Player Watch: Ivan Perisic

[mil1lion]

What I love about him is that he doesn't just put the ball into the box but he looks to pick someone out. There was a moment he got forward and looked up but there was nobody central on the box, so he played a longer ball to Emerson instead. We had to rebuild a little the attack but we stayed in possession. So often a player would just whip a ball into the box with nobody there.

 

[JCRD]

The guy does have a super cross. It is strange - he does have one trick, the stepover but it is effective and always picks someone out of pick a danger area to put it in.

He hasnt been that great but he is effective and cant argue with the productivity

 

[Jamturk]

The guy does have a super cross. It is strange - he does have one trick, the stepover but it is effective and always picks someone out of pick a danger area to put it in.

He hasnt been that great but he is effective and cant argue with the productivity

Beckham-esque

 

[JCRD]

Beckham-esque

Pretty much yeah. Not as good but definitely need to make more use of his quality in crosses. Not as handsome

 

[thebenjamin]

It's weird that his crossing is literally fantastic, but his passing in general play is pretty ordinary.

 

[MiakSarawak]

He looks like The Edge of U2

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

top assist tonight, now 8 for the season, such a effective signing

Starting to show his quality lately

 

[Stav]

Although it's probably fair to say he's not quite lived up to expectations, and generally been a bit meh, his assists and recent performances show that overall he's the more solid option to Sess. I think we stick with him in the main, and it will pay off over the season, as we're seeing already.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Although it's probably fair to say he's not quite lived up to expectations, and generally been a bit meh, his assists and recent performances show that overall he's the more solid option to Sess. I think we stick with him in the main, and it will pay off over the season, as we're seeing already.

WAT?

Not lived up to expectations? What exactly were you expecting?

 

[rabbikeane]

Let's face it, if we reach a final he's the one that will deliver. Key man short term.

 

[djhotspur]

WAT?

Not lived up to expectations? What exactly were you expecting?

I personally was expecting some goals. But I think he’s played well.

 

[C1w8]

I personally was expecting some goals. But I think he’s played well.

I wasnt expecting more goals necessarily but i'm surprised how one dimensional/"one trick pony" he is going forwards, albeit with a good cross at the end of it.

But I also expected him to be too slow to really get up and down the field at wing back which has proved to be the case.

 

[Timberwolf]

WAT?

Not lived up to expectations? What exactly were you expecting?

He was considered by many pundits be the single best player in the whole of Serie A in the second half of last season.

He's definitely not been at that level.

There have been some very classy moments and wonderful assists, crosses and intelligent play, but it's largely been moments rather than complete performances most of the time. He's also cost us a few goals by not tracking his runner and his shooting - usually a strong point - has been woeful in a Spurs shirt.

Conte himself was lamenting that we hadn't yet seen the real Perisic a few months back. That's what it's felt like to me.

He's been solid and classy but certainly not the transformative player many of us were hoping for based on how he played last season.

 

[GutBucket]

He was considered by many pundits be the single best player in the whole of Serie A in the second half of last season.

He's definitely not been at that level.

Some truly classy moments and wonderful assists, crosses and intelligent play, but it's largely been moments rather than complete performances most of the time. He's also cost us a few goals by not tracking his runner and his shooting - usually a strong point - has been woeful in a Spurs shirt.

Conte himself was lamenting that we hadn't yet seen the real Perisic a few months back. That's what it's felt like to me.

Solid and classy but certainly not the transformative player many of us were hoping for based on how he played last season.

When did that happen? And he certainly had less those moments than Cancelo this year, who didn't start the season catching up in fitness and adjusting to the new team. Perisic is also our only defender who has good defensive stats when it comes to aerials won which was one of our biggest weaknesses last year. He has definitely been a transformative player for us, made as a threat in set pieces for the first time since Bale probably, and his assists were always super important, either to take a lead or catch up while down in a game, not some garbage time stat padding. We wouldn't still be in CL without his 3 assists in 5 games either. The only thing he's doing worse is goal scoring, but he's also not cutting inside that often anymore but instead looking for Kane more. He's on pace for 10 assists in the league alone, not sure what fans were hoping for then.

 

[Timberwolf]

When did that happen? And he certainly had less those moments than Cancelo this year, who didn't start the season catching up in fitness and adjusting to the new team. Perisic is also our only defender who has good defensive stats when it comes to aerials won which was one of our biggest weaknesses last year. He has definitely been a transformative player for us, made as a threat in set pieces for the first time since Bale probably, and his assists were always super important, either to take a lead or catch up while down in a game, not some garbage time stat padding. We wouldn't still be in CL without his 3 assists in 5 games either. The only thing he's doing worse is goal scoring, but he's also not cutting inside that often anymore but instead looking for Kane more. He's on pace for 10 assists in the league alone, not sure what fans were hoping for then.

