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We definitely need to subtract a few wage thieves nowWe should be reluctant, unless we have a better replacement lined up. 4 trophies still up for grabs, the squad needs adding to not subtracting from.
A front four would probably be a better choice.Could easily see Poch attempting to put together a front five of Di Maria, Dele, Neymar; Mbappé.
Constant sick notes from Lo Celso and Lamela. Ndombele can't play every game.
Can't see us selling Dele unless we get a significant offer we cannot refuse.
Lloris
Aurier - Toby - Dier - Reggie
PEH
Ndombele - Alli
Bale - Kane - Son
Is this our dream 11?
Clearly unbalanced in that Aurier and Reggie like to form part of the attack. This requires players to drop back and cover for them - which Ndombele, Bale, Son, Kane and Alli are not playing to their strengths.
I'd love to see a flat back 4 with PEH in front of them. Allow the other 5 players to fully attack; with one of them dropping into midfield to distribute the ball forward. However,; whilst this may suit Aurier who is a great tackler; Davies could be a better option than Reggie if we are asking him to stay back and cover defence.
This is far to logical balanced and nuanced. You should probably get some kind of card preferably red.Of our last 14 games he's played a significant portion of two - Ludogoretz and Stoke - shit teams, but I thought he was good in both games. Ran beyond the defence, slipped balls through to the striker, worked hard. Those games apart he's not really played.
Last season, Mourinho comes in and he's very good vs WH, Burnley, Bournemouth, scores in a bad display vs United, Brighton etc. until Kane was injured against Southampton and his performance level nosedives. Our play in the ensuing months is brutal, Son (when fit) and Lo Celso the only players really performing to a suitable level. No direction to anything we were doing. Dele is mostly frozen out from Lockdown on.
We say he's been shit for 2.5 years, but the run of muscle injuries he suffered from Sept-Feb 18/19 has a lot to do with that imo. 3 hamstring injuries and a thigh muscle injury, and I think we saw results of that in his diminished intensity on the field. The three seasons preceding these injuries he totals (PL only) 9g13a, 18g11a, 12g10a.
We've not seen him in the team much with Ndombele, Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Kane, Son, Bergwijn all together. I think his running beyond the defence provides another target for Kane when dropping deep and playing through balls. I like the idea of him linking with Ndombele on the field. I honestly think the player is being woefully mismanaged and he has the ability to be our third best g/a contributor, he just hasn't at all been granted an opportunity to build match fitness and prove himself. I get the issues people have with his play, they annoy me too, but the narrative against Dele is wrong, we'll finish higher in the table if we start using him imo. His movement off the ball is levels above Gio, Bergwijn and Ndombele in the spaces around the striker. I think Mourinho has little time for him though, I can't imagine his frustration with tactics have helped him much.
Dele does not belong in that company get a grip.I think you're underestimating how highly Pochettino rates Dele. He said many a time when he was here that he thought Dele was as important to the team as Kane and that he predicted Dele would captain the team one day. This is quite clearly a transfer that has been in the pipeline for some time, I'd wager it's almost a certainty he goes there.
Could easily see Poch attempting to put together a front four of Di Maria, Dele, Neymar; Mbappé.
The old Dele does , his brother doesn’tDele does not belong in that company get a grip.
Though it is a much easier league so who knows.
Yeah short memories, if anyone had suggested he was not on the level as Di Maria when he was at old Trafford and Dele Mk 1 was killing it. They'd have been sectionedThe old Dele does , his brother doesn’t
The old Dele does , his brother doesn’t
I didn’t say he does.Dele does not belong in that company get a grip.
Though it is a much easier league so who knows.