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Nabil Bentaleb

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

MOM for me today absolutely bossed it, unlucky not to score, we may have a real player on our hands here
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I think he has great talent (I believe I made this point last season when writing about the U21's) and could develop into a special player. Today in the first half he looked totally lost and although he had a great shot his positional play was awful, it was probably because Erikson stayed wide and Palace mixing up their play well. The team changed at half time and he benefited through those changes. He should be allowed to develop naturally and not have too much praise too early for average performances, and that was what todays was.
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I think he has great talent (I believe I made this point last season when writing about the U21's) and could develop into a special player. Today in the first half he looked totally lost and although he had a great shot his positional play was awful, it was probably because Erikson stayed wide and Palace mixing up their play well. The team changed at half time and he benefited through those changes. He should be allowed to develop naturally and not have too much praise too early for average performances, and that was what todays was.

I agree with your point that we shouldn't go over the top with praise for standard performances just because he is young etc. But today was definitely not an 'average' performance....
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

MOM for me today absolutely bossed it, unlucky not to score, we may have a real player on our hands here

I wouldn't say bossed it. He got totally dominated in the first half. Wasn't tracking runners. Poor positionally and basically had rings run round him. Fair enough the whole team was poor in the first half but centre midfield sets the tempo and pattern of play generally and he wasn't getting a foothold and asserting himself.

Promising but we've seen him start 2 games now where hes been outclassed for large portions of the game.
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

At first there was Carrick, then there was Modric, now there is Nabil Bentaleb!

Alright, that's perhaps just a tad premature. He looks a great talent though! And at barely 19 he looks very comfortable playing in the Premier League, under pressure, in a central, deep midfield role. That's rare! I cannot wait to see more of this kid, so far it's been a delight to watch him play football.

Eriksen on Bentaleb after the match:

"When I first came I heard some of the stories of the youth players and it was always him that got mentioned so I knew he was a big talent, and now he shows how good he is and I enjoy playing with him."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/287495/video

I admit to not being as impressed as the rest of the board, but he was excellent today.

As fort eh question what happens when sandro comes back, bentaleb gets dropped, obviously, let's not get carried away. What happens when Paulinho comes back is harder, dembele is excellent this season so I would say bench for him too. What a bench it will be when lamela, kaboul, Vertonghen, sandro and Paulinho come back

If that really was as obvious as that wouldn't it be pretty clear that Bentaleb wouldn't have started games ahead of Capoue?

He doesn't deserve to get dropped, but way beyond what he deserves or doesn't (the important thing is the team, not what a player deserves) he gives us something the other central options don't. He gives us passing tempo, he moves the ball with purpose, one and two touch passes that actually make sense. He does this way better than Sandro, Dembele, Paulinho and Capoue. By offering something different to them at a high level in his passing, and that is something Sherwood has explicitly and repeatedly stated that is a priority, he puts himself in contention for sure.

He crossed the 100 attempted passes mark today, I would be surprised if anyone can name a player doing that for us in a league game since Modric left. That in itself isn't a big whoop, anyone can make useless backwards passes if given the ball. But Bentaleb did so with some purpose and intelligence, what's more he got the ball by moving into space and wanting the ball much more than any other of our 4 "big" central midfield players have this season.

I wouldn't say bossed it. He got totally dominated in the first half. Wasn't tracking runners. Poor positionally and basically had rings run round him. Fair enough the whole team was poor in the first half but centre midfield sets the tempo and pattern of play generally and he wasn't getting a foothold and asserting himself.

Promising but we've seen him start 2 games now where hes been outclassed for large portions of the game.

http://epl.squawka.com/tottenham-ho...-2014/english-barclays-premier-league/matches

In the first half of football where we were outclassed Bentaleb completed 48 out of 52 attempted passes. We might have been dominated as a team, but we weren't dominated because of Bentaleb we were dominated despite Bentaleb. If the rest of the players had shown his willingness to move into space and make passes we would have done a hell of a lot better.