I thought he was directly to blame for Brentford's first the other week IIRC. Was caught miles up field and never got remotely close to the goalscorer.

Also been plenty of games where he's not been great defensively or has had dodgy moments. Not terrible by any means, but it's clear he's much better going forward than backwards, with his fading pace becoming more of an issue over time.

As I said in my post, his assists have been brilliant. No complaints there - and that alone makes him worth the fee and the spot in the team.

Just feel like he's not been at his best in many other areas of his game...and I suppose that's natural given his age and the intensity of the league.

 

[C1w8]

When did that happen? And he certainly had less those moments than Cancelo this year, who didn't start the season catching up in fitness and adjusting to the new team. Perisic is also our only defender who has good defensive stats when it comes to aerials won which was one of our biggest weaknesses last year. He has definitely been a transformative player for us, made as a threat in set pieces for the first time since Bale probably, and his assists were always super important, either to take a lead or catch up while down in a game, not some garbage time stat padding. We wouldn't still be in CL without his 3 assists in 5 games either. The only thing he's doing worse is goal scoring, but he's also not cutting inside that often anymore but instead looking for Kane more. He's on pace for 10 assists in the league alone, not sure what fans were hoping for then.

Assists are great but he's too slow for a wing back. Like a few have said this would be great output (and i'm sure he'd have tacked on a few goals too) if he was play as LWF. But he's not, so his defending is also very important in the role he's got for us, aerial wins is great for static defending but in transition is where it costs us (eg brentford goal), i'm not sure that gets registered as any kind of stat, it doesnt always cost us goals but at times he's just not where he should be and we get away with it. Stand up 1 v 1 defending i'm not convinced personally. That's not to say i'm doubting his quality he's just older than he was at his prime.

If he plays the NLD against Saka and the way they overload the wings i'll be the first to give him due credit if he can handle it, crossing my fingers he keeps them quiet if he starts.

 

[Japhet]

I thought he was directly to blame for Brentford's first the other week IIRC. Was caught miles up field and never got remotely close to the goalscorer.

Also been plenty of games where he's not been great defensively or has had dodgy moments. Not terrible by any means, but it's clear he's much better going forward than backwards, with his fading pace becoming more of an issue over time.

As I said in my post, his assists have been brilliant. No complaints there - and that alone makes him worth the fee and the spot in the team.

Just feel like he's not been at his best in many other areas of his game...and I suppose that's natural given his age and the intensity of the league.

Not an issue with Udogie 'in the bag'. I think he's been a great short term signing, as much for his off pitch presence as anything.

 

[Timberwolf]

Not an issue with Udogie 'in the bag'. I think he's been a great short term signing, as much for his off pitch presence as anything.

Agreed. Still think he's been far more a positive than a negative overall.

 

[GutBucket]

Assists are great but he's too slow for a wing back. Like a few have said this would be great output (and i'm sure he'd have tacked on a few goals too) if he was play as LWF. But he's not, so his defending is also very important in the role he's got for us, aerial wins is great for static defending but in transition is where it costs us (eg brentford goal), i'm not sure that gets registered as any kind of stat, and stand up 1 v 1 defending i'm not convinced personally.

If he plays the NLD against Saka and the way they overload the wings i'll be the first to give him due credit, crossing my fingers he keeps them quiet if he starts.

Speed for a WB is great if it helps them get goals and assists, and defensively to recover from mistakes but he isn't making many of them. Less than probably any of our defenders. Didn't look slow or bad defensively against Hakimi in 3rd place match at World Cup either. Last year Arsenal and Villa were overloading our left side when Sessegnon played there who isn't any slower than Porro who we are interested in for example.

And 1v1 defending isn't even that important in this system, Moses, Hakimi, Cuadrado, Alonso weren't exactly stellar defenders. Zinchenko isn't fast either and some said he's better than Perisic. He wasn't brought for his pace here, he lost his acceleration 3 years ago or so, even at 2018 Wolrd Cup he didn't have pace he had at Euro Cup 2 years earlier. It could be a decade before we find another LWB that can actually cross at elite level.

The only rapid WB in the league that's doing well this season is Dalot, who took a while to find form and he's having a worse season than Perisic . Perisic and Trippier are probably the most consistent ones and also some of the slowest ones.

 

[Athenspur]

Perisic has not been in top form by his standards, and he definitely saved some of his energy for the World Cup, but the thought of Sessegnon or Reguilon in that flank is enough to give me shivers. Plus, Perisic can play further up the field (which none of the aforementioned can), he is better defensively, and you can bet he's first in line to deputise if we somehow end up with less than two central midfielders. Or with less than three attackers.