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Player Dejan Kulusevski

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Kulu is off but he’ll come good
Our main issue is our defense
Always has been
Bookmarked...and, our main issue is MIDFIELD, always has been. What we are seeing in the backline is their weaknesses are being exposed due to our MF being so weak. And our attack and it's lack of movement and individual 1v1 quality is being exposed because of the lack of quality distribution by our MF.

You can paper over the cracks by buying big names and spending big money on defensive players but the result will be their respective weaknesses being exposed by the pressure. Likewise, you can do the similar by buying Haaland but there will still be no one to actually get him the ball. It's the MIDFIELD unit and it always is!
 
Bookmarked...and, our main issue is MIDFIELD, always has been. What we are seeing in the backline is their weaknesses are being exposed due to our MF being so weak. And our attack and it's lack of movement and individual 1v1 quality is being exposed because of the lack of quality distribution by our MF.
How about lack of strategic flexibility? Smart teams like Brentford know when to keep possession and play through the midfield and when to go for the long ball. Against Nottingham they had 70% possession and bossed the midfield, against Chelsea they had 30% possession and opted for long balls. They won both games. Few teams can always boss the midfield and ours is not a top-6 midfield. So we should adapt and play long balls whenever we can't win the battle in the middle of the park.
 
How about lack of strategic flexibility?
Well, the presumption and goal of an improved MF, with more athletic and technically gifted players, will provide/contribute to tactical flexibility...its lack is what's limited our play since late-Poch.

Few teams can always boss the midfield and ours is not a top-6 midfield.
Exactly...but it is here where you get bang for your buck (or you make ground for your pound?). MFers aren't expensive like shiny object accumulating forwards or ball-playing CBs. But the need for both of these is obviated if you have a healthy MF. And it is in the MF where you can make up the most ground/pound on the top teams. Remember what Dembele and Wanyama did to Pep's MF when City came to WHL in his first season? Terrorized and manhandled them...it's always the MF.

So we should adapt and play long balls whenever we can't win the battle in the middle of the park.
Playing over the MF is one solution...and one that shouldn't be ignored on a short term, game-by-game situation. But HK dropping deep has been our droning note of the last few seasons. Now that's inverted to Sonny and Kulu attempting to transition from wide. All would be unnecessary if we hadn't neglected the MF for so long.
 
Well, the presumption and goal of an improved MF, with more athletic and technically gifted players, will provide/contribute to tactical flexibility...its lack is what's limited our play since late-Poch.


Exactly...but it is here where you get bang for your buck (or you make ground for your pound?). MFers aren't expensive like shiny object accumulating forwards or ball-playing CBs. But the need for both of these is obviated if you have a healthy MF. And it is in the MF where you can make up the most ground/pound on the top teams. Remember what Dembele and Wanyama did to Pep's MF when City came to WHL in his first season? Terrorized and manhandled them...it's always the MF.


Playing over the MF is one solution...and one that shouldn't be ignored on a short term, game-by-game situation. But HK dropping deep has been our droning note of the last few seasons. Now that's inverted to Sonny and Kulu attempting to transition from wide. All would be unnecessary if we hadn't neglected the MF for so long.
Why so many are thinking buy Kulusevski and move him central rather than buy a proper central midfielder may very much be the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Ever.
 
Why so many are thinking buy Kulusevski and move him central rather than buy a proper central midfielder may very much be the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Ever.
If he is available for 10-12 mil, that wouldnt be so bad to try out as an experiment as he has some qualities which we can play around with and see if it works, but for the 30-35million being quoted, it would be insane.
 
If he is available for 10-12 mil, that wouldnt be so bad to try out as an experiment as he has some qualities which we can play around with and see if it works, but for the 30-35million being quoted, it would be insane.
Well we're Spurs and the insane is normal for us.

I feel sorry for those saying it was Conte's tactics that stifled him, because it was the exact same tactics last season that helped him. Conte's inability to change tactics coupled with Kulusevski's lack of ability to actually adapt his role himself are the reason he's been so shit and why we shouldn't look near him.
 
Well we're Spurs and the insane is normal for us.

I feel sorry for those saying it was Conte's tactics that stifled him, because it was the exact same tactics last season that helped him. Conte's inability to change tactics coupled with Kulusevski's lack of ability to actually adapt his role himself are the reason he's been so shit and why we shouldn't look near him.

Conte changed/amended his tactics this season compared to last season and not one player has come out with any positivity or any improvement so it's really weird that you're trying to hang that on the neck of Kulusevski when it suggests that- his decline is a system problem not a player problem.
 
Conte changed/amended his tactics this season compared to last season
I don't think that's really true.

The added fixture congestion of the Champions League negatively interacted with Conte's refusal to rotate the squad, and then the increasing understanding that the parties were headed for divorce, the weird season structure with the World Cup, the death on the coaching staff, Conte's surgery, it just became more and more of a slog in which Conte's head was less and less in it, something that has never been characteristic of his career.

During the period last year when we were playing once a week, chasing something important and with Conte fully spiritually engaged we were genuinely brilliant despite several bang average players in the side and fairly risk-averse football.

Since leaving Conte's tactics behind it has been can't-take-your-eyes-off-it football in both bad and good ways, and we've shipped 12 goals in three games. Conte was doing what he was doing for a reason.
 
I don't think that's really true.

The added fixture congestion of the Champions League negatively interacted with Conte's refusal to rotate the squad, and then the increasing understanding that the parties were headed for divorce, the weird season structure with the World Cup, the death on the coaching staff, Conte's surgery, it just became more and more of a slog in which Conte's head was less and less in it, something that has never been characteristic of his career.

