Nabil Bentaleb

[GrimsbyYid]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Bentaleb was our worst player against City and looked WELL out of his depth. I don't care about those stats, I watched the game and Dembele and Capoue were Far superior. He gave it away in dangerous areas (something stats don't tell you) and was muscled out of it far too much. He wasn't good enough. He was good today, tidy, safe, but, and this is my problem with starting him every game, he doesn't offer what I call a special ability (too many video games)... Dembele gets the ball and drives forward with it, he's hard to get the ball off and he jeeps it very well, Paulinho goes missing, but he can score, he's always in and around the box and looks dangerous. Sandro is more complete but he's a destroyer, great interceptor, tackler etc, Capoue is bit like Sandro just not as good. I think players need special abilities. Bentaleb is a good passer, holds on to it quite well, and in time could be a Modric or Dembele type. Just not now. Yeah it's great he's playing so well for a 19 year old... but he's not good enough for our first 11. I have no doubt we'd have looked far better against most teams with Capoue and not Bentaleb.

 

[Mosquito_Coasting]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Today was the first time I really noticed his skill. Had some moments of stunnigg technique and composure.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Bentaleb was our worst player against City and looked WELL out of his depth. I don't care about those stats, I watched the game and Dembele and Capoue were Far superior. He gave it away in dangerous areas (something stats don't tell you) and was muscled out of it far too much. He wasn't good enough. He was good today, tidy, safe, but, and this is my problem with starting him every game, he doesn't offer what I call a special ability (too many video games)... Dembele gets the ball and drives forward with it, he's hard to get the ball off and he jeeps it very well, Paulinho goes missing, but he can score, he's always in and around the box and looks dangerous. Sandro is more complete but he's a destroyer, great interceptor, tackler etc, Capoue is bit like Sandro just not as good. I think players need special abilities. Bentaleb is a good passer, holds on to it quite well, and in time could be a Modric or Dembele type. Just not now. Yeah it's great he's playing so well for a 19 year old... but he's not good enough for our first 11. I have no doubt we'd have looked far better against most teams with Capoue and not Bentaleb.

Out of curiosity, were you one of those who asked "what does he do" about Carrick? Or complained about Modric not contributing with enough goals and assists?

Bentaleb played several very good forward passes today, passes into the final third. The kind of passes that our attacking players should thrive on.

For me our best player today. So many players I would say isn't good enough for our first 11 before Bentaleb based on this performance.

Today was the first time I really noticed his skill. Had some moments of stunnigg technique and composure.

Agreed. And some really nice passing, easily our best passer on the pitch. Eriksen and Paulinho and should take notice.

 

[SteveAWOL]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Out of curiosity, were you one of those who asked "what does he do" about Carrick? Or complained about Modric not contributing with enough goals and assists?

Bentaleb played several very good forward passes today, passes into the final third. The kind of passes that our attacking players should thrive on.

For me our best player today. So many players I would say isn't good enough for our first 11 before Bentaleb based on this performance.
...

Pah, passing is overrated! Much prefer players who can run about a bit than those who keep passing the ball :-"

Parker > Carrick
Dembele > Modric

[video=youtube;expWGIGZeDA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=expWGIGZeDA[/video]

 

[elltrev]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Bentaleb was our worst player against City and looked WELL out of his depth. I don't care about those stats, I watched the game and Dembele and Capoue were Far superior. He gave it away in dangerous areas (something stats don't tell you) and was muscled out of it far too much. He wasn't good enough. He was good today, tidy, safe, but, and this is my problem with starting him every game, he doesn't offer what I call a special ability (too many video games)... Dembele gets the ball and drives forward with it, he's hard to get the ball off and he jeeps it very well, Paulinho goes missing, but he can score, he's always in and around the box and looks dangerous. Sandro is more complete but he's a destroyer, great interceptor, tackler etc, Capoue is bit like Sandro just not as good. I think players need special abilities. Bentaleb is a good passer, holds on to it quite well, and in time could be a Modric or Dembele type. Just not now. Yeah it's great he's playing so well for a 19 year old... but he's not good enough for our first 11. I have no doubt we'd have looked far better against most teams with Capoue and not Bentaleb.

