Mousa Dembele 2013

[spurs-r-us]

Passenger.

For all that he did at the start of last season, Mousa has been largely rubbish this calendar year. I was a huge fan of his when he first came to the club, but it appears to me that something is inhibiting him this year.

Is it his hip again, that mystery injury that the doctors can't figure out?

He ghosts through games. He may as well not have come on, Sandro was bossing it today after a horror show last week and was then pulled for the 'more attacking' Dembele. Remember Spooky's old JJ video - 'what does he do exactly' - if Mousa doesn't lift his game soon: He will fit the bill.

Let me reiterate what a big fan of his that I am when he is on song. I just want to know where that dribbling prowess through the middle is (seen here in one of his last games for Fulham, which he recreated in the same fixture for us a few weeks later)? To me, Dembele is an average tackler and an average passer, but his game is made through power and directness. Right now, he plays neither an attacking or defensive role.

Watch the way Holtby chased everything today, if you're Dembele there is no excuse not to do that if you're fit.

I'm afraid that, until he sorts his issues out, I want to see him behind Paulinho, Sandro, Capoue and Holtby.

Thoughts?

 

[mpickard2087]

I am one who has always been pretty critical of him and was 'ahead of the curve' so to speak, based on the fact that for the ability he possesses I don't think he has nearly enough end product.

However, this season he has more often than not had to play the holding role in midfield and play a very disciplined game. I'd hate playing as a partner to Paulinho in midfield, I know he is flavour of the month on here at the moment but he has license to do whatever he wants and leaves a lot of work for the other guy in the middle of the park. He cant go chasing about as well as you wish or bombing forward in attack, someone has to do the holding role and he is being tasked with it.

 

[Mattspur]

Thoughts?

I think you're wrong.

I didn't see the game today but I'm aware that Sandro picked up an injury and was replaced with Dembele with about 30 minuted to go and this coincided with Evertons' best spell, but I think you're being a bit knee jerk. If it's not a knee jerk reaction and you honestly think Dembele's been a passenger throughout 2013 then I don't know who you've been watching but Dembele's the big guy in midfield that we couldn't win a game without last season. He's also been the main stay of our 2 man midfield which has had it's best start to a PL season ever.

 

[spurs-r-us]

I think you're wrong.

I didn't see the game today but I'm aware that Sandro picked up an injury and was replaced with Dembele with about 30 minuted to go and this coincided with Evertons' best spell, but I think you're being a bit knee jerk. If it's not a knee jerk reaction and you honestly think Dembele's been a passenger throughout 2013 then I don't know who you've been watching but Dembele's the big guy in midfield that we couldn't win a game without last season. He's also bee the main stay of our 2 man midfield which has had it's best start to a PL season ever.

I said 2013 for a reason, because I think Mousa's game has dropped significantly (minus a few exceptions) since the turn of the year.

For me, it all coincides with that hip injury that plagued him through December/January.

I dare say we still struggle without him. But the Dembele of 2012, not 2013.

 

[kaz Hirai]

Haha keep it up guys, townsend now this

Just:

Baldini
Vertonghen
Paulhino
Lloris
Sandro

And we will have pretty declared everyone at the club shit

 

[eViL]

Fuck me, where are these people coming from?

Time for an SC cull and a 25 question exam based on the basics of football before being allowed to sign up.

Or just change the forum name to retardcommunity.

 

[spurs-r-us]

Alright, eVil, why don't you inform me what Dembele has contributed this year?

 

[alfie103]

Haha keep it up guys, townsend now this

Just:

Baldini
Vertonghen
Paulhino
Lloris
Sandro

And we will have pretty declared everyone at the club shit

Whoever declared that Lloris is shit needs to have their head examined

 

[beats1]

He has been poor but imo more to do with the fact the manual therapy we used for his hip injury doesnt seem to have worked as he has been missing a few times and hasnt looked the same since

 

[Mattspur]

Alright, eVil, why don't you inform me what Dembele has contributed this year?

Allow me:

http://www.squawka.com/players/mous...season-2013/2014#64#all-matches#1-10#by-match

 

[Yid121]

I agree it was a strange sub, taking off Sandro and bringing him on but he's not a DM... Today he was quiet but he's been class in a lot of our games. Definetly room for improvement, rarely our stand out player, needs to get forward more and make more things happen. Despite his great dribbling ability, he doesn't create or score enough for me.

 

[dontcallme]

Whoever declared that Lloris is shit needs to have their head examined

He's saying Lloris is on the short list of people who haven't got threads about them saying they're shit.

 

[Kendall]

He's had a couple of good spells, but where has the player gone that everything went through in the first part of last season? He seems a little bit lost, not sure whether to sit, or whether to go forward. He has an unbelievable skill in his ability to keep and shield the ball and glide past players. On form, Dembele is the player we need to create space and therefore chances, but he's just not doing enough at the moment.

 

[Kiedis]

It depends what you're expecting from him. In the Paulinho-Dembele partnership, he'll be the one balancing the team and staying disiplined.

But when playing with Sandro, you expect him to be a bit more adventurous. He is a puzzling one, because you get the sense that he can shield the ball and glide past people for as long as he wants, but when he gets closer to goal than 30 meters, it's like he stepped in kryptonite or something.
He'll do his defensive duties as well as anyone, but a guy with his skills should create more.

 

[Gedson100]

Think the OP got a bit of unfair grief for this.

Dembele was under par in the second half of last season, probably due to injury and for all his attributes, he' still frustrates with his inability to make decisive forward contributions and has been a bit hit and miss this year.

I think he's a great player but he's just one of 4-5-6 players who are culpable as to why we're not scoring this year.

Hopefully his fitness can be permanently resolved at some point. THe talk of alternative therapies wasn't too encouraging & our squad is actually deep enough these days to treat or operate on players rather than just managing them through long term injury problems.

 

[Legend10]

Yay, a negative thread!

We haven't had one of them since a few minutes ago!

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

I'm a big fan of Dembele, but I'll agree that we're not getting as much out of him as we can, probably due to a combination of us using him as a defensive midfielder, and him playing within himself the majority of the time.

by the way, not every thread analysing or questioning a player's contribution is automatically negative or player-bashing. I personally think this one is fair.

 

[SlunkSoma]

I think Sandro came off on the hour because he had played for 120 minutes in the week. It was a predetermined decision it seemed. Out of the two however it was Paulinho who looked shattered from the first minute.

 

[ajspurs]

I don't see why Dembele can't play a role like Paulinho, more box to box and appearing in the final 3rd more because he has a strong shot and uncanny ability to side step and take a player on to get a shot off.

Can't emphasise how annoying it is to see him playing so deep all the time. Someone of his ability should certainly be adding goals to our goal tally.

 

[brasil_spur]

Alright, eVil, why don't you inform me what Dembele has contributed this year?

Fuck me, how about played in every league game and helped us to get us currently to 4th spot in the league in a massively competitive season, for starters.