- Oct 19, 2004
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He was clearly at fault for Everton's second on Sunday, even his mum would admit to that.
Dier is good, but the weak link in a Spurs back three, as has been evident and very costly three or four times this season when Poch sets the side up to pay three at the back. He's been exposed for what he is, and Klopp exploited that in spades in our game up at Anfield.
I'd be very surprised given the fact that Poch does not appear to want to use Wimmer that another center half isn't brought in over the Summer, especially if Poch wants to play three at the back more often. Dier for me is a very good squad player who is comfortable against sides that do not press but lacks pace and concentration when a team will stand toe to toe with us.
To a certain extent Dier isn't even an option in midfield now with Dembele, Sissoko, Winks, Wanyama to compete against, so it looks like for now anyway he will be used in defence.
But you'd expect him to be the weak link in that back three wouldn't you ? The other two are two of the best in the PL, vastly experienced, international footballers who have played at a much higher level for much longer.
I agree, for me, he isn't an option in midfield either.
I'm not denying Dier has made mistakes, I've pointed them out previously when people have been saying we should be playing Dier instead of Wimmer in place of JV when he was injured (I didn't agree and said I don't think Simmer had been any worse than Dier and at least was a more natural LCB). But I also don't want to go to far either, I think for a 23yo having his first proper season as a regular CB, he's generally doing OK, and I think even now he's already better than the CB's we've had before like Dawson, Kaboul, Chiriches, Fazio etc.
If Vertonghen was out and we wanted to play a back 4, I'd have just dropped Dier and played Wimmer (or Davies even) because I like my CB's to be on their stronger side iff possible. But in a Back three, I have no issue with Dier being there (RCB) at all, I don't think he's a major liability, I think he'll make the odd mistake, but so do the best CB's (including JV and TA). And he's got to learn, just as they did. If he's still making the same mistakes in a couple of years then we may have to re-evaluate.
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