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Player watch: Toby Alderweireld

Montalbano

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2018
3,917
18,685
Toby has been instrumental to the way we've been playing under Mourinho. Not a single player in our squad can play the long balls he can.
 

TEESSIDE1

Married, new job and Spurs on the up!
Jul 3, 2006
15,089
18,780
Toby has been instrumental to the way we've been playing under Mourinho. Not a single player in our squad can play the long balls he can.

His long balls are fantastic but his primary job is to defend. There’s arguments for and against our defence as individuals but if we look at them as a unit and how they’ve performed this season they’ve simply not been good enough. To fix this given the age, fitness, contracts and form etc of our current crop of defenders requires us to replace several of them (left back, right back and 1-2 centre backs).
 

Ben1

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
2,130
8,411
I do know that but a DM wouldnt stop our defense from leaking so many goals. They are aging and slowing down. No shame in admitting that. CM is a massive problem. But so is our defense.
Erm, what's the point in a defensive midfielder if it doesn't stop you leaking as many goals?! Surely defensive midfielder = better defensive unit = Less goals conceded. Otherwise it's a waste of a player.
 

TEESSIDE1

Married, new job and Spurs on the up!
Jul 3, 2006
15,089
18,780
Erm, what's the point in a defensive midfielder if it doesn't stop you leaking as many goals?! Surely defensive midfielder = better defensive unit = Less goals conceded. Otherwise it's a waste of a player.

@yankspurs point was even with a DM our defence is still inadequate and with that I agree.

LB - Davies, very good defensively but non existent going forward.
LB - Rose, finished.
RB - Aurier, crazy, either good or shite. He has however improved under Mourinho.
RB - KW-P, nowhere near good enough.
CB - Sanchez, all the attributes to be a great defender but suffers from poor decision making... still one for the future.
CB - Foyth, another who’s promising but makes stupid decisions which you can’t afford at the top level
Alderweireld - our best centre back but he’s not the same player he was two years ago when we had a fantastic defence
Vertonghen - as per Alderweireld he ‘was’ a fantastic player but he’s coming towards the end of his career as a top flight defender and it’s starting to show
Tanganga - loads of potential but yet to feature

Other than Sanchez, a player who still requires a lot of development we don’t have any other solid reliable defenders for the next 2 years plus. Our defence is a shadow of its former self and requires an overhaul.
 

Ben1

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
2,130
8,411
@yankspurs point was even with a DM our defence is still inadequate and with that I agree.

LB - Davies, very good defensively but non existent going forward.
LB - Rose, finished.
RB - Aurier, crazy, either good or shite. He has however improved under Mourinho.
RB - KW-P, nowhere near good enough.
CB - Sanchez, all the attributes to be a great defender but suffers from poor decision making... still one for the future.
CB - Foyth, another who’s promising but makes stupid decisions which you can’t afford at the top level
Alderweireld - our best centre back but he’s not the same player he was two years ago when we had a fantastic defence
Vertonghen - as per Alderweireld he ‘was’ a fantastic player but he’s coming towards the end of his career as a top flight defender and it’s starting to show
Tanganga - loads of potential but yet to feature

Other than Sanchez, a player who still requires a lot of development we don’t have any other solid reliable defenders for the next 2 years plus. Our defence is a shadow of its former self and requires an overhaul.
Yeah, don't think that's in question, the defence is an issue. I'm not debating that at all. I was responding to 'a dm wouldn't stop our defence from leaking goals', which I think it would as thats one of their major roles. Obviously buying a dm isn;t going to turn a poor defender into a world beater.
 

TEESSIDE1

Married, new job and Spurs on the up!
Jul 3, 2006
15,089
18,780
Yeah, don't think that's in question, the defence is an issue. I'm not debating that at all. I was responding to 'a dm wouldn't stop our defence from leaking goals', which I think it would as thats one of their major roles. Obviously buying a dm isn;t going to turn a poor defender into a world beater.

I know what you were responding to hence me stating that due to the multiple issues with our a defence a DM alone isn’t going to stop them leaking goals left right and centre. We need a DM and at a bare minimum a new left back and a centre back.
 
Aug 9, 2008
4,910
8,415
@yankspurs point was even with a DM our defence is still inadequate and with that I agree.

LB - Davies, very good defensively but non existent going forward.
LB - Rose, finished.
RB - Aurier, crazy, either good or shite. He has however improved under Mourinho.
RB - KW-P, nowhere near good enough.
CB - Sanchez, all the attributes to be a great defender but suffers from poor decision making... still one for the future.
CB - Foyth, another who’s promising but makes stupid decisions which you can’t afford at the top level
Alderweireld - our best centre back but he’s not the same player he was two years ago when we had a fantastic defence
Vertonghen - as per Alderweireld he ‘was’ a fantastic player but he’s coming towards the end of his career as a top flight defender and it’s starting to show
Tanganga - loads of potential but yet to feature

Other than Sanchez, a player who still requires a lot of development we don’t have any other solid reliable defenders for the next 2 years plus. Our defence is a shadow of its former self and requires an overhaul.

I just cannot fathom how ben davies is 'very'good defensively, he is at best an extremely average player, nice chap but he is our squad player as he happy to be sitting there ... he might be a bottom table pl player regular but not a top half team
 

JW_Spur

Active Member
Aug 6, 2013
117
236
Very harsh on Davies.

He's been here since 2014 and played well enough in a wing back system that he isn't built for and that includes the 18 months that Danny was crocked. He's not a flair player but to say he brings nothing to the team is just not fair.

Besides...if this Mourinho formation tactic of one full back pushing forward and one full back sitting back is the new normal then I think Ben will fit this formation like a glove and he would almost be playing as an LCB just like he does for Wales.

If anything I think Davinson needs the rest and would like to see Verts & Toby as our CB's with Ben as the sitting LB/LCB and Serge getting forward as the attacking RB.
 

Dirtysanchez6

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2018
1,455
5,638
Very harsh on Davies.

He's been here since 2014 and played well enough in a wing back system that he isn't built for and that includes the 18 months that Danny was crocked. He's not a flair player but to say he brings nothing to the team is just not fair.

Besides...if this Mourinho formation tactic of one full back pushing forward and one full back sitting back is the new normal then I think Ben will fit this formation like a glove and he would almost be playing as an LCB just like he does for Wales.

If anything I think Davinson needs the rest and would like to see Verts & Toby as our CB's with Ben as the sitting LB/LCB and Serge getting forward as the attacking RB.
pace to burn in that back line ??
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,679
104,956
I posted yesterday that we would have to hear something soon else assume him and jan were going. Great news!
 
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