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Étienne Capoue

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,869
46,358
Odd thread but I'll give my opinion on the last part regarding Capoue and Sandro. I think Capoue has less weaknesses and a more rounded overall game than Sandro. He passes better, more comfortable on the ball and is fitter than Sandro. Sandro has better strengths and worse weaknesses, his game is more polarizing. Capoue is definitely a more 'complete' footballer, and that seems to be something we've developed throughout the squad whether it is by design or luck.

We seem to have more players who don't have the glaring deficiencies in their games, but maybe also don't have the capability of enforcing their biggest strengths onto a game either. It's made it easier to interchange players and helps our depth but I think it has also been a factor in our matches becoming a bit more labored, methodical and slightly robotic. We now have defenders who can pass, ball winners who pass, nobody who is fast but nobody who is painfully slow, nobody who is bad in the air, but nobody who is dominant in the air, all our forwards can shoot OK but aren't going to score screamers but it is fine because they track back well.

Spurs love a 'flawed genius' and the lack of that type of player is really what we are missing from this squad. If we were going to go out and buy more players i'd much rather we sign a super creative midfield dynamo who is a liability defensively than another midfield all-rounder. Or a guy up front who is lightning quick but not great first touch (or vice versa) than an all-round forward who doesn't do anything badly.

Agreed. The squad is badly missing a Ginola/Berbatov/VDV type, someone who can do stuff no-one else can do, even if he can't tackle etc. Someone to inspire and for the fans and players to rally around. Someone with the passion of a Dawson but the talent to back it up - VDV being the perfect example.

I think it's symptomatic of modern football, though - there seems to be a lot less of those type of players about. Everyone's much more robotic and 'complete' but conservative these days.
 

Khilari

Plumber. Sort of.
Jun 19, 2008
3,474
5,314
Agreed. The squad is badly missing a Ginola/Berbatov/VDV type, someone who can do stuff no-one else can do, even if he can't tackle etc. Someone to inspire and for the fans and players to rally around. Someone with the passion of a Dawson but the talent to back it up - VDV being the perfect example.

I think it's symptomatic of modern football, though - there seems to be a lot less of those type of players about. Everyone's much more robotic and 'complete' but conservative these days.


I think Christian Eriksen and/or Erik Lamela were signed to live up to those roles. Eriksen is heading that way, whether Lamela can show of his talent is still to be seen.
 

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,930
Odd thread but I'll give my opinion on the last part regarding Capoue and Sandro. I think Capoue has less weaknesses and a more rounded overall game than Sandro. He passes better, more comfortable on the ball and is fitter than Sandro. Sandro has better strengths and worse weaknesses, his game is more polarizing. Capoue is definitely a more 'complete' footballer, and that seems to be something we've developed throughout the squad whether it is by design or luck.

We seem to have more players who don't have the glaring deficiencies in their games, but maybe also don't have the capability of enforcing their biggest strengths onto a game either. It's made it easier to interchange players and helps our depth but I think it has also been a factor in our matches becoming a bit more labored, methodical and slightly robotic. We now have defenders who can pass, ball winners who pass, nobody who is fast but nobody who is painfully slow, nobody who is bad in the air, but nobody who is dominant in the air, all our forwards can shoot OK but aren't going to score screamers but it is fine because they track back well.

Spurs love a 'flawed genius' and the lack of that type of player is really what we are missing from this squad. If we were going to go out and buy more players i'd much rather we sign a super creative midfield dynamo who is a liability defensively than another midfield all-rounder. Or a guy up front who is lightning quick but not great first touch (or vice versa) than an all-round forward who doesn't do anything badly.

Agree with all of this. Where is the super intelligent Sheringham with all the pace of a snail? Where is the flamboyand maverick genius Ginola who has aboslutely no interest in being in his own half? Where is the midfield destroyer who will leave every opposition midfield limping post-match but couldn't score from a yard out?

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with an all rounder, and arguably our best player of the past 20 years was an all rounder, Ledley King. But he was near perfect at everything. Super fast, strong as an ox, great reading of the game, great in the air, superb passer, majestic first touch and, on the occasions when he needed, an incredibly strong tackler. Hell, the guy was even a great dribbler when he felt like it. But he was an exception.