During the period last year when we were playing once a week, chasing something important and with Conte fully spiritually engaged we were genuinely brilliant despite several bang average players in the side and fairly risk-averse football.

Since leaving Conte's tactics behind it has been can't-take-your-eyes-off-it football in both bad and good ways, and we've shipped 12 goals in three games. Conte was doing what he was doing for a reason.

Regardless of all this and I agree by the way, why should all this put on the player as opposed to the extenuating circumstances he and our other players found themselves in?
 
Are people seriously giving up in him??
Yes, how much Juve are asking? Probably around £30m , why not spend £40 or £50m a proven like the annoying Maddison. What's the point settling for second best when it's not working! He can't defend, his crossing and shooting is been piss poor since Jan. How many goals have we conceded in the last 2 games from the flank where him and Porro are defending? Even Porro should be sent back, end the loan for both.
 
Conte changed/amended his tactics this season compared to last season and not one player has come out with any positivity or any improvement so it's really weird that you're trying to hang that on the neck of Kulusevski when it suggests that- his decline is a system problem not a player problem.

Certainly think tactics played a huge role in Kulu/Son's struggles. Both players are at their best when they can start out wide and come inside.

Last season Conte usually kicked Emerson inside and allowed Kulu to operate with his way out on the wing. Same with Son (Sess/Davies). Perisic coming in kicked Son inside.

This year, felt Conte wanted his WBs to be wide and his forwards behind Kane to be central. No flexibility there despite the struggles

Last season, Son & Kulu were also very successful on the counter, but when Bentancur went down we lost the only player with the ability to start a counter with one pass.

That said, the eye test says Son and Kulu have been quite shit this season. But i think the fact they both play the same position and struggled this season shows it's more to do with tactics than their actual ability.
 

Tottenham transfer news: Dejan Kulusevski ‘wants big changes’ at Spurs as decision looms on future​

Spurs winger’s ex-teammate and friend, Panagiotis Louka, opens up on his future

Dejan Kulusevski wants to see a big shake-up in the Tottenham dressing room this summer, according to a close friend of the Swedish winger.
Panagiotis Louka, a former teammate of the Spurs star at Atalanta, has revealed that Kulusevski believes “attitude” issues have been behind the squad’s struggling form - rather than ex-coach Antonio Conte.

“We spoke a week before Conte left and he said that the problem wasn’t the manager,” he told Juve News.

“The team must change its attitude, a change is needed.”

Tottenham are said to have a £30.5million transfer clause to sign Kulusevski at the end of the season, which would become an obligation should they qualify for the Champions League.

With that looking unlikely, the 23-year-old’s future could instead become linked to Spurs and parent club Juventus’ decisions regarding Harry Kane and Angel Di Maria.

“€35m is a lot, it's up to Tottenham to decide,” he continued. “He's young and has helped the team a lot, doing what he’s done at 23 isn't for everyone.

“If he returns to Juve instead, it will be a whole other story. He hasn’t told me anything, it's too early to think about it. It will take time to figure out what to do.

“If important players like Kane were to leave Tottenham, the situation would change. It’s the same thing at Juve, if Di Maria wasn’t to renew, there would be more room for Dejan.
“He'd be happy with [Massimiliano] Allegri. Compared to his first experience at Juve, he's now much more sure of himself, he's grown a lot at Tottenham.”
 
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Tottenham transfer news: Dejan Kulusevski ‘wants big changes’ at Spurs as decision looms on future​

Spurs winger’s ex-teammate and friend, Panagiotis Louka, opens up on his future


Dejan Kulusevski wants to see a big shake-up in the Tottenham dressing room this summer, according to a close friend of the Swedish winger.
Panagiotis Louka, a former teammate of the Spurs star at Atalanta, has revealed that Kulusevski believes “attitude” issues have been behind the squad’s struggling form - rather than ex-coach Antonio Conte.

“We spoke a week before Conte left and he said that the problem wasn’t the manager,” he told Juve News.

“The team must change its attitude, a change is needed.”

Tottenham are said to have a £30.5million transfer clause to sign Kulusevski at the end of the season, which would become an obligation should they qualify for the Champions League.

With that looking unlikely, the 23-year-old’s future could instead become linked to Spurs and parent club Juventus’ decisions regarding Harry Kane and Angel Di Maria.

“€35m is a lot, it's up to Tottenham to decide,” he continued. “He's young and has helped the team a lot, doing what he’s done at 23 isn't for everyone.


“If he returns to Juve instead, it will be a whole other story. He hasn’t told me anything, it's too early to think about it. It will take time to figure out what to do.

“If important players like Kane were to leave Tottenham, the situation would change. It’s the same thing at Juve, if Di Maria wasn’t to renew, there would be more room for Dejan.
“He'd be happy with [Massimiliano] Allegri. Compared to his first experience at Juve, he's now much more sure of himself, he's grown a lot at Tottenham.”
Sounds like he's open to returning to Juve to me...

Then again, the 'attitude' (or, I assume, lack of ) is surely something a new manager and a hearty cull will sort out!!?

With Bentancur back sometime next season, and maybe getting in someone that ISN'T Hojberg in midfield, or Dier in defence with strengthen those areas...

That's what Kulu needs behind him to thrive... not with one cautious eye over his shoulder at the ensuing calamity that in turn stifled his attacking threat....

He needs to focus on what's ahead of him, and work on rekindling that understanding with Son & Kane.... without worrying about the shitshow going on behind him!
 
who are these bad attitude players, or selfish players as Conte alluded to i wonder. wouldve thought it was mostly weeded out with winks, ndombele, locelso out on loan.

suppose Romero can come across sometimes as unintested but then he goes and puts in a real leadership appearence like saturday.
 
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