Palace were good and played some good football, but it's not like they walked through our central midfield. Most of their chances came by direct balls up to their strikers that our centre backs failed to deal with or from play on the flanks. No doubt young Bentaleb wasn't as good defensively as Sandro, most likely he never will be, but that's not his game. His game is the Spurs game, he's at his best when we have possession and he makes us a better team when in possession.

He was not outclassed today, in the first half he was the only positive (apart from us somehow not conceding). He wasn't even outclassed against Arsenal, outnumbered - yes, but not outclassed.

Edit: Just to add, on the point of completing 48 out of 52 passes in that first half. We've seen matches this season (and previous) where none of our (sometimes 3) central midfielders have managed that in entire games. Bentaleb did that in 45 minutes, in a game where we were outplayed. Now, passes completed isn't the end all be all of stats, it's just one piece of information. But it certainly says something about willingness to get involved and movement. Both things we've lacked throughout this season I think.
 
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Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Open question to anyone: is you were to start Bentaleb and our other CMs were all fit and available, who would you partner him with in a 4-4-2?

Watching today I though he and Dembele were too similar, whilst him and Sandro wouldn't give the CFs much support and if it were bentaleb and Paulinho, then I would worry about protection for the back 4. I guess I would go with Sandro. Extrapolating this longer term, I'm not sure who you would ideally partner him with if you could sign another CM
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Open question to anyone: is you were to start Bentaleb and our other CMs were all fit and available, who would you partner him with in a 4-4-2?

Watching today I though he and Dembele were too similar, whilst him and Sandro wouldn't give the CFs much support and if it were bentaleb and Paulinho, then I would worry about protection for the back 4. I guess I would go with Sandro. Extrapolating this longer term, I'm not sure who you would ideally partner him with if you could sign another CM

Too soon to say long term, he might display weaknesses that have so far been hidden or he might improve massively in areas that now seem like weaknesses.

I would lean towards Sandro at the moment, just because Sandro is so beastly undroppable.
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Sandro---Bentaleb
-----Paulinho

Might work in certain games. Ade up top, with Eriksen and either Lennon or Lamela in support.
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Great performance from the lad. What a shame he didnt top it all with the goal his shot deserved. One of the highlights of the day...along with Punchups penalty
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Sandro and Dembele everytime.

And watch our passing tempo and movement drop back down? Yeah, would be alright as they're both very good players.

Would need Ade to be on his game though as we'd rely on a lot of direct balls to him seeing as our midfield would contribute very little.

Sandro---Bentaleb
-----Paulinho

Might work in certain games. Ade up top, with Eriksen and either Lennon or Lamela in support.

Would work quite well I think. Bentaleb - Sandro as a Modric - Parker like combination in the centre...
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I was at the game today so feel well-informed enough to make a judgement on Bentaleb's positioning and general performance.

First half, he was decent on the ball but off it he was horrendous. Completely unaware of what was going on around him when Palace had the ball.

Thankfully he stepped up his game second half. He was much more crisp and quick with his passing and better out of possession, although still has a hell of a lot to learn in that aspect.

Unlucky not to score with that brilliant effort. I certainly rate him much higher than I do Tom 'pass it five yards 9 times out of 10 even with better options available' Carroll.
 
Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I was at the game today so feel well-informed enough to make a judgement on Bentaleb's positioning and general performance.

First half, he was decent on the ball but off it he was horrendous. Completely unaware of what was going on around him when Palace had the ball.

Thankfully he stepped up his game second half. He was much more crisp and quick with his passing and better out of possession, although still has a hell of a lot to learn in that aspect.

Unlucky not to score with that brilliant effort. I certainly rate him much higher than I do Tom 'pass it five yards 9 times out of 10 even with better options available' Carroll.

I said in the OMT that "Benteleb is good when in possession of the ball". I didn't want to be harsh on the kid or appear overly critical but bad positioning when not in possession was what i was implying. Certainly improved second half though.
 
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