I know what you mean about special ability, but I think Bentaleb does have one - it's that he's always trying to get on the ball, and always plays quick accurate passes. And I think that he already does that better than any of our other central midfielders.

It's not as flashy as some of our other CMs' 'special abilities', but IMO it's at least as important and effective.

 

[Cochise]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Bentaleb was one of our better players today, his passing was good and he pretty much always made an option. Soo many times he shielded the ball or played a quick pass when under a lot of pressure, other players did not

 

[Luda2013]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

He's a proper footballer. Great passer

 

[GrimsbyYid]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Out of curiosity, were you one of those who asked "what does he do" about Carrick? Or complained about Modric not contributing with enough goals and assists?

No I loved both players and thought both players were excellent for us. Why?

 

[Cochise]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

No I loved both players and thought both players were excellent for us. Why?

He's making the point that Bentaleb did an aweful lot today that you didn't notice, the type of stuff that some fans never saw Modric or Carrick do.

 

[metalgear]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

bentaleb doesn't do enough tackling and interceptions for me, he is just not helping defend that area. could be its sherwood's brief to him, but i call what i see ... he's excellent skill in trapping, controlling and passing to feet, but we need more in that position, and we have a lot of options to try to beef up that area.

at the moment he reminds me of adel tarrabt. excellent to watch on the ball but adds little to the overall game.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

bentaleb doesn't do enough tackling and interceptions for me, he is just not helping defend that area. could be its sherwood's brief to him, but i call what i see ... he's excellent skill in trapping, controlling and passing to feet, but we need more in that position, and we have a lot of options to try to beef up that area.

at the moment he reminds me of adel tarrabt. excellent to watch on the ball but adds little to the overall game.

What?
You're joking, right?
He was great today...he won lots of possession today, at one point roaring 40 yards back to win a ball and set us up. I think you have him confused with someone else?

 

[Cochise]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

Starting to see him as an important part of our play. Some of those passes inside the right back and right winger for Rose to run on to were perfect, but I do think we need a midfield three there with a more defensive player alongside him. Basically get Sandro back in alongside him and let the rest fight it out for spots ahead.

 

[GrimsbyYid]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

He's making the point that Bentaleb did an aweful lot today that you didn't notice, the type of stuff that some fans never saw Modric or Carrick do.

Ah the old patronising tactic. He was amazing, you're just not as skilled as us at seeing how good he is, you were probably thick regarding Carrick and Modric too.

That was the subtext I gather. No. I just don't think he's that goods yet. He doesn't pass like Carrick, split ANYONE open like Carrick did, he doesn't find space (can't think even once) like Carrick did. He doesn't drive with the ball like Modric, again, create this attacking moments... Bentaleb is tidy, I like him, but he doesn't do anything out of the ordinary.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

What?
You're joking, right?
He was great today...he won lots of possession today, at one point roaring 40 yards back to win a ball and set us up. I think you have him confused with someone else?

Agreed.

He's like the anti-Taraabt. Not all that flairy or flashy, but a quick and effective passer who is also dependable defensively and going by Sherwood's comments a great trainer.

Ah the old patronising tactic. He was amazing, you're just not as skilled as us at seeing how good he is, you were probably thick regarding Carrick and Modric too.

That was the subtext I gather. No. I just don't think he's that goods yet. He doesn't pass like Carrick, split ANYONE open like Carrick did, he doesn't find space (can't think even once) like Carrick did. He doesn't drive with the ball like Modric, again, create this attacking moments... Bentaleb is tidy, I like him, but he doesn't do anything out of the ordinary.

No.

I asked because I've been in discussions about the importance and value of players like Carrick and Modric in the past and if that was the position you were coming from I would rather not get into that particular discussion again at this point.

Comparing Bentaleb directly to Carrick and Modric is a bit of a red herring at the moment seeing as we don't have Carrick or Modric in our squad competing with him. Unless you also compare Sandro, Paulinho, Dembele and Capoue to Modric and Carrick on those (and other) skills the observation that 19 year old Bentaleb isn't as good as those two adds very little.

