Player Watch: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

[glacierSpurs]

Think he suited Jose and Conte personally

Let's hope Mourinho can do us a favour and buy him in the January window.

 

[14/04/91]

Reckon Sarr would also play ahead. I can see why Ange picks PEH ahead of Skipp, due ability on the ball. However PEH on defensive 3rd is so much weaker that I would pick Skipp there despite being worse on the ball. PEH is decent at Sarr role, but shouldn't play as the deepest midfielder.

Yep he’s at least 4th choice. Probably a toss up between him & Skipp; personally I’d have put Skipp on but not going to criticise Ange for that marginal call.
Fucking bad luck that we have to call on either of them.

 

[14/04/91]

He is limited but far from the worst player on the pitch. On another day, he scores that worldy.

In terms of what’s required from the number 6 role, he was the worst player on the pitch. One shot doesn’t cover up what he’s meant to be doing for the other 55 minutes.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Think he suited Jose and Conte personally

You say that but Mourinho played terrible football and got fired.

Conte played terrible football and quit.

Swap Hojbjerg under both Managers and you have more exciting football and more protection for the defence.

I’ve always been banging on that’s it’s been the player recruitment which has been the major flaw under Levy. Most of our Managers have been totally competent given the right players.

 

[mil1lion]

You say that but Mourinho played terrible football and got fired.

Conte played terrible football and quit.

Swap Hojbjerg under both Managers and you have more exciting football and more protection for the defence.

I’ve always been banging on that’s it’s been the player recruitment which has been the major flaw under Levy. Most of our Managers have been totally competent given the right players.

But the point is they both played Hojbjerg in every game and wasn't trying to replace him. Unlike Ange. It's both the recruitment and the manager, not one or the other. Conte could have dropped him if he wanted to play better football. He didn't get anything like enough out of Bissouma and we instantly see the difference in the player with the right manager. He didn't give Sarr much chance either. His choice was to keep Hojbjerg in the first team. His football was nothing like what we play now though. Hence why I think Hojbjerg suited him. He suited that uglier brand of football.

 

[NEVILLEB]

But the point is they both played Hojbjerg in every game and wasn't trying to replace him. Unlike Ange. It's both the recruitment and the manager, not one or the other. Conte could have dropped him if he wanted to play better football. He didn't get anything like enough out of Bissouma and we instantly see the difference in the player with the right manager. He didn't give Sarr much chance either. His choice was to keep Hojbjerg in the first team. His football was nothing like what we play now though. Hence why I think Hojbjerg suited him. He suited that uglier brand of football.

I get your point with Conte.

Why he preferred Hojbjerg to Bissouma is a mystery.

But remember that Ange has VDV, Vicario and Udogie at the back.

Those additions have been massive.

 

[sparx100]

He is functional but has some limitations. He breaks play up , can at times thread a ball and actually has a good eye for goal but he is restricted by an inability to progress with the ball at a pace and he just dithers at times inevitably going sideways or backwards.

Doesn't deserve pelters and when he first came here it was a breath of fresh air as we needed a more defensive minded footballer but I think the need to take a hold of the midfield and dominate possession means he is now on the periphery.

 

[Real_madyidd]

You say that but Mourinho played terrible football and got fired.

Conte played terrible football and quit.

Swap Hojbjerg under both Managers and you have more exciting football and more protection for the defence.

I’ve always been banging on that’s it’s been the player recruitment which has been the major flaw under Levy. Most of our Managers have been totally competent given the right players.

Do you think he wasn't playing as instructed? Do you think Jose and Conte would have loved to have played free flowing football? If so, you are wrong.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Shambles that the likes of him & Dier are still at the club & haven’t been replaced

We couldn’t replace them all this summer mate, they'll both be moved on soon enough.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I don’t really have too much to say on PEH tbh.

He tries his best, we know his limitations, Ange didn’t start him today even with Bissouma, Maddison and Sarr out so it’s obvious to Ange too that PEH doesn’t fit with this style of play but when he has been called upon PEH has got his head down and done his best and I respect that.

We are stuck with him until at least Jan and likely until next summer and he’s levels above Skipp imo so let’s just get behind him whilst he has to play but 90% of us know ultimately we need to upgrade on him moving forwards to a different option more suited to Ange's style of football.

 

[rossdapep]

In terms of what’s required from the number 6 role, he was the worst player on the pitch. One shot doesn’t cover up what he’s meant to be doing for the other 55 minutes.

Yeah and this has always been my gripe.

He does some things well and he has solid 45 mins or so yet there is also a lot of things he doesn't do well or he has a a poor 20 mins etc.

