Player Watch: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

[cjbyid]

Bissouma is so far ahead of him in every area of the game it's mental.

The drop off when we have to call on hojberg is not good.

 

[Flobadob]

If you ever wonder why people would be glad to see the back of him look no further than his performance tonight.

 

[George94]

Bissouma is so far ahead of him in every area of the game it's mental.

The drop off when we have to call on hojberg is not good.

We need to replace Hjoberg with somebody with a similar profile to Bissouma

Douglas Luiz
Sofyan Amrabat
Angel Gomes (my pick)

 

[HildoSpur]

Has never been of the required quality to start for us. He might be ok coming on to help secure a match we are winning but that's about it. The sooner we get rid and get some money for him the better.

 

[Living Legend Colm G]

He's been a good servant but just not gonna be a regular in an Ange system.

I vividly remember one of his 1st games and seeing him celebrate winning a throw in like it was the world cup. I thought, I like this guy, good mentality, will push us on and be a leader. Must admit, I'm pretty pissed off that all that arm waving at teammates to gee them up went missing when it came to stepping up for a penalty tonight.

Good guy, and I wouldn't mind him being a purely squad player, but if we could get decent dough I wouldn't be against it either.

 

[SpursSince1980]

It's hard to judge him on tonight. He played atrociously, yes. His approach was also indifferent, at best - bordering on unprofessional. But, I don't think it was emblematic of his overall game. He was completely checked out. Didn't give a flying shit about this game and it reflected in the way he played. Insipid and with no urgency or ownership. He was a non-entity.

 

[yido_number1]

It's hard to judge him on tonight. He played atrociously, yes. His approach was also indifferent, at best - bordering on unprofessional. But, I don't think it was emblematic of his overall game. He was completely checked out. Didn't give a flying shit about this game and it reflected in the way he played. Insipid and with no urgency or ownership. He was a non-entity.

Sounds like most of last year. Average at best and absolutely no loss of replaced with a mobile player that can pass forward.

 

[Joely]

He offers us no control in midfield. Think it's very difficult to do that in the EPL when you offer next to no press resistance. One reason Bissouma is able to give us control is because he goes looking for the ball in dangerous areas because he knows he has the ability to play himself out of tight situations so there's no fear there. Similarly he'll will go hunting for the ball higher up when it comes to pressing/closing down because he knows he has the mobility/dynamism to nip in and get the ball.

Hojbjerg can't do these things effectively and with Bissouma now showing us what he is capable of, it's highlighting those weaknesses even more. Hojbjerg alongside Bissouma to see out a game is fine but without Bissouma in there with him Hojbjerg simply isn't up to it.

 

[HildoSpur]

He's been a good servant but just not gonna be a regular in an Ange system.

I vividly remember one of his 1st games and seeing him celebrate winning a throw in like it was the world cup. I thought, I like this guy, good mentality, will push us on and be a leader. Must admit, I'm pretty pissed off that all that arm waving at teammates to gee them up went missing when it came to stepping up for a penalty tonight.

Good guy, and I wouldn't mind him being a purely squad player, but if we could get decent dough I wouldn't be against it either.

He was the senior midfielder out there and he completely went missing.

 

[dj_stu]

I still maintain that he's a decent backup for the hard-working 8 position, but I think we all agree he shouldn't be considered as a replacement for either Biss or Madders.

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

I thought it was my dodgy stream that was annoying, freezing and missing huge sections of the game...

 

[Timberwolf]

He offers us no control in midfield. Think it's very difficult to do that in the EPL when you offer next to no press resistance. One reason Bissouma is able to give us control is because he goes looking for the ball in dangerous areas because he knows he has the ability to play himself out of tight situations so there's no fear there. Similarly he'll will go hunting for the ball higher up when it comes to pressing/closing down because he knows he has the mobility/dynamism to nip in and get the ball.

Hojbjerg can't do these things effectively and with Bissouma now showing us what he is capable of, it's highlighting those weaknesses even more. Hojbjerg alongside Bissouma to see out a game is fine but without Bissouma in there with him Hojbjerg simply isn't up to it.

The press resistance thing is so key.

He got away with it under Conte cos we basically played without a midfield. Most of what the CMs did was simple safe passing or off-the-ball work and he rarely took the ball under pressure or on the turn - the system allowed him to just make simple passes and never take a risk.

People remember his occasional nice assists and goals but those were the exception rather than the rule - his general play on the ball in most games was pretty standard.

Bissouma is the opposite. No assists or goals but by being press resistant he is transformative to the team on a moment by moment basis. Seeing Bissouma this season basically confirms why I never felt PEH was the required level to really take us forward.

PEH is a good pro and has his uses but he really has no place in a system like this long term beyond being a sub.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Palinha over Holjberg is a significant upgrade

Sure but it’s also not one we will be making.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

He was the senior midfielder out there and he completely went missing.

He doesn’t go missing, but his acute limitations just amplify his total inefficiencies

 

[vinsomer]

The hell he would strengthen united. Get this piece of shit out of the club. The embodiment of the conte/Mourinho era. Just back passes and joggles, no intensity, no fucking courage to take a pen. Fuck this shit

 

[JacoZA]

The hell he would strengthen united. Get this piece of shit out of the club. The embodiment of the conte/Mourinho era. Just back passes and joggles, no intensity, no fucking courage to take a pen. Fuck this shit

This kind of language is not OK. Theres nothing wrong with being passionate, but expressing anger in this manner is neither healthy nor acceptable.

 

[Ribble]

We need to replace Hjoberg with somebody with a similar profile to Bissouma

Douglas Luiz
Sofyan Amrabat
Angel Gomes (my pick)

I think that'll be Bentancur once he's back, with Skipp as cover for the time being.

Hojbjerg was certainly looking checked out mentally yesterday but it was a performance that typified why he's such a bad fit. He routinely just passes back to the passer rather than try to move the ball forward which both slows down play and halts progression upfield, can't turn a tight marker and will either concede possession or (again) pass backwards, and loves to try low percentage Hollywood long passes. All of that runs counter to the high-pressing, high-movement, short passing possession game that the team is supposed to be playing.

Get a good price for him from Man United and let him clog up their system instead.

 

[muppetman]

I think if he has a place in our team, it’s to close out the final 20 mins of a game we are winning.

I just don’t think his skill set is particularly used in our new system, so if we get an offer for him, it’s probably best for all if he goes as he won’t be getting many minutes otherwise.

 

[Now it's Spursonal]

This was posted last season, but it’s spot on.

So often Hojberg will panic on the ball and will alleviate himself of fault by playing a suicide pass to a teammate.

When they then go on to lose the ball due to receiving the ball in a position where they shouldn’t have, Hojberg will then throw up his arms at them in disgust. As if it wasn’t his fault in the first place.

 

[worcestersauce]

if he stays as a starting player for us he is finished.. hope we sell him played like he didn`t care today

Fair to level a few things at Hojbjerg but playing like he didn't care is not one I've ever seen evidence of, it just isn't in his nature. I haven't seen the game so it may have looked like it but I think that must have been deceptive.