What Bentaleb does well none of the others do well. He seems like the best pass and move player in central midfield in our team right now. If we want passing through midfield he's our best option.

For the future he seems like a fantastic talent with no obvious weaknesses that could end up being absolutely immense.

 

[GrimsbyYid]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

What Bentaleb does well none of the others do well. He seems like the best pass and move player in central midfield in our team right now. If we want passing through midfield he's our best option.

For the future he seems like a fantastic talent with no obvious weaknesses that could end up being absolutely immense.

High praise indeed. I hope you're right, but I really don't see it. At all actually. i think his passing is very simple. Never incisive, rarely creative. He plays it well but nothing more for me. He doesn't seem a good tackler, interceptor, and he's not very effective offensively. Just a very safe, solid player. Which, in my olin, is not good enough for a team fighting for top 4. Hopefully Sandro will walk straight back into the team.

This sounds like I really don't like him. I do, and rarely does anything wrong (bar City game); but just don't hunk he offers enough for the team. Just keeps things tickling along, but not in the modric way.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

High praise indeed. I hope you're right, but I really don't see it. At all actually. i think his passing is very simple. Never incisive, rarely creative. He plays it well but nothing more for me. He doesn't seem a good tackler, interceptor, and he's not very effective offensively. Just a very safe, solid player. Which, in my olin, is not good enough for a team fighting for top 4. Hopefully Sandro will walk straight back into the team.

This sounds like I really don't like him. I do, and rarely does anything wrong (bar City game); but just don't hunk he offers enough for the team. Just keeps things tickling along, but not in the modric way.

If his passing is so simple why can't the other midfield options do what he does?

I disagree though, in addition to the quick and effective shorter passes in the centre (that I think are more important and harder to do than you make it sound) he's also making some good passes into the final third.

 

[metalgear]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

If his passing is so simple why can't the other midfield options do what he does?

not exactly but like taraabt - pulling off a few good moves and touches can look good for the player, but do little for the team.

that said i repeat that the boy has talent, and would easily be in demand as a loanee to an EPL club.

but doesn't have the experience and the positional awareness that we need to chase top 4. if we're giving up top 4 and just chasing europa then fine. Go, Bentaleb!

 

[Mulletperm]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

bentaleb doesn't do enough tackling and interceptions for me, he is just not helping defend that area. could be its sherwood's brief to him, but i call what i see ... he's excellent skill in trapping, controlling and passing to feet, but we need more in that position, and we have a lot of options to try to beef up that area.

at the moment he reminds me of adel tarrabt. excellent to watch on the ball but adds little to the overall game.

Good grief, you cannot be serious.

 

[Mosquito_Coasting]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

I hope we get a manager in the summer who can build something sublime with the young players like Lamela, Eriksen and Bentaleb. To be honest, I really hate to say this, someone like Rogers. So by 2015/16 we are superb.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Official Nabil Bentaleb Thread

not exactly but like taraabt - pulling off a few good moves and touches can look good for the player, but do little for the team.

that said i repeat that the boy has talent, and would easily be in demand as a loanee to an EPL club.

but doesn't have the experience and the positional awareness that we need to chase top 4. if we're giving up top 4 and just chasing europa then fine. Go, Bentaleb!

I don't see the consistency with what you're saying.

First you complain about him only making the easy passes. I assume you're talking about the kind of simple passing that got him 100+ pass attempts in a single game (as the first player for us since Modric), the stuff he does all the time, making himself available, fast accurate passing with both feet.

Then I ask why our other players can't do that if it's so simple, but then all of a sudden we're talking about the few good moves in a game?

For a player to do both, the consistent (so called) easy passes that keeps the team ticking and then also pull off the Taraabt like couple of special moves sounds like quite the combination for me.

Same question as before, why can't our other players do what he does if it's so easy?

He might not be good enough to be our first choice when Sandro, Paulinho and Dembele are all fit. We'll see what Sherwood does. But I'll repeat myself here, if we want passing through the middle, passing tempo, movement and some purpose to our passing in the centre then Bentaleb offers more than the other central options. Might say more about the imbalance in our squad and our lack of real experienced passers in the centre of the pitch than it says about Bentaleb, but this is the squad we have.