Player Watch: Dejan Kulusevski

[muppetman]

Was getting Dembele vibes yesterday from him in midfield, that physical strength & shielding of the ball. I think him and solanke collectively add so much to our ball retention. Great performance.

I missed the game yesterday, but if we can stop coughing up the ball then we become so much harder to beat and both of these excel at riding tackles, shielding the ball and not being easily turned over.

 

[Cinemattis]

Deki has never been the fastest runner and never will be. But anyone else noted that he’s just as fast in the 95th minute as he’s in the first? Incredible engine - he’s a machine!

 

[chas vs dave]

He must be the hardest working player in the league. The level of effort he puts in is insane.

 

[Tucker]

Captain when Son steps down ? Shows a real never say die attitude..

Think there’s a few ahead of him yet tbh. He just needs to focus on maintaining this current form, as well as adding more goals and assists.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Captain when Son steps down ? Shows a real never say die attitude..

I'm guessing that would go to Romero or Maddison mate but Kulu should deffo be promoted to the leadership group when Son leaves. His attitude is fantastic.

 

[jurgen11]

I'm guessing that would go to Romero or Maddison mate but Kulu should deffo be promoted to the leadership group when Son leaves. His attitude is fantastic.

Romero yes , Madison not for me ..when the chips are down he sulks

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

View attachment 146007

Its crazy how a positional change can give a player such a huge boost in confidence, he's certainly far more suited to playing in the middle especially under Ange, really glad he's finding his feet there and he is combining so well with Maddison and Rodrigo, beautiful to watch trio but all have great work rate and football intelligence and a mix of pace and agility, proper spurs midfield those 3, Biss has a big part to play also if he can keep his attitude good.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Think there’s a few ahead of him yet tbh. He just needs to focus on maintaining this current form, as well as adding more goals and assists.

Porro.

 

[felmani26]

Its crazy how a positional change can give a player such a huge boost in confidence, he's certainly far more suited to playing in the middle especially under Ange, really glad he's finding his feet there and he is combining so well with Maddison and Rodrigo, beautiful to watch trio but all have great work rate and football intelligence and a mix of pace and agility, proper spurs midfield those 3, Biss has a big part to play also if he can keep his attitude good.

Was convinced Deki was a square peg in a round hole under Ange based on the sample size of playing wide right with him looking cumbersome and predictable.

Now he looks confident, physically dominant, composed and inspirational centrally and is fundamental to everything good about this team right now.

Credit to him as an individual and to Ange!

 

[Gassin's finest]

I have to say, my first instinct to Ange's solution for the midfield being to go more attacking was to be, shall we say, alarmed. However, Bentancur with Maddison and Kulu is making me think of 90s/00s AC Milan; A 3 man midfield with the regista and mezzala's (Pirlo, Seedorf, Gatusso etc), although each of the three who played yesterday can do at least two of those roles each, which makes it more flexible. Kulu as a newborn midfield playmaker is working well. As mentioned above, just needs fine tuning the decision making and get some more goals.

 

[spurs mental]

 

[hughy]

Porro.

People really look past him as a leader IMO. I'd have him as captain ahead of Romero or Maddison personally, but then again we don't get to see them off the pitch.

 

[ljinko888]

Not an exact like for like comparison but I remember when young Schweinsteiger when he came through at Bayern and played for Germany at the 2006 World Cup was in the "great young winger" category with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben. He scored two screamers cutting inside on the left wing against Portugal in the tournament. I think he would have still been a very good winger had he stayed there, but he became a world class central midfielder when new coaches decided he had too good an engine and football intelligence to stick out on one side. I think Kulu's transition will be like that.

 

[Gassin's finest]

People really look past him as a leader IMO. I'd have him as captain ahead of Romero or Maddison personally, but then again we don't get to see them off the pitch.

 

[BigVic]

Very similar to Dembele in what he gives us in the middle of the park.

 

[Monkey boy]

Very similar to Dembele in what he gives us in the middle of the park.

The way he manhandled and bullied the Utd player before putting Werner through 1v1 was very very reminiscent of the great man.

 

[BigVic]

The way he manhandled and bullied the Utd player before putting Werner through 1v1 was very very reminiscent of the great man.

Indeed, if anything I would say he actually has more to his game. Dembele also was a winger at one point in his career, although granted Kulu has also said he best position is through the middle.

 

[McFlash]

I'd like to see his heat map from yesterday because I was impressed by his movement and positioning without the ball, he seemed to be everywhere and was always looking to find space or create an option.
He was intelligent as well as dynamic yesterday, as near to a perfect performance as I've seen from him.

 

[HNIM]

I'd like to see his heat map from yesterday because I was impressed by his movement and positioning without the ball, he seemed to be everywhere and was always looking to find space or create an option.
He was intelligent as well as dynamic yesterday, as near to a perfect performance as I've seen from him.

Visualize an orange rectangle.

 

[Gb160]

Anyone know what Deki was shouting when he scored and the camera was on him?
I think it was something in foreign.