Of our midfielders, in theory Sandro is the one who can do the least, but he's actually the only one I would have as an undisputed starter when fit/ on form. The others are all jacks of all trades who ultimately don't do much in either direction. Sandro actually has a stand out quality in his ball winning ability, and it is something that provides our play with both impetus and drive. I don't think his skill and passing is so poor that it negates his ball winning ability either, he's a hell of a more comfortable on the ball than the likes of Freund, Zokora, Palacios, Parker. By the same token, I don't think believe that any of the others is so good on the ball that they make up for their lack on an exception attribute. We're hardly talking about Modric/ Xavi-esque players here. They're all decent, fit, hard working and rarely waste a pass, but none of them are superb at anything. Paulinho will get a few goals, but he's no Lampard. Dembele is a good dribbler but then can't use the space he created. Capoue has a good passing range but little vision (from what I've seen) to execute it. Bentaleb is only 19, so may well become exceptional at something, but at present he's merely someone who shows for the ball, then plays it simply elsewhere.

Our best midfield pairing of recent times? Modric and Parker. Yes, you might say that Parker wasn't a donkey in possession and Modric was very hard working, but ultimately they were one guy who would charge around winning the ball in the middle third, and one guy who would use his skill and imagination in the middle third to take the ball from the defence and deliver it to the attack quickly.

Manchester Utd's best midfielder pairing was Scholes and Keane.

One player who battled and fought and charged around relentlessly (albeit not totally devoid of ability), and one guy who passed very well, scored a fair few and had a picture of the game in his head before anybody else (albeit also hard working). It's one thing to have a midfield all rounder is he's Yaya Toure, he's unbelievable at most things (like a midfield Ledley), but Dembele, Paulinho, Bentaleb and Capoue are all good players who will remain just that.

My hope, given that it doesn't appear that a creative player will come in for that midfield two, is that one of the present options is developed by Pochettino into to do that role better with the skillset they already have. Maybe Paulinho can be coached into having the concentration and application necessary to do it, or maybe one of Dembele or Bentaleb can learn how to recognise opportunities and openings quickly so that they're regular possession of the ball can be converted into chances. However, at present our options for the 2 in the 4231 are all pretty uninspiring.
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,869
46,358
I think Christian Eriksen and/or Erik Lamela were signed to live up to those roles. Eriksen is heading that way, whether Lamela can show of his talent is still to be seen.

Yeah I hope so, that's one of the reasons why I'm happy for them to take risks and lose the ball.

Unfortunately the crowd at the Lane have perfected their hiss/gasp of despair whenever any player loses the ball under any circumstances, so I'm not sure they're as forgiving as me.
 

InOffMeLeftShin

Night watchman
Admin
Jan 14, 2004
15,156
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I think Christian Eriksen and/or Erik Lamela were signed to live up to those roles. Eriksen is heading that way, whether Lamela can show of his talent is still to be seen.

Even Eriksen as good as he is, doesn't have that one quality that you would say is incredible. He doesn't have the flaws in his game that VDV had and he isn't a midget like Modric but his strengths are certainly less game changing. Eriksen is a talented player don't get me wrong, it's just my opinion of the current state of our (and seemingly most other clubs) player selection strategy.

Is it because it is becoming less easy to fit players with weaknesses into the fast paced Premiership?
 

jezz

Well-Known Member
Aug 21, 2013
5,744
8,811
Sorry, are you lot basing your opinions on last season?
Who are these perfect players you allude to?
Who is this perfect DM who passes like Modric? Who does he play for?
DM who couldn't score from a yard, Sandro against Utd, Capoue against City
No creative players? Eriksen, Lamela, Holtby. All of these players have showed some real sublime passes in flashes last season.
Eriksen was destination Barca, Lamela a 20yr old who scored 15 in 30 from the wing.
Paul no Frank Lampard, maybe not, but to score 8 goals in his first season isn't that bad.
I think we need to give our players a chance to perform in the right environment, hopefully Poch can provide that.
Don't be so negative give them a chance to shine, you never know they might suprise you.
 

