff through the eye of a needle again. There've been many occasions when I've thought he'd be better off having a go himself, but he generally passes up opportunities to do that. My personal feeling is that Dembele would be a great deal more valuable to us in an attacking sense with more pace in the team. Will be, hopefully.

I've thought that the lack of attacking pace has been crippling for counters

His passing isn't spectacular but he rarely gives the ball away which to me means he can pass

Better options to pass to would help

 

[Gutter Boy]

Thats the biggest load of nonsense Ive read from you and thats saying something, hes had many good games for us and some outstanding games! Unfortunately your eye for a player is extremely poor. In fact I would say its blind to certain players, also do you really feel a player cant improve with age??? If that is the case then you clearly havent a clue!

He had a couple of good games in his first 6 months, but Sandro was immense then so it's hard to know how much he was being carried.

Most of the compassion for Dembele still harks back to THAT youtube video of him against United. He's done very little in a lilywhite shirt. He's a typical sexy player - all style but no substance. Looks flashy, but isn't at all effective.

My point about his age is that he's supposed to be at his prime now. That's not the age where no-one still know what position he plays in, or whether he can be coached in some of the basics like how to release the ball.

 

[parklane1]

My summing up for Dembele is as follows, he has had some very good games, he has had a few good games, he has had a few poor games, but mostly ( imo) he has had a lot of games when he has been on the periphery of games. Now for me that is a poor return from a player who has all the skills but rarely makes the most of them, he seems to have a problem whether that is a fitness or mental thing but he promises much but very rarely delivers.

 

[Spurmac1974]

He had a couple of good games in his first 6 months, but Sandro was immense then so it's hard to know how much he was being carried.

Most of the compassion for Dembele still harks back to THAT youtube video of him against United. He's done very little in a lilywhite shirt. He's a typical sexy player - all style but no substance. Looks flashy, but isn't at all effective.

My point about his age is that he's supposed to be at his prime now. That's not the age where no-one still know what position he plays in, or whether he can be coached in some of the basics like how to release the ball.

Thanks you just confirmed my earlier point about your judgement of players, carried by Sandro......deary me

 

[mudshark]

I think GB's being overly harsh. As I said, I feel Dembele could be much more effective with the right sort of players around him. I'd agree he doesn't always take the opportunity to release the ball, even when it's on, but that's something that can be worked on through repetition on the training pitch — if the right players are working alongside.

 

[GrimsbyYid]

Dembele is a great player, doesn't show it enough but he is, would prefer him in the 2 than Mason, prefer him wide right than Townsend, and at the minute even Lamela. He can play anywhere in that 3 behind Kane and the middle 2, incredibly versatile player. Makes no sense to sell him for me.

Chelsea was our most impressive display last season, we only came to life when mason went off injured and Dembele came into the middle and dominated them.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Dembele is a great player, doesn't show it enough but he is, would prefer him in the 2 than Mason, prefer him wide right than Townsend, and at the minute even Lamela. He can play anywhere in that 3 behind Kane and the middle 2, incredibly versatile player. Makes no sense to sell him for me.

Chel53a was our most impressive display last season, we only came to life when mason went off injured and Dembele came into the middle and dominated them.

You have said that a lot and whilst I agree it was a great display we were dominant before hand too with mason on

I would add that of me Arsenal at home and West Brom away were the perfect displays and Dembele played in both of them

 

[ringo]

Dembele reminds me a bit of Berbatov in that he can keep the ball very well (I think Berbatov looked after the ball best of pretty much any player I have seen live), but he also has an air of laziness/slowness about him. (although I think he is probably a lot quicker when you are playing against him than he appears when you are watching him from the stands) I think he needs to be in the thick of the action - probably #10 or second striker as he doesn't really motor around looking for the ball, but can hold off players in tight spots, ghost past defenders, and make space in tightly packed defences.

I know he is accused of not shooting enough, but I think that is more about regularly playing in the same position, and getting into the habit, rather than an inability to do that. I would keep him as he gives us something different, and we have plenty of zippy, short passers.