Its these extra steps that make you a top tier player and he can't get to them.

A lot of it is down to his lack of agility.

A lot of things he does he has to strain to do.

But Bentancur, Bissouma and Sarr can all do it effortlessly which makes them tick longer and more consistently.

He just isn't a Tottenham player and his signing was actually a bit of a step back to the early 00s

 

[ajspurs]

I don’t really have too much to say on PEH tbh.

He tries his best, we know his limitations, Ange didn’t start him today even with Bissouma, Maddison and Sarr out so it’s obvious to Ange too that PEH doesn’t fit with this style of play but when he has been called upon PEH has got his head down and done his best and I respect that.

We are stuck with him until at least Jan and likely until next summer and he’s levels above Skipp imo so let’s just get behind him whilst he has to play but 90% of us know ultimately we need to upgrade on him moving forwards to a different option more suited to Ange's style of football.

I feel the same, as with Dier. Don't often go into their threads as people are commenting on their performances as if they expect any different.

He himself knows his limitations even but despite that he's clearly tried to adapt to the style and play more progressively with an increase in between the lines passes and such. Don't think he's always as bad as some make out either but he clearly needs replacing.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

You say that but Mourinho played terrible football and got fired.

Conte played terrible football and quit.

Swap Hojbjerg under both Managers and you have more exciting football and more protection for the defence.

I’ve always been banging on that’s it’s been the player recruitment which has been the major flaw under Levy. Most of our Managers have been totally competent given the right players.

How about managers misusing players and making them worse a la Bissouma, Lo Celso etc…

Our signings pre-Paratici could’ve been better but Jose and Conte also failed to get the maximum out of a lot of players due to their dinosaur tactics and at times poor man management.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Do you think he wasn't playing as instructed? Do you think Jose and Conte would have loved to have played free flowing football? If so, you are wrong.

There’s a difference between the instructions he had and his own limitations as a player.

A better player could still have kept the shape those Managers asked for while passing better and being able to defend properly.

This is what happened at other clubs where Mourinho and Conte won trophies using the same football philosophy.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

You say that but Mourinho played terrible football and got fired.

Conte played terrible football and quit.

Swap Hojbjerg under both Managers and you have more exciting football and more protection for the defence.

I’ve always been banging on that’s it’s been the player recruitment which has been the major flaw under Levy. Most of our Managers have been totally competent given the right players.

Conte had Bissouma but chose to play Hojbjerg, that's on him

 

[mil1lion]

Sorry but both Jose and Conte started him in every game. They did the same with Dier. There was never indication they wanted to replace either of them. Ange has shown he doesn't rate either of them for his brand of football. You can see there's a clear requirement he has that neither of them fit into. That's why he's hardly playing them. There's a clear difference between the managers and the style of football. Hojbjerg fits one and not the other. He's not a bad player just a bad fit for what we have now.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Doesn't protect the defence well enough, fails to track runners time and time again. He doesn't show for the ball enough and isn't press resistant and added to that he lacks the fluidity, skill and mobility of our other options.

He's such a big downgrade and a massive reason we lost the game yesterday was Bentancur going off for him imo.

 

[Ribble]

Do you think he wasn't playing as instructed? Do you think Jose and Conte would have loved to have played free flowing football? If so, you are wrong.

I don't think Conte was particularly happy with anyone (or anything) in his second season, he just wanted to go home.

 

[TOLBINY]

Sorry but both Jose and Conte started him in every game. They did the same with Dier. There was never indication they wanted to replace either of them. Ange has shown he doesn't rate either of them for his brand of football. You can see there's a clear requirement he has that neither of them fit into. That's why he's hardly playing them. There's a clear difference between the managers and the style of football. Hojbjerg fits one and not the other. He's not a bad player just a bad fit for what we have now.

If you think that both those managers were not trying to improve our central defensive options then you are mistaken. Jose had to settle for Rodon and Conte for Lenglet on loan.

 

[Locotoro]

I've always liked Hojbjerg, he's combative, hardworking and tactically asutute. He was good at playing the cat and mouse game under Mourinho and Conte. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that whilst he is a good player, he's just not the right player to play in a system that requires strong technical ability in tight spaces and a risk taking approach. Hojbjerg is a very safe player and that is problematic in this team because he won't try and beat his man when pressed and he rarely plays the ball forward when under pressure. When we have 5 or 6 players moving into the forward line when in possession his backwards/sideways safe passes actually put pressure on the defence because we have so few options in that area of the pitch - to make things worse his recovery pace isnt that great too. We need a player as who is as comfortable with the ball at his feet and willing to chance a forward pass as a #6 and that isnt Hojbjerg