Dele

[Go on son]

He’s got plenty of legs, just no brain I guess. Pirlo did 1000x more with less physical gifts than Dele has now. I don’t buy that Dele can’t figure out how to move into space and pass the ball. Sad what has happened to him but we can’t afford to play him too much right now. Please loan or sell him in Winter.

But we wont. Along with dier and winks we're stuck with these players for god knows how long

 

[TheSpurEst]

How many years does this fella have left on his contract?

Ends after 2023/24 season.
So long way to go still.

 

[Kopspur]

Needs to be sold ASAP or even given away free.

Does nothing on the pitch and is causing a lot of unrest in the dressing room.

unrest?

 

[Beech]

Sick of him. Not good enough any more. He's regressed massively as a player. He's neither this or that wherever you play him.

 

[Trainspotter]

Nuno is at fault for replacing Skipp with Dele, and expecting him to do a similar job. What exactly was the "game plan"? Nuno is also the one telling Kane to drop this deep.

 

[Igula]

Who?

Name one please.

Take a look at the poster below that is likely the biggest example.

 

[SpursAllTheWay]

Yes they are mate....
The first correction to the above is that Dele lost possession 2 times not the 8 as stated!!! So I'm questioning right off the bat the validity of the numbers.

But here are 30 mins of my life I will not get back to prove it to you the numbers are as bad (BECAUSE OF THE TACTICS OF THE MANGER). So that a comparison can be made I've kept the left column as 1st half, the 2nd half is shown on the right).

Lucas (let's also bear in mind this is an AM we are referencing here not a Midfielder)
0 shots (2 in the second half 1 on target)
0 successful dribbles (3 successful in 2nd half)
0 key passes (1 in the second half
0 accurate crosses (0 in 90mins)
0 accurate long balls (0 in 90mins)
0 tackle (0 in 90 mins)
2 possession lost (1 2nd half - x3 in 90 mins)
100% take-on success (3/3 in 90 mins)
0% ground duels won (0/2)

Kane
0 shots (5 in second half 1 on target, 3 off target, 1 blocked)
0 successful dribbles (0 successful in 90 mins)
0 key passes (0 in 90mins)
0 accurate crosses (0 in 90mins)
0 accurate long balls (2 in 90mins)
0 tackle (0 in 90 mins)
1 possession lost (1 2nd half - x2 in 90 mins)
100% take-on success (3/3 in 90 mins)
0% ground duels won (0/1) (Lost 1 in 2nd half which resulted in Saka scoring)

Son
1 shots (1 in the second half both on target in 90 mins)
0 successful dribbles (1 successful in 2nd half)
1 key passes (2 in the second half, 3 across 90 mins)
0 accurate crosses (2 in 90mins)
0 accurate long balls (0 in 90mins)
0 tackle (1 in 90 mins)
2 possession lost (2 2nd half - x4 in 90 mins)
50% take-on success (2/4 in 90 mins)
50% ground duels won (1/2 in 90 mins)

Ndombele (played 45mins)
0 shots
4 successful dribbles
0 key passes
0 accurate crosses
0 accurate long balls
2 tackle
3 possession lost
100% take-on success (4/4 in 45 mins)
100% ground duels won (2/2)


PEH
0 shots (0 in second half)
0 successful dribbles (0 successful in 2nd half)
0 key passes (0 in second half)
0 accurate crosses (0 in 90mins)
0 accurate long balls (0 in 90mins)
1 tackle (3 in 90 mins)
1 possession lost (0 2nd half - x1 in 90 mins)
100% take-on success (0/0 in 90 mins)
76% ground duels won (4/5)


To make it easier to compare here's a cut and past of the Dele numbers posted so they are on the same page (I've adjusted the lost possession number from 8 to 2). I've also double-checked the figures and also found that the tackle stats were also wrong!!
Dele
0 shots
0 successful dribbles
0 key passes
0 accurate crosses
0 accurate long balls
2 tackle
2x possession lost
0% take-on success (0/2)
100% ground duels won (2/2)

So, as I said not really anything between them!!! But what's most annoying is the data chosen isn't really the data that's pertinent to a midfield 8, but if someone wants to make someone look shit best chose a data set that suits an attacking player. It's just in this case our attackers returned almost fucking identical numbers!!!

I'll get on with making my cuppa now.

So what. . Compare all those players over the past few seasons then. The more data the better.. and a one off game is not something that any decision should be made on. But 3 seasons worth of data sure is.

 

[sammyspurs]

A utterly bizarre regression. He’s genuinely a shit player now.

Welcome to 2017

 

[Bazali]

I’ve never understood why people think football is like that film, was it Total Recall? When if they went out of a zone their heads blew up…..

Here’s a thought: They ARE the midfield….
If you see a big gaping hole, maybe go and fill it.

Wow, amazing rocket science stuff I know, but imagine that! Running to the ball!

