Ex-Player Watch Player Watch: Mousa Dembele

[Mate]

It's always a sad day when a player of Dembeles quality leaves the club.

He will be fondly remembered in the top tier of midfielders in the PL era, and rightly so.

Good luck Moussa. I suspect it'll take a very very long time to find a player of your ability and skillset.

 

[ajspurs]

It's crazy how happy I would have been to have seen Dier and Dembele in the middle of our midfield on Sunday. Really disappointing to see him go but especially at a time where it seemingly feels like we really need him.

 

[Spurrific]

Good luck to him, but what a waste of talent now.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I think the way it has evolved we’ve gone from it being two CMs essentially remaining in the middle third at all times (Dembele and Wanyama/ Dembele and Dier) to a reversion to the type of CM we had in our first season with Pochettino, I.e. one middle third player (Bentaleb) and one more box to box player (Mason) who plays at a higher tempo. The options we have for this with Dembele soon to depart are Winks and Dier as a more attacking and more defensive middle third player option, and Sissoko and Wanyama as more attacking and more defensive box to box options. However, Dembele is the only Cm with have who to this point has ever produced consistent top class performances and he clearly is no longer capable, so if he’s off then it’s imperative that we sign a player who could do either role and in partnership with any of those players. Ironically, if Bentaleb had progressed as we had hoped then he’d be ideal were he still here. Frenkie de Jong appears to be seen as the ideal signing going on Itk, but there absolutely has to be other options otherwise we’re really gambling on what we have. Will Wanyama ever be fit enough? Will Sissoko keep up this new improved confident version of? Will Dier ever truly dominate? Will Winks develop further.

The answer may we be Skipp, but even if he evolves, Sissoko is touching 30, Dier seems a flight risk and Wanyama shows no signs of ever reaching previous heights, or being fit enough to do so. With Dembele off we have identify and being in a 5th Cm, and it has to be someone with creativity, either from deep or further forward, because the added factor in this melting pot is that we have starting g using Eriksen powers to supplement our CM and we currently know not how much longer we’ll be doing that.

 

[Lou3000]

I get all the reasons why Dembele is leaving, but when I was worried about our comically thin midfield, I was including Dembele as an every-other-week starter.

Now we're left with Dier (injured), Sissoko (injured), Wanyama (injured), and Winks. And an academy option in Skipp.

Even without injuries, this is no way to run a top 4, or even top 6 club.

 

[Japhet]

I get all the reasons why Dembele is leaving, but when I was worried about our comically thin midfield, I was including Dembele as an every-other-week starter.

Now we're left with Dier (injured), Sissoko (injured), Wanyama (injured), and Winks. And an academy option in Skipp.

Even without injuries, this is no way to run a top 4, or even top 6 club.

We also had Amos ahead of Skipp earlier in the season, but guess what? He's injured.

EDIT; I'd also add that I'd have Onomah back straight away with the situation we're in right now. At least he should know how to play alongside Winks.

2nd EDIT; Just read that he's injured too. FFS!!!!!!

 

[Capocrimini]

It's sad to see him go, some phenomenal performances, super human in fact but body's not keeping up.

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

I think the way it has evolved we’ve gone from it being two CMs essentially remaining in the middle third at all times (Dembele and Wanyama/ Dembele and Dier) to a reversion to the type of CM we had in our first season with Pochettino, I.e. one middle third player (Bentaleb) and one more box to box player (Mason) who plays at a higher tempo. The options we have for this with Dembele soon to depart are Winks and Dier as a more attacking and more defensive middle third player option, and Sissoko and Wanyama as more attacking and more defensive box to box options. However, Dembele is the only Cm with have who to this point has ever produced consistent top class performances and he clearly is no longer capable, so if he’s off then it’s imperative that we sign a player who could do either role and in partnership with any of those players. Ironically, if Bentaleb had progressed as we had hoped then he’d be ideal were he still here. Frenkie de Jong appears to be seen as the ideal signing going on Itk, but there absolutely has to be other options otherwise we’re really gambling on what we have. Will Wanyama ever be fit enough? Will Sissoko keep up this new improved confident version of? Will Dier ever truly dominate? Will Winks develop further.

The answer may we be Skipp, but even if he evolves, Sissoko is touching 30, Dier seems a flight risk and Wanyama shows no signs of ever reaching previous heights, or being fit enough to do so. With Dembele off we have identify and being in a 5th Cm, and it has to be someone with creativity, either from deep or further forward, because the added factor in this melting pot is that we have starting g using Eriksen powers to supplement our CM and we currently know not how much longer we’ll be doing that.

Do you envisage a Sander Berge type player at the base, flanked by Winks/Sissoko/ Eriksen (in Sissoko’s absence)?

 

[freeeki]

Sky Sports News‏ @SkySportsNews
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UPDATE: Dembele will undergo a medical at Guangzhou R&F and not Beijing Guoan as previously reported, Sky Sports News understands.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Sky Sports News‏ @SkySportsNews
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UPDATE: Dembele will undergo a medical at Guangzhou R&F and not Beijing Guoan as previously reported, Sky Sports News understands.

(dunno why the change, still good luck Mousa)

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

Sky Sports News‏ @SkySportsNews
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UPDATE: Dembele will undergo a medical at Guangzhou R&F and not Beijing Guoan as previously reported, Sky Sports News understands.

He’ll probably fail the medical

 

[Johnny J]

I get all the reasons why Dembele is leaving, but when I was worried about our comically thin midfield, I was including Dembele as an every-other-week starter.

Now we're left with Dier (injured), Sissoko (injured), Wanyama (injured), and Winks. And an academy option in Skipp.

Even without injuries, this is no way to run a top 4, or even top 6 club.

We needed a top quality CM this summer (probably earlier, given how Wanyama seems to be fucked and Dembele's stats were dropping off last season).

Now it's absolutely critical. Top four is genuinely at risk if we don't get one.

 

[gavspur]

Shame to see him go, but I always felt that last season would be his last with us.

We really need to get a midfielder (or maybe 2) in this window now.

With all the names flying about, I wonder why we haven’t had any more links to Doucoure? He seems open to the chance of playing Champions League, he’d be a good strong addition for us.

 

[HildoSpur]

Great player to watch and sad to see him go but lets be honest, he is on a steady decline regards his fitness so now was the right time to go.

 

[JCRD]

I dont understand the rationale for getting rid of him right now. Even if we bring someone in, Poch likes to give them time to settle in and potentially waiting till the following season to actually play him. So surely keeping Dembele for a few months helps the team out, if he is fit enough for China for three years he is certainly fit enough for us for four or five months,

At least we made £11m eh...

 

[spuradik]

(dunno why the change, still good luck Mousa)

It could very well be that Beijing Guoan are the Spurs of China while Guangzhou R&F are Chelsea who have just beaten them to this signing.

 

[The Mourneview Ace]

Wonder is there any chance that his change of club might bring a few extra quid to us?

 

[Snarfalicious]

Wonder is there any chance that his change of club might bring a few extra quid to us?

Paulinho/Dembele swap deal. Welcome home, Paul!

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

The really worrying thing is that with our injuries Foyth may end up as a DM and @thinktank will be proven to have guessed correctly

the world must be about to fucking end..

 

[matthew.absurdum]

Sky Sports News‏ @SkySportsNews
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UPDATE: Dembele will undergo a medical at Guangzhou R&F and not Beijing Guoan as previously reported, Sky Sports News understands.

Sound reasonable to fly to Hong Kong then