Player Watch: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

[Japhet]

Why's that?

Because getting Dele on the pitch pretty much ensures taht we don't have 3 in midfield.

 

[feet01]

2nd goal was because of a terrible over hit pass to his cb. Wasn’t too impressed and I really wanted to be. Know you can’t judge on 1 game but left me feeling a bit mehhh

 

[spursfan77]

2nd goal was because of a terrible over hit pass to his cb. Wasn’t too impressed and I really wanted to be. Know you can’t judge on 1 game but left me feeling a bit mehhh

Have a watch of him in the build up to the first goal. It was the keeper’s blunder ultimately but He could of made better decisions in the moments before to ensure the keeper doesn’t even need to have the ball.

 

[gavspur]

Could be his head is elsewhere at the moment? We’ve certainly seen that happen before with players and transfers etc.

 

[Japhet]

As I've said before, I don't think he'd take us to the next level but he could enable those around him to do that. Jordan Henderson is a prime example of how that works. One thing I like about him a lot is his feistyness. He always looks totally pissed of when he loses and has a little bit of Roy Keane about him without being a total bellend.

 

[G Ron]

Have a watch of him in the build up to the first goal. It was the keeper’s blunder ultimately but He could of made better decisions in the moments before to ensure the keeper doesn’t even need to have the ball.

Exactly - I watched him closely and at times he received the ball with his back to goal on the halfway line with options out wide but was so cautious he just passed the ball backwards every time as he had zero awareness of the options around him. It was the sort of stuff Winks would get absolutely hammered for doing for us.
Granted it was only one game, but barring the odd block / tackle I was totally underwhelmed.

 

[TEESSIDE1]

Exactly - I watched him closely and at times he received the ball with his back to goal on the halfway line with options out wide but was so cautious he just passed the ball backwards every time as he had zero awareness of the options around him. It was the sort of stuff Winks would get absolutely hammered for doing for us.
Granted it was only one game, but barring the odd block / tackle I was totally underwhelmed.

Southampton as a team were very poor yesterday therefore we can’t judge him on the one game.

 

[wirE]

2nd goal was because of a terrible over hit pass to his cb. Wasn’t too impressed and I really wanted to be. Know you can’t judge on 1 game but left me feeling a bit mehhh

I think overall, the entire Soton squad were shite. McCarthy had a stinker...

 

[spursfan77]

Southampton as a team were very poor yesterday therefore we can’t judge him on the one game.

I disagree. I thought Arsenal did will in the press in midfield and up front yesterday. (Sure they created no real chances bar the goals/gifts but they didn't need to.) This is partly what the new defensive midfielder will need to do. Pass the ball out of being closed down under pressure moving the ball forward. He did none of that and when he did he gave the ball away. It's not the first time I've seen this from him.

It's just the wrong move for us I'm afraid. If we sign him he will just become another scapegoat.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Never really watched him much tbh, when we played Saints he didn't stand out really like Ings and Armstrong did, is he any good?

 

[rajmak]

I think the only reason we are looking at him is he is down to the last 12 months of his contract and believe we can get him at a knockdown price as well as him being Premiership ready.

 

[JayB]

I've been reading through a Southampton forum to see what they're saying about KWP and there's loads of moaning about Hojbjerg. Some are calling for him to be dropped for the rest of the season, saying his hospital pass that led to Stevens' red card was the kind of thing he's guilty of every match. It's hard to say whether some if this is sour grapes given that he's on his way out of the club, but there's a sizable contingent that seems to think they'd be better off playing Romeu or an academy player.

I'm very doubtful that he's good enough to take us up a level and have us competing toward the top of the table again. When you consider that City have Rodri and Fernandinho, Liverpool have Fabinho, Chelsea have Kante and Jorginho, Leicester have Ndidi, Wolves have Neves, Arsenal are reportedly nailed on to sign Thomas Partey, and United are reportedly in the market for a DM as well, I just don't see Hojbjerg as being good enough. He's pretty clearly a level or two below all of those names listed IMO.

The No. 6 position is easily the weakest spot in our first XI at the moment and it's the key to unleashing the record signings we brought in as No. 8s last summer. Would the eighth or ninth best DM in the league really get the job done?

 

[Spurs2020]

Hell no... you could blame him for both goals yesterday vs arsenal.. with his stupid passes lol.. don't pay 35m for him hell don't pay 20.. he wont be getting off the bench for any top6 club or top 8

 

[aquanard]

Southampton fans are probably saying - wish we had the sissoko fellow. All over the pitch, and even if he doesn’t make many killer passes, at least it usually goes to a team mate. And every now and again he makes a good run with the ball through the middle.

 

[DiVaio]

Wolves have Neves, Arsenal are reportedly nailed on to sign Thomas Partey, and United are reportedly in the market for a DM as well, I just don't see Hojbjerg as being good enough. He's pretty clearly a level or two below all of those names listed IMO.

He has better defensive stats than Neves and Partey too. Tbh they aren't even DM.

 

[Vincent30]

It's about what we need and can he provide it.

What we need is real physicality in the middle of the park, someone who can sense danger, break up play and great at putting his foot in. Is he my number one choice for the DM position, no. But would he improve us and fit our needs, yes of course. Plus he'd free up other players who are better on the ball whilst offering more protection to our CB then we currently get from Winks.

Suddenly watching two games and saying he is rubbish or would be a stupid buy is a little silly. I've always thought he has been a pain when we have played them, always putting his foot in and being a busy fucker in the middle of the park. 35m no way, 20m and i'm interested, for someone who takes no time to adjust to the league, someone who is a leader and captain and someone who offers us what we lack. Why the hell not.

The balance of our team is off because we constantly buy players that aren't essential. A physical, tough tackling leader is very essential for us right now in the middle of the park and he definitely is that.

 

[yankspurs]

Hojbjerg probably depends on a possible swap with KWP+. Wont get my hopes up.

 

[MB31spurs]

I think he would make the midfield unit work considerably better but I think we would also outgrow him quite quickly unless he steps up as well , still worth buying for now as long as price is reasonable

 

[Joeyboey]

Exactly - I watched him closely and at times he received the ball with his back to goal on the halfway line with options out wide but was so cautious he just passed the ball backwards every time as he had zero awareness of the options around him. It was the sort of stuff Winks would get absolutely hammered for doing for us.
Granted it was only one game, but barring the odd block / tackle I was totally underwhelmed.

only thing I’d say to this, is how impressive was Eriksen when he had 12 months left on his contract for example? How impressive is anyone when they get to this juncture?
I’m neither pro or against this signing but judging one match after he’s been stripped of the captaincy with 12 months to go on his contract in the middle of global pandemic isnt going to tell you anything.

 

[TEESSIDE1]

only thing I’d say to this, is how impressive was Eriksen when he had 12 months left on his contract for example? How impressive is anyone when they get to this juncture?
I’m neither pro or against this signing but judging one match after he’s been stripped of the captaincy with 12 months to go on his contract in the middle of global pandemic isnt going to tell you anything.

Exactly. He was excellent against us when we played them away. Yet now all of a sudden he’s apparently shit because he had a poor game against Arsenal. The whole Southampton team looked disinterested. He’s getting criticised for his part in Arsenal’s 1st goal yet McCarthy had ample time to clear the ball only to royally screw it up. That’s on the keeper, not who passed him the ball.