But what if your manager has told you to ‘hug’ the touchline to ‘stretch’ your opponents?

So when that doesn’t work like the first 45 mins it’s up to the manager to change things

Nuno didn’t

 

[sammyspurs]

But what if your manager has told you to ‘hug’ the touchline to ‘stretch’ your opponents?

So when that doesn’t work like the first 45 mins it’s up to the manager to change things

Nuno didn’t

You think Zlatan would watch an opponent waltz past him because his manager said so?

I remember the Graham Taylor England doc……”Carlton! Carlton! Wot the fok is eee doing opp there??!!”

And that’s Carlton Palmer using initiative…

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

So sorry you are right about 1 effing game.

Who the hell cares about that.. what about all the games the past 3 seasons or so. This is not about who is right and who is wrong. It's about Dele.. and I said "so what" as even if he performed like superman the last game.. that doesn't make up for the past 3 seasons. Why focus on just the 1 game when you can look back and see this downwards trend with him...

Because you NEVER mentioned anything else, YOU said that the other player's stats FOR THAT GAME would not be similar, following my post that claimed they were similar. I proved to you that they were similar and if I wanted to his numbers were actually better than our attacking front three!

I'll disagree with you, just as I have been with others on here too for other seasons. But I don't want to go there with you on this argument because you will probably make up some pretend stats again.

Like I said you could just apologise for getting it completely wrong or you could do what you are still doing banging on about something completely different to your initial post.

 

[Airfixx]

Let's indulge our in the hindsight talking. If look at the team during those years, we would open can of worm on other issues. We lack a goalscorer beside Kane, either support him or back him up to get him some rest. Without that goal scorer, we had no choice but utilize Dele there. And Dele couldn't displace Wanyama and Demebele. Eriksen role is not static, and overall higher up the pitch; yet he could play deeper centrally when required. Then we had a promising Mason pre injury. Dier in midfield for a pseudo back 3 tactic when we had 2 flying full backs (a good back up for right wing with Trippier too). When we went serious with 3 at the back after Sanchez freshly joined, the midfield is stacked in quantity. Last but not least, the Winks hype from part of the fanbase. We just didn't have enough opportunity to try Dele in midfield.

Even if he developed there in due time, it's still doubtful he has become a top class midfielder. I meant we're seeing in NDombele a talented player that has been developed in his position, yet his mentality has kept him from fulfilling his potential. Or Pogba at Man U, he has all physical, technical talent, and vision, but since he can't focus on ability, he never find the consistency to showcase his talent.

I just don't see how different it may be with Dele development. He got the best route up until 2018 for his career. He didn't take his chance from then on.

I'm not sure you're really recalling the player he was when he first arrived..... If available go check his highlights for England against France at Wembley around 2017 time.

He's still young to develop his game if he has it in him, so IMO he's the only one really holding himself back.

Again... This is the part I am left disputing..... He's been playing senior football since he was 16..... In that sense he's 'older' than he's years. I don't think evolving will come easy at this point; even with a concerted effort on his part.

We're not a million miles away from the fact that Winks's original forward looking instincts have been coached out of him. I don't think he'll ever get them back either.

Fresh surroundings.... New challenges.... Fresh ideas...... Clean slate..... Best for both of them at his point.

....Even if in Dele's case that means simply being a false 9/auxiliary striker type.

 

[TonySoprano]

He has literally forgotten how to play football and seemingly doesn't have the desire or will to get it back.

Sad waste of talent.

 

[VirginiaSpur]

I’ve not wanted to admit it but today sealed it for me. He was dreadful. Awful. So sad. He almost got it back with Mou but something has broken in him, talent and motivation, none of which can be fixed for me.

Fortnite happened...

 

[FWIWN17]

He has literally forgotten how to play football and seemingly doesn't have the desire or will to get it back.

Sad waste of talent.

Got the money and the trappings of the lifestyle and until he ends up at Cardiff or Sunderland he won’t bother.

 

[mummy]

I don't want him to be shit though.

 

[Nuts]

Agreed as long as Gio is in centre midfield

That’s his position

Agreed. Skipp and Hojbjerg behind him and give him some freedom in the centre.

 

[Bazali]

Agreed. Skipp and Hojbjerg behind him and give him some freedom in the centre.

If at any time it’s not working we could sub him off for Ndombelly providing it’s just for 30 minutes and hopefully he can last that!

 

[Igula]

Didn’t he play well in the first three games though? Did our strategy/ line up need to change that he played out of that position and the team subsequently lost? Couldn’t we just revert back to that line up? Kane in for one of the front three?

No he didn’t play well. He ran around a lot but in terms of being effective he sucked.

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

It makes me sad to see the player he's become, but I just can't see him getting back anywhere near his best. I think we need to cut the cord, both for his own good and for ours.

Yeah I hate how he has become this divisive issue. Once he was just an undropable star. Bring us luck today Mrs P we need it badly.
COYS!