Player Watch: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

[ComfortablyNumb]

Thing is how we play now it doesn't matter how isolated the Holding mid is, the ball is past them in seconds regardless of whether it's a two or three. VDV and Romero either deal with it or they don't. Where that deeper mid makes the biggest difference is when we play out. Bis is more comfortable taking the ball under pressure and playing out one or two touch. for me PEH on the other hand is better when we are camped in the oppositions half and able to play forward. I don't think either are ideal for how we are set up personally and we need a player who is more a combination of the two.

PEH certainly needs more time and space than Biss to thrive. But PEH is much more interested in moving the ball on quickly than Biss, who seems to want to control the game through moving with the ball. I call it "casual" but maybe he genuinely feels he's calming things down and directing the flow. Either way, neither he nor Bents are naturals for the one touch progression that Ange wants in midfield.

 

[spursville]

Ange has stated that long term team development is much more important than immediate results and CL qualification therefore I'm not sure why PEH is playing if he's not going to stay - unless it's just to piss Bissouma, Bentancur et al off and make them work harder to improve their form.