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Player Watch - Japhet Tanganga

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
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I loved his aggression and his pro-active approach to winning possession off the opposition players, both defensively and in midfield, rather than just sitting back and waiting for a mistake, he often tried to rob the player of the ball and I loved that. And he's got real pace about him. This boy could have a blistering future with us, and we know, he's one of our own. I pray we really look after him and get him signed up to a decent contract and decent money.

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IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
really happy to see him in the starting line up and very happy he played so well + the comments from JJ are very encouraging.
Q for @IGSpur @spurs9 and other youth watchers, are there are other CB's at the club who are at/ close to/ soon could get to Tanganga's level.
The grouping of Sanchez, Toby, Tanganga with 2 full backs could be a very good base against top sides but with Verts likely leaving and Dier not showing well in the CB, we could do with another 1-2 at Tanganga's level along with Foyth.

As BG said it's hard to say on ability versus level they are playing. As the level some are playing at doesn't reflect their ability to them clearly stagnating. Look at Jaden Brown now at Huddersfield as an example. In saying that,when they were all playing at their best, Tanganga may possibly just be the best, especially in terms of pure defending. Eyoma I've always thought was an excellent ball playing CB as is BLF. Eyoma is probably better than BLF as he is stronger and more experienced. The next in line is Binks, who is actually playing the best of the all, but that is because at this point he is going through the appropriate stages of progression and has not stagnated yet. He is still eligible for u18s and playing excellently and so is still charged up and eager when he plays u23s so is looking good there, but I would be hesitant to say he is better than Eyoma at the moment, though Binks has really improved. Eyoma was a regular for England's golden age group, that won the u17 world cup, whereas Binks hasn't been as consistent for his age group. So to answer the question I think while it doesn't look it, if you were to give Eyoma a chance he'd look more than capable and ready for the first team. Binks strength is he is bigger than the other two and has a different style, he likes to play long raking passes and start of attacks. Hopefully he gets a loan, then ablity wise could be ready in a year or two. As KWP doesn't have a future, and seeing how a new challenge can affect a player, I'd give the 2nd best RB I've seen in our academy a chance, in Hinds. He was ahead of Lamptey, Aarons, Bogle for England but is another that's been stunted but has a lot of talent.

On a separate note absolutely delighted for Tanganga, I just search back and realised I've got 15 pages of posts talking about him, which clearly shows how much I like him. I also put him as my CB in my academy team of the decade. I was gutted for him when he lost a year through injury, and it's a testament to his ability that he went straight back into the England team after being out. He continued to look excellent in the academy, I remember arguing with a poster who thought he looked rubbish as he made his debut at RB for the u23s the first time I'd ever seen him play there, and didn't quite look the part.
I always thought he was ready for first team inclusion and he was overlooked by the Poch for 2 preseason as he chose to take Dinzeyi and Eyoma. His performances declined as he went rhough the motions as they all eventually did at u23 level, and I thought he would disappear, as another 'overrated' player who wasn't working hard enough. He hung onto his England place by a thread as the least experienced player in the squad. He needed a loan and a new challenge but it didn't come.

Then he had an absolute touch, as Eyoma and Dinzeyi got injured in preason and he got called up. Refreshed with a new challenge he started to play like his old self again, which at the time seemed bitter sweet as the fear was he now lost his loan opportunity as he was gonna be kept around to watch the first team. Despite the CBs not performing he still never got his chance, and then I thought because of his contract it was never gonna happen, and was willing him to not sign so he could leave and play and lo and behold he starts against the best team in the league and puts in the performance. I'm so proud of him. He is now caught in a very very precarious position. Does he trust Jose to continue to use him, we've seen academy players in the past play well and not get chances again. If he does and sign that contract, he could end up as KPW mark II, and be wasted and decline and get told he's not good enough, or he doesn't sign and leaves and finds another club who will play him. I would love him to stay and play here but if he isn't going to I really hope he leaves. Don't envy the position he's in as it will make a big impact on his career.
 

VegasII

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2008
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From what i’ve seen from yesterday, I’d like to think he’ll get a chance with us. Could he occasionally play RB until we sign a new one?

Davies - Toby - Dave - Tanganga
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
From what i’ve seen from yesterday, I’d like to think he’ll get a chance with us. Could he occasionally play RB until we sign a new one?

Davies - Toby - Dave - Tanganga

Wondered the same except you're a monster and went left to right instead of right to left.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
From what i’ve seen from yesterday, I’d like to think he’ll get a chance with us. Could he occasionally play RB until we sign a new one?

Davies - Toby - Dave - Tanganga

He's not really a RB but he can play there if he needs to, I reckon he's done it around 5 times. He's less experienced in that position than both Eyoma and BLF for example and they are both CBs too. Just depends what you expect from him. He's nowhere near the level of say Hinds and KWP but if he has the confidence and trust of his manager, he can carry a ball out he'd probably do OK.
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
Like the boy.
Fantastic debut.
Strong quick aggressive
and young
and OOOOwn.
Stick with him Jose
they rarely fail to give 110%
genuinely play for the badge
and cost nothing
except their keep.

Tangangnam style.
It's ready made
 

VegasII

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2008
9,750
16,670
He's not really a RB but he can play there if he needs to, I reckon he's done it around 5 times. He's less experienced in that position than both Eyoma and BLF for example and they are both CBs too. Just depends what you expect from him. He's nowhere near the level of say Hinds and KWP but if he has the confidence and trust of his manager, he can carry a ball out he'd probably do OK.

