Player Watch: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

[DanNolan]

He hasnt hugely impressed yet, though i enjoyed his second half performance against Soton. Lo Celso came on and became the main receiver and if anyhing it showed how poor winks has been this season. I think Winks is the weak link atm and would be very annoyed/suprised to see him start sunday

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Anywhere else on earth reporting this apart from the evening standard.

Nope, I haven’t seen team news from the club either ?

 

[Timberwolf]

This. He has yet to impress me. In my opinion he is not an upgrade on who we already had

He's yet to impress me but he's still a big upgrade on Sissoko in midfield IMO. Better tackler, better passer, better technique, better defensive instincts, the lot. That alone improves our first 11 significantly even if in the grand scheme of things he's a bit average.

 

[Bulletspur]

He hasnt hugely impressed yet, though i enjoyed his second half performance against Soton. Lo Celso came on and became the main receiver and if anyhing it showed how poor winks has been this season. I think Winks is the weak link atm and would be very annoyed/suprised to see him start sunday

He's yet to impress me but he's still a big upgrade on Sissoko in midfield IMO. Better tackler, better passer, better technique, better defensive instincts, the lot. That alone improves our first 11 significantly even if in the grand scheme of things he's a bit average.

I think you both have a point

 

[George94]

Forgot about this happening right at the start of the game, can't of helped much. Fucking horrible tackle:

View attachment 74535

You've gotta be really lucky to walk away from a tackle like that without injury.

I turned my ankle like this and even with physio wasn't able to participate in any physical activity for at least 2 months due to tendon damage - let's hope it isn't serious for Hojbjerg?

 

[spids]

I have been impressed with his attitude and the fact he really puts his foot in. This alone is an upgrade on Sissoko and Winks in CM. He also looks to pass forwards as his first thought when he wins the ball, again something that is an improvement on Winks and Sissoko. Put him in with Ndombele and Lo Celso and I think we'll have a great balance. What we haven't seen yet is his influence in the dressing room, which from watching All or Nothing has been a pretty tepid place, and having the extra aerial ability he brings to defend set pieces, which should become evident over the course of a season. I think he has been charging about pressing a little bit randomly (given our players don't do a coordinated press) but I put that down to him taking Mourinho at face value when he says press high and then sets the team up in a low block.

 

[Gbspurs]

Forgot about this happening right at the start of the game, can't of helped much. Fucking horrible tackle:

View attachment 74535

Funny that VAR couldn't give a shit about this but spends forever seeing if a ball grazed someone's arm or if a toe is offside.

 

[glacierSpurs]

Funny that VAR couldn't give a shit about this but spends forever seeing if a ball grazed someone's arm or if a toe is offside.

I'm more disgusted why such tackles didn't get a retrospective decision. Mourinho should have made a fuss and insist that got a second look.

 

[Navy Spur]

On it so far today, good pass in the lead up to the goal and very good pressing ?

 

[Cochise]

Mixed bag for me. He mixes some good moments with some absolutely shocking ones.

 

[dtxspurs]

Massive upgrade from Sissoko or winks as the holding player. He actually fights for the ball.

 

[14/04/91]

Very very good today.

 

[Tucker]

Thought he played very well today.

 

[Shadydan]

Yeah good today, very promising after the first two matches.

 

[Mungo63]

Top performance today exactly what we’ve been missing

 

[Danny1]

Thought that today he was exactly what we missed last season. That player who always seems to be there, he was there to make the interception, there to tidy up the play when needed and there for every player to pass to when they had the ball.

 

[NickHSpurs]

Yep decent today, an example for his team mates, pressed the ball well, got stuck in, broke up play and had his head up when he had the ball. Showed exactly what we purchased him for.

Like other positions our problem will be that he can’t play all of these games in every competition and we have no one else like him. Well we do, but he’s on loan at Norwich.

 

[ultimateloner]

This. He has yet to impress me. In my opinion he is not an upgrade on who we already had

Yeah but i think it's ok. Not everyone in the squad has to be above average for us to have a good season. However in CM we aren't really average atm because Lo Celso is the only one who can pull us together.

I think CB is similar personnel-wise but JM's tactics covers that up.

 

[Deleted member 29446]

Was excellent yesterday. Dictated the game well, passed quickly, looked & passed forward and into space (& and lovely ball to Kane), some good diagonal balls and regained possesion well.

You can see he's much more of a presence and leader than Winks. Always showed for the ball.

Winks just stood and watched the game gone by. All about the 5 yards passes to the side and backwards and keep the ball rolling - PEH did more than him offensively and he isn't supposed to. We could really do with a more creative player in his place like GLC or Ndombele..

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Was excellent yesterday. Dictated the game well, passed quickly, looked & passed forward and into space (& and lovely ball to Kane), some good diagonal balls and regained possesion well.

You can see he's much more of a presence and leader than Winks. Always showed for the ball.

Winks just stood and watched the game gone by. All about the 5 yards passes to the side and backwards and keep the ball rolling - PEH did more than him offensively and he isn't supposed to. We could really do with a more creative player in his place like GLC or Ndombele..

While I totally agree with you about how well Højbjerg players, none of what you say about Winks yesterday is true. I’m one of Winks biggest detractors but yesterday he was assertive, his passing was expansive and progressive and he was involved constantly. In fact, the only player who was more involved than Winks was Højbjerg.

Now, I’d apply the caveat that Newcastle conceded the middle which allowed him more room to operate, but one can’t provide that as a mitigation for Winks very good performance unless they provide out for Højbjerg too. I personally choose merely to say that both had good games and I hope it is a sign of things to come, and equally I hope that Ndombele continues his progress and ultimately plays with Højbjerg and Lo Celso too.