Khilari

Plumber. Sort of.
Jun 19, 2008
3,474
5,314
Even Eriksen as good as he is, doesn't have that one quality that you would say is incredible. He doesn't have the flaws in his game that VDV had and he isn't a midget like Modric but his strengths are certainly less game changing. Eriksen is a talented player don't get me wrong, it's just my opinion of the current state of our (and seemingly most other clubs) player selection strategy.

Is it because it is becoming less easy to fit players with weaknesses into the fast paced Premiership?

I guess one big difference is though that these players are in the very early stages of their careers. The Ginolas and VDVs were signed very much already in their pomp. Berbatov was a special/lucky find who grew rapidly into the great striker that he became whilst with us.
 

SpursManChris

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2007
5,347
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images
WTF is that?
 

Zammo

Well-Known Member
Aug 19, 2005
994
281
I just want to see more of Capoue this season. I didn't feel last season that we got to see enough of him to form a solid opinion of him. I had high expectations for him but for me he was another player who's season failed to take off.
 

TwanYid

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2013
1,225
3,490
I just want to see more of Capoue this season. I didn't feel last season that we got to see enough of him to form a solid opinion of him. I had high expectations for him but for me he was another player who's season failed to take off.

I totally agree with this and I think the same about Ade. Yes he's been with us for three seasons but in that time he's been injured for long stretches and had four different managers. Additionally, following each campaign it has always seemed as if he'd be gone that very summer, sold off to some club willing to pay his wages. So basically there's always been this transient feeling with the guy. As far as Capoue goes, he's pretty much been invisible during his time here- I can hardly recall him playing last year due to injuries/disagreements with managers/etc.

Now however- with Poch seemingly settling in for a long term at the helm- we might finally come to see what both of these players are truly about. I feel like with some stability there, each could finally shine and become the undisputed leader/stalwart starter at their respective positions. I see them as among the most physically talented/gifted players on our squad- both able to do things no other Tottenham player can do. The point I've been trying to make (but not doing a very good job of it) is that in both of these players there's untapped potential, and that- if things are right- both can soar for us.

Here's hoping.
 
Last edited:

rambu

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
594
1,063

Étienne Capoue tries his luck in basketball​

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The French player has joined the Third FEB with this team from the Valencian Community.
Raúl González | Wed, 09/25/2024 - 13:58

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Étienne Capoue training with Valencia Basket.

Étienne Capoue training with Valencia Basket.
In a surprising turn in his sports career, former French international footballer Étienne Capoue has decided to retire from football to embark on a new adventure in basketball. At 36 years old, he has signed with the team Giticsa Jovens L'Eliana, currently competing in the fourth division of Spanish basketball (Tercera FEB).
Capoue has played for teams such as Toulouse, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, and Villarreal, winning the Europa League with the Submarine and earning the MVP in the 2021 final. Until last season, he continued to be an active football player, but after being left without a team in the summer, he chose not to seek a new contract. Instead, he opted to start his career in basketball, a sport in which he had never competed professionally, but for which he had already shown interest by training in a friendly manner with Valencia Basket while playing for Villarreal.

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Giticsa Jovens L'Eliana, based in Valencia, has become the chosen stage for Capoue to make this unexpected discipline change. In his debut with the L'Eliana team in a friendly match, Capoue showed promising flashes, scoring his first 5 points. While the adaptation will not be easy, his experience as an athlete and the anticipation and support of fans could be key factors in this transition.
We will have to wait until October 13th to see the performance of the former footballer in official competition against Maristas de Valencia in Tercera FEB.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Étienne Capoue prueba suerte en el baloncesto
Baloncesto

 

Pellshek

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2015
2,696
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[ ] Had an Etienne Capoue thread bump after 10 years on my bingo card
[X] Did not have an Etienne Capoue thread bump after 10 years on my bingo card
 

joey55

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2005
9,827
3,729
He did alright for himself after leaving us. Was it Villareal he was at?

Yes, he won the Europa League with them. I don't know why all the best young players in the world aren't demanding to join us actually. We are an almost guaranteed stepping stone to success. Even our total flops, like Ndombele end up winning Serie A.
 
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