Player Watch: Davinson Sanchez

[Ray Ray]

His pace is an asset and he has great positional awareness for such a young age for a CB, just needs to learn to use his body more. For such a big frame he gets bullied a lot when jostling for headers or long balls he's chasing down.

Think within a few seasons he could be unreal though, his pace couples with the awareness of where the danger is will make him a favourite with Jose.

 

[adamsky]

Just needs to learn his limitations. Think he will end up a really good player but has to learn to keep it simple. Every time he tried to thread a ball through or something ambitious it got cut out. Some players you just want to pass the simplest ball and stick to what they are good at

 

[double0]

Just needs to learn his limitations. Think he will end up a really good player but has to learn to keep it simple. Every time he tried to thread a ball through or something ambitious it got cut out. Some players you just want to pass the simplest ball and stick to what they are good at

The Sky the limit. He has all the attributes to be world class imo though I will agree he needs to improve on the ball but for pure defensive abilities he is brilliant . Best defender at the club

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

The Sky the limit. He has all the attributes to be world class imo though I will agree he needs to improve on the ball but for pure defensive abilities he is brilliant . Best defender at the club

Think you’re really overrating him to be honest. He’s still miss times his headers. Gets tight at the wrong time so gets turned/bullied/gives away fouls on too many occasions, and he has a tendency to switch off. He’s got decent recovery pace but attributes to be world class? I’m not seeing it.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Think you’re really overrating him to be honest. He’s still miss times his headers. Gets tight at the wrong time so gets turned/bullied/gives away fouls on too many occasions, and he has a tendency to switch off. He’s got decent recovery pace but attributes to be world class? I’m not seeing it.

He has the odd positional error, both in anticipating runners and in leaping to head the ball, but he's 23, that's very young to be playing his third season as a starting Premier League centre back and he has a lot of development ahead of him.

You know that lad up at Liverpool, Virgil, well he's widely considered not just the world's best centre back but almost impossible to run past with the ball. Look at this from him at the age of 24...

 

[Col_M]

I think the guy is excellent. He may get bulkier occasionally but he bullies back twofold. Some of the defending in the box where he puts his body between the. All and player is excellent. And still a youngster. Still learning the trade.

 

[cider spurs]

Happy to have him at Spurs.

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

He has the odd positional error, both in anticipating runners and in leaping to head the ball, but he's 23, that's very young to be playing his third season as a starting Premier League centre back and he has a lot of development ahead of him.

You know that lad up at Liverpool, Virgil, well he's widely considered not just the world's best centre back but almost impossible to run past with the ball. Look at this from him at the age of 24...

But that wasn’t anywhere near a regular occurrence for VVD. I think he was getting some good reviews at the time and because that happened against us everybody wrote him off and laughed when he was getting linked to other clubs. It’s not a good comparison. He was always comfortable on the ball, always good in the air and the fundamentals to be a very good defender.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

But that wasn’t anywhere near a regular occurrence for VVD. I think he was getting some good reviews at the time and because that happened against us everybody wrote him off and laughed when he was getting linked to other clubs. It’s not a good comparison. He was always comfortable on the ball, always good in the air and the fundamentals to be a very good defender.

Sanchez may not be VVD comfortable on the ball, but he's comfortable enough, we've just been spoilt by the Belgians and King before hand. What Sanchez does have is a lot of pace, a lot of strength (which he is learning how to use), great timing in his tackles and is very good in the air. You are massively over exaggerating his flaws, he is definitely not a 'mistake a game' player, he is just a young defender with flaws.

As for the VVD incident, yes clearly he is and always was a very good player, my point is that at a young ago (though still older than Davinson) he had done to him the very thing which everyone suggests is impossible these days now he is in his prime.

Do you know when the last time we conceded fewer than one goal per game on average was? The last time Sanchez was first choice, in his first season, at just 21 years old.

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Sanchez may not be VVD comfortable on the ball, but he's comfortable enough, we've just been spoilt by the Belgians and King before hand. What Sanchez does have is a lot of pace, a lot of strength (which he is learning how to use), great timing in his tackles and is very good in the air. You are massively over exaggerating his flaws, he is definitely not a 'mistake a game' player, he is just a young defender with flaws.

