Player Watch Player Watch: Dejan Kulusevski

[Joely]

Not a wide player in this system. The lack of pace/direct running coupled with him more often than not looking to shift the ball onto his left foot is making him predictable and manageable.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Not a wide player in this system. The lack of pace/direct running coupled with him more often than not looking to shift the ball onto his left foot is making him predictable and manageable.

Agree, said that very early on under Ange that Kulu doesn’t suit Ange's style of football as a wide player.

Think it’s best if we move him to being Maddison’s back-up/rotation for the n.o8/10 role and sign another 2 top class attacking players.

Certain matches where we need a bit more physicality etc Kulu can do a job at RW in this system but more often than not we need players like Werner & Johnson etc to really stretch teams wide and in behind with pace as that opens up the spaces centrally then for the inverted fullbacks and CM’s and ST.

 

[yojambo]

Think he has more to offer us playing through the middle. Wasn't it against Forest away he was looking like prime De Bruyne playing there?

Werner, Son, Johnson as the forward line just looks more dangerous.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Needs dropping. Hasn't played really well for a long time. Pretty sure he won't start against Wet Spam.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Really respect Ange for subbing him at half time. Needs some time on the bench.

I do think there is an issue with what position he plays in this system that probably needs to be addressed over summer. In the short term i do still think he is a lot better then he is currently showing but for me Johnson should be starting on the RW.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

I don’t want to see him wide again. Make him a permanent midfield option instead and go and sign another RW in the summer to compete with Johnson.

 

[snakehipsspurs]

Completely agree his future is clearly in the middle of the park in this system. His instincts just don’t match up with what Ange is looking for out wide.

However, I really think he has a future playing alongside Maddison as the 8, rather than rotating with him as a 10. His workrate is phenomenal, he’s got the physique to play the role and crucially it would naturally get him into the half space he tries to find from the wing straight away.

 

[cjbyid]

We are much better with pacy wingers.

Kulu needs a spell on the bench

 

[überghost]

Could we play him as a striker? With his strength and ability to keep the ball, he might have a job to do there.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Needs a spell on the bench

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Completely agree his future is clearly in the middle of the park in this system. His instincts just don’t match up with what Ange is looking for out wide.

However, I really think he has a future playing alongside Maddison as the 8, rather than rotating with him as a 10. His workrate is phenomenal, he’s got the physique to play the role and crucially it would naturally get him into the half space he tries to find from the wing straight away.

I think what’s most telling is his recent interview where he talks about how he used to play as a mezzala and how he sees his role in the future is central. This I feel where a lot of the issues come from. He never was a WF and you can tell. Playing him there now very clearly does us and him no favours. It worked to some degree when he was an IF cutting in with an overlapping FB as that would hide some of his technical limitations for the role but in our current system it exposes his weaknesses. It’s just not a comfortable fit for him.

In general i agree with you. Considering his past role as a mezzala plus his strengths then in the current system he would probably be suited more to the 8 rather than 10. Yes he would obviously be a more attack minded 8 but I can certainly see a reality where against certain teams we play a 4123 rather than a 433. Ether way he shouldn’t be considered a wing option after the summer. Not unless we change the role of the FB in our system.

(For those reading this who don’t know a mezzala is an Italian term meaning half winger and he will be a midfielder who sit quite wide on ether side of a 10. They aren’t wingers and they aren’t necessarily playmakers. Some are creative but some aren’t.).

 

[Krafty]

Needs a right back who is overlapping him otherwise, given our lack of ability to interplay, he just slows things down when we need someone to be direct.

He is still a very good player but he is never going to beat a defender in tight spaces and we are reliant on that at the moment. Also with our lack of aerial threat from Son the typical Deki cross just isn’t going to work - we need that flat ball in behind and he is not going to deliver that.

I would like Ange to try asking the full backs to overlap as well as under lap - then Deki can go more central and be a second striker, which would be interesting.

At the mo Johnson has to start

 

[Locotoro]

Those that are identifying that he works best with the overlapping fullback are right on the money. Ange likes his winger high and wide to stretch the play. Deki wants to come inside but when you have Porro and Sarr as well as Maddison and the striker all occupying that space there is no where for him to move. He receives the ball square on and the defender knows he's going to come back inside on his left to cross.

We need to have a winger who stays wide and can get round the outside which isn't deki very often. Deki would be better suited to a 10 or 8 role and that allows us to focus our attention on a high quality winger.

If you consider the likely departure of Hojbjerg and possibly Lo Celso from the midfield that leaves a gap where Deki be selected centrally and Bentancur would compete for DMC. Get yourself a very good RW and you've improved the squad

 

[fecka]

I've been one of Deki's staunchest defenders but it's becoming fairly obvious that if he has a future at the club it's not at RW under Ange. I can see the club looking at bringing in someone new in the summer.

 

[Joely]

Think it’s best if we move him to being Maddison’s back-up/rotation for the n.o8/10 role and sign another 2 top class attacking players.

Agree. Think we have some crucial decisions to make this summer when it comes to our forwards.

Personally think if we do decide to make Werner's move permanent, we should look to move Solomon on as well as Gil and free up space for two forward players with real quality. That plus Johnson and think we are in a better position. If we want to push on, we need to be looking to be raise the bar in these positions.

However the two players we bring in absolutely have to have the right profile. They need to have to have the ability to cause panic in one on one situations and force teams into considering doubling up on them.

We are missing that 'x factor' in our forward line where we have a player or two where the opposition have to make special plans to deal with.

Kulusevski needs to operate centrally. He is a good player with a great engine but he just doesn't have that dynamic edge required to play wide in this system and can be managed out of the games relatively easily when out wide. With the amount of the ball he sees, the output doesn't match up currently.

 

[legend2]

Those saying he needs an overlapping or underlapping fullback are absolutely correct. His poor form recently coincides very much with Porro being very shy in attack more recently.

That said, it's time to bring him inside. He created 2 major goal scoring opportunities in the first half today for Son and Werner, both from central positions. He should be converted to an 8, and has all the attributes to be absolutely elite in that position. His skills, physicality, engine and passing would suit the 8 position amazingly well.

Want to see this midfield starting to be formed:

Madders/GLC as 10
Kulu/Sarr as 8
Biss/Bentancur as 6 (new competition here in the summer)

 

[worcestersauce]

Plenty of people pointing out he keeps cutting in onto his left foot and some concluding he should therefore be brought inside more central.
So not one single solitary person seems to wonder if perhaps he ought to be tried ON THE LEFT WING!
Just putting it out there.

 

[HildoSpur]

Plenty of people pointing out he keeps cutting in onto his left foot and some concluding he should therefore be brought inside more central.
So not one single solitary person seems to wonder if perhaps he ought to be tried ON THE LEFT WING!
Just putting it out there.

He doesn't have the pace to go past a man which would be vital if he was to play on the left. He gets away with it on the right because he can cut inside and play a cross. On the left he would need to make space for himself by running into the space or going around his opponent on the left side at pace and whipping balls in. That means having decent pace which isn't his strength.

 

[Monkey boy]

We’re limping to the end of the season where hopefully Ange will make some very big decisions. I suspect keeping Deki is one of those big decisions.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Contrary opinion: I thought he was unlucky to be subbed off.

Flipside is that Johnson did better.

I still think that both showed more than Werner.