Thanks.
 

Matecheck

Free pawn
Sep 25, 2016
307
967
What's really surprised me is that, after seeing him for the first time ever, he really has some pace/explosiveness about him. I may be wrong here, but I don't recall that ever being mentioned in the countless posts about him in the youth threads.
 

dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
What's really surprised me is that, after seeing him for the first time ever, he really has some pace/explosiveness about him. I may be wrong here, but I don't recall that ever being mentioned in the countless posts about him in the youth threads.

Has a bit of Des Walker’s style about him. I was very impressed with him in preseason and was very good yesterday against top strikers.
 

rabbikeane

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2005
6,884
12,675
We had a great pre season where Tanganga, White, Skipp and Parrott all played a key part. Then the season came and Poch had no faith in our youth when it mattered, in stead we played tired old stale finished legs and the team suffered. You'll have to wonder whether Poch could have saved his job if he'd been braver and dare I say less loyal to "his men". Then again I'm not convinced he wanted to save his job.

Reminds me of Juande Ramos days, again a brilliant pre season where we played one formation with Bent up front and Giovani in a no 10 behind him. Then the season came, no faith in Giovani, a whole new formation and we lost every game looking completely unprepared.
 

Swalien

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
1,138
1,322
Really glad he played yesterday and one has to wonder (as mentioned above) if Poch stuck with the side he used in preseason would he have kept his job.

Played in the loss to Colchester in the cup although he was subbed off (after conceding no goals) and wasn't on the pitch when the loss was recorded. I was surprised we didn't seem him again until yesterday. A really good exciting performance. Loved the interview he gave after the match, hope he signs a new contract and has now become one of our first team defenders, although Jose has had him on the bench the last few games before yesterday.

I look forward to watching him play for us, I liked him since viewing him a few seasons back with our u18s/u23s.
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
Has a bit of Des Walker’s style about him. I was very impressed with him in preseason and was very good yesterday against top strikers.

Mane hardly got a kick and he's a top level striker for the best team in the world right now, so he didn't do badly. Good on him.

.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,906
78,643
I loved his aggression and his pro-active approach to winning possession off the opposition players, both defensively and in midfield, rather than just sitting back and waiting for a mistake, he often tried to rob the player of the ball and I loved that. And he's got real pace about him. This boy could have a blistering future with us, and we know, he's one of our own. I pray we really look after him and get him signed up to a decent contract and decent money.

.
I've been behind the Koulibaly rumours because we desperately need our defenders to be more aggressive. Both Toby and Jan are ball playing defenders, they rely on calm and composed actions and reading of the game to defend well. Nothing wrong with that.

However, when you have no DM and you lack the ability to pin teams back (Tottenham 15-17) then you need defenders to be aggressive and stop players from running at you, have them play back to goal and know that they are in for a battle as it's hard to outmuscle them or outrun them. Tanganga gives us those things neither of the Belgians do. Even Sanchez is easier to knock off the ball at times.

Another thing was his instinct to block that shot. As soon as Salah cut in his first thought was to throw his body on the line. Jan and Toby don't have that instinct as much.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
Was as impressed by his post match interview as his performance. Mature head on young shoulders. If managed well, could be a colossus for us.
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
6,647
27,841
The controlled aggression, pace and desire to defend that Tanganga brought is something that we have missed with Dier or Vertonghen in the back line. Verts has been an awesome CB for us for a long time, but he has become stale. I have no doubt he could be a very good player at another club for 2 years, especially in the less dynamic Serie A. If Foyth, Tanganga and Sanchez can be coached as a well drilled back 3 we could defend so high up the pitch it would be unreal as all three have fantastic recovery pace and aggression. Lloris could also be encouraged into reprising his 'sweeper keeper' role that set him apart 6 years ago, before Poch decided to play deep and keep possession around our own box. Throw in a proper DCM who can read the game and be calm on the ball, and we can then unleash the rest of our team as an offensive force to be reckoned with. I think our CM problems have been magnified by a slow defence playing slow ball and too deep.
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
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27,841
He also just removed our need to spend £80M on Koulibaly who I personally thought of as an essential signing a week ago. Those funds can be redirected to pacy, aggressive FBs and a top drawer DCM.
 

edson

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2005
3,945
12,117
I've been behind the Koulibaly rumours because we desperately need our defenders to be more aggressive. Both Toby and Jan are ball playing defenders, they rely on calm and composed actions and reading of the game to defend well. Nothing wrong with that.

However, when you have no DM and you lack the ability to pin teams back (Tottenham 15-17) then you need defenders to be aggressive and stop players from running at you, have them play back to goal and know that they are in for a battle as it's hard to outmuscle them or outrun them. Tanganga gives us those things neither of the Belgians do. Even Sanchez is easier to knock off the ball at times.

Another thing was his instinct to block that shot. As soon as Salah cut in his first thought was to throw his body on the line. Jan and Toby don't have that instinct as much.
One thing that will never change with Tanganga is aggression because it is very much part of his game, he will pick up bookings because of it but he will always attack and compete for balls in the air or on the deck.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,956
Would be good to get some news on him signing a new contract because his performance on Saturday will definitely of pricked up some ears.
 
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