As for the VVD incident, yes clearly he is and always was a very good player, my point is that at a young ago (though still older than Davinson) he had done to him the very thing which everyone suggests is impossible these days now he is in his prime.

Do you know when the last time we conceded fewer than one goal per game on average was? The last time Sanchez was first choice, in his first season, at just 21 years old.

I understand people find it hard to accept criticism of our players especially after a win, but I just can’t agree with your description of him. He’s definitely not very good in the air and I think his timing of challenges/physical contact is poor. How may times do we see him initiate contact before the ball gets there and give away free kicks. He does make plenty of mistakes a game they are just not always capitalised on.

I don’t really understand your last point? Are you saying he was better at 21 than he is now or that our team was better so inevitably we were conceding less goals?

 

[thelak]

I think he has another season to keep developing and improving if he is getting regular football but at that point the faults people are pointing out in his game need to be ironed out for him to hit the heights as a truly elite CB other teams would envy

got some incredible physical attributes though and a good reading of danger

 

[BringBack_leGin]

1) I understand people find it hard to accept criticism of our players especially after a win, but I just can’t agree with your description of him. 2)He’s definitely not very good in the air and I think his timing of challenges/physical contact is poor. How may times do we see him initiate contact before the ball gets there and give away free kicks. 3)He does make plenty of mistakes a game they are just not always capitalised on.

3)I don’t really understand your last point? Are you saying he was better at 21 than he is now or that our team was better so inevitably we were conceding less goals?

1) Certainly not the case here, I've offered criticisms for Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Dier, Ndombele and (despite his goal) Sissoko off the back of that performance, some of whom I particularly am fond of and none of whom I particularly dislike.

2) We're watching him very differently to be this polarised on our views.

3) Must be the luckiest player in the squad then as I can't many goals leading form one of his errors, and given that he is the penultimate line of defence before the goalkeeper law of averages (yes I am aware that each instance is unaffected by the previous) then you'd think that there'd be at least a few examples of his mistakes being punished if he's making 'plenty' of mistakes per game. He lost a physical battle with an absolute tank of a player in Antonio on the West Ham corner, wasn't great but not appalling by any means.

4) I'm saying that he's already shown he is more than able to perform at this level, and by this level I mean for a club with high reaching aspirations, not just premier league level. However, if you look at the season what has followed from that season, last season he was in and out of the side with a shit show of rotation in front of and around him, and this season the protection in front of him is even worse. Yes, when the team is better we concede fewer (not less, fewer) goals, but you can't say that's despite him when the sample size is an entire season. When the team is better we also score more goals. Are you saying Harry is not good enough because this season he's only averaging 1 in 2 due to the team, up until a week ago, not being able to control games or create many chances?

My stand point is that Davinson Sanchez is a good centre back who has all the attributes to be a very good centre back given that he is still only 23, that his flaws are far outweighed by his strengths and that, as we've seen with Dele, Son, Rose, Walker, Eriksen, Modric, Bale, and countless other footballers who we've had form early career to peak, any inconsistencies are indicative of his age rather than an indictment of his abilities. Apart from King and Kane, I can't think of a single player we've had developing with us in the first half of their twenties who didn't have a spell where they were poor. Imagine if we'd written every single one off.

You're entitled to your opinion, I disagree with it, I understand why you have it, but I think you are exaggerating his pitfalls and ignoring his strengths.

 

[Spurrific]

Just another player clueless people won’t rate until he’s moved to a bigger club or been established here 5 years. I remember people slating Vertonghen at the start too. Sanchez is still 2 years younger than Vertonghen was when we signed him.

Virgins just want to cast aspersions on him now so they can say “I told you so” if it doesn’t work out. Sad.

 

[Ionman34]

Think you’re really overrating him to be honest. He’s still miss times his headers. Gets tight at the wrong time so gets turned/bullied/gives away fouls on too many occasions, and he has a tendency to switch off. He’s got decent recovery pace but attributes to be world class? I’m not seeing it.

To be honest, all the flaws you are currently seeing we saw with a young Ledley King, the same as we saw the potential with his positional awareness and recovery pace.

I'm not saying he will be as good as Ledley, but the ingredients are there.

 

[spursfan77]

Played well in the last two games

 

[pelayo59]

beast

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

1) Certainly not the case here, I've offered criticisms for Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Dier, Ndombele and (despite his goal) Sissoko off the back of that performance, some of whom I particularly am fond of and none of whom I particularly dislike.

2) We're watching him very differently to be this polarised on our views.

3) Must be the luckiest player in the squad then as I can't many goals leading form one of his errors, and given that he is the penultimate line of defence before the goalkeeper law of averages (yes I am aware that each instance is unaffected by the previous) then you'd think that there'd be at least a few examples of his mistakes being punished if he's making 'plenty' of mistakes per game. He lost a physical battle with an absolute tank of a player in Antonio on the West Ham corner, wasn't great but not appalling by any means.

4) I'm saying that he's already shown he is more than able to perform at this level, and by this level I mean for a club with high reaching aspirations, not just premier league level. However, if you look at the season what has followed from that season, last season he was in and out of the side with a shit show of rotation in front of and around him, and this season the protection in front of him is even worse. Yes, when the team is better we concede fewer (not less, fewer) goals, but you can't say that's despite him when the sample size is an entire season. When the team is better we also score more goals. Are you saying Harry is not good enough because this season he's only averaging 1 in 2 due to the team, up until a week ago, not being able to control games or create many chances?

My stand point is that Davinson Sanchez is a good centre back who has all the attributes to be a very good centre back given that he is still only 23, that his flaws are far outweighed by his strengths and that, as we've seen with Dele, Son, Rose, Walker, Eriksen, Modric, Bale, and countless other footballers who we've had form early career to peak, any inconsistencies are indicative of his age rather than an indictment of his abilities. Apart from King and Kane, I can't think of a single player we've had developing with us in the first half of their twenties who didn't have a spell where they were poor. Imagine if we'd written every single one off.

You're entitled to your opinion, I disagree with it, I understand why you have it, but I think you are exaggerating his pitfalls and ignoring his strengths.

We obviously interpret things we see on a football pitch very differently, that’s fine. I’ve not completely written him off but from what I’ve seen so far I don’t believe he will make it into a top centre half. Hope I’m wrong.

Not sure why you are bringing Kane into the conversation. When you are a better functioning team you are generally going to score more and concede fewer that doesn’t add or take away anything from Kane/Sanchez as players because they are quite clearly on different levels. Some players can get carried in good teams and some excel in good teams. It’s not a good argument because there are too many variables.

 

[mark87]

beast

Careful.

 

[Timberwolf]

Played well in the last two games

Yeah he's been looking more confident and assured since Jose came in. His best form was when he had a consistent run in the first team back in 17-18 so hopefully being a regular starter again will help to iron out some of his weaknesses.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

We obviously interpret things we see on a football pitch very differently, that’s fine. I’ve not completely written him off but from what I’ve seen so far I don’t believe he will make it into a top centre half. Hope I’m wrong.

Not sure why you are bringing Kane into the conversation. When you are a better functioning team you are generally going to score more and concede fewer that doesn’t add or take away anything from Kane/Sanchez as players because they are quite clearly on different levels. Some players can get carried in good teams and some excel in good teams. It’s not a good argument because there are too many variables.

You do know why I brought Kane up, you made a point that our very good defensive record that season was somehow despite a centre back who played 31 times for us in the league, and implied that he only looks good if the team plays well, as if there is such thing as a footballer who looks just as good at all teams regardless of the players around him. In modern football there is not such thing as a top 3 side with an excellent defence and attack that carried any players, if the defensive record is good it’s because all the players defending are good at it, if the attack is good it’s because all the players responsible for attacking at good at it. A better functioning team relies on better functioning players in every position. One weakness and it falls apart.