Matt Doherty

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What are his strengths, mate?
So, I’ll state first of all that what I’m about to post is what I saw as his strengths when he played for Wolves. Not what he’s offered so far for us. Just making that clear before the inevitable pile on. I’ll also say he’s been a big disappointment so far and wasn’t exactly masterful tonight.

Deep breath....

Again, when at Wolves, he was almost a right winger when they had the ball, often in fact, the centre forward. He is capable of getting amongst the goals and being a threat in the opposition box. Wolves always looked to me as if the were three or five at the back, so there was less urgency for Doherty to get back if the ball was lost as there was more cover there than he has here. He was a very effective attacking outlet for long diagonals too, as at 6’1”, he’s very very good in the air and I was ways seeing him on the corner of the oppo box, winning headers into the middle of the box.

He’s an ok crosser of the ball, better than Aurier in that. I believe over the last couple of seasons, Aurier may have more assists, but his cross % is below that of Doherty, so the argument could be that having a more effective player there would lead to more assists.

He’s fit as fuck. Rarely if ever injured. He can run all day, up and down the flank. He’s homegrown. He’s more than capable of playing on the left side as he is the right, although the right is his stronger side. But he’s played a few seasons at left back too. Also played there for Ireland.

I do think that if we were to play to his strengths, he’d perform a lot better, but I’m pretty sure that’d be true for almost every player. And I’m not sure we should be setting the tactical agenda to cater for a 29 year old full back. But, I do see him improving if we had a more settled and effective central defence like he had at Wolves. And I’m never really that keen on chucking someone under the bus after a short period of time, especially this season.
 
He was terrible today. Palace’s goal would never have happened if he’d been in a better position and/or closed down with urgency.
He’s also slow as fuck. And offers little going forward.

Must go this Summer. When’s Aurier back?
 
What I found interesting today was that he made inverted runs inside of Bale (who would gather the ball wide) like he used to for Wolves and run in towards the area.
Looks like Mourinho is trying to accomodate him.
If he can gather some of that form from last year we will all be rather happy.
 
We're not gonna praise him for getting an assist right?

Because that wasn't what I would consider an assist lol (even if it is)

Was crap again today tbh. sigh.
Poor 1st half and guilty for nonchalantly covering that cross for their goal but I thought he did well enough in the 2nd half.

Zaha who I thought was going to have a field day, didn't impact the much besides that one counter from a poor PEH pass. You got to give Doherty some credit for containing him, no?
 
He's been a disappointment this season and doesn't seem like the answer at RB whatsoever. If a decent offer comes in I hope we take it- we'd be better off playing Tanganga or hell even Foyth there as a 2nd RB. Need to swap out both Aurier and Doherty but highly doubt we can do that much RB business this summer. With Auriers contract situation that likely means we will have Doc next season no matter what.
 
Poor 1st half and guilty for nonchalantly covering that cross for their goal but I thought he did well enough in the 2nd half.

Zaha who I thought was going to have a field day, didn't impact the much besides that one counter from a poor PEH pass. You got to give Doherty some credit for containing him, no?
Zaha played as a Left sided ST in a 442 it was more Sanchez on him rather than DOherty
 
When that cross was played which Doherty was so slow to close down, immediately came to my mind, how Aurier would have thrown himself in the line of that cross or even physically assualted the crosser.
 
He's been a disappointment this season and doesn't seem like the answer at RB whatsoever. If a decent offer comes in I hope we take it- we'd be better off playing Tanganga or hell even Foyth there as a 2nd RB. Need to swap out both Aurier and Doherty but highly doubt we can do that much RB business this summer. With Auriers contract situation that likely means we will have Doc next season no matter what.
What's Aurier's contract situation? I'd be happy to have him back for another year.
 
I've seen people saying they thought he had a good game? Jose said it himself, his defending was near perfection?

Did I miss something?

Apart from the closing down for the cross nothing stuck out for as being particularly terrible but then nothing stuck out as being good either - kind of like Winks performance.

Is the bar just so low now that as long as he doesn't get skinned by his winger we say he had a solid game?
 
So, I’ll state first of all that what I’m about to post is what I saw as his strengths when he played for Wolves. Not what he’s offered so far for us. Just making that clear before the inevitable pile on. I’ll also say he’s been a big disappointment so far and wasn’t exactly masterful tonight.

Deep breath....

Again, when at Wolves, he was almost a right winger when they had the ball, often in fact, the centre forward. He is capable of getting amongst the goals and being a threat in the opposition box. Wolves always looked to me as if the were three or five at the back, so there was less urgency for Doherty to get back if the ball was lost as there was more cover there than he has here. He was a very effective attacking outlet for long diagonals too, as at 6’1”, he’s very very good in the air and I was ways seeing him on the corner of the oppo box, winning headers into the middle of the box.

He’s an ok crosser of the ball, better than Aurier in that. I believe over the last couple of seasons, Aurier may have more assists, but his cross % is below that of Doherty, so the argument could be that having a more effective player there would lead to more assists.

He’s fit as fuck. Rarely if ever injured. He can run all day, up and down the flank. He’s homegrown. He’s more than capable of playing on the left side as he is the right, although the right is his stronger side. But he’s played a few seasons at left back too. Also played there for Ireland.

I do think that if we were to play to his strengths, he’d perform a lot better, but I’m pretty sure that’d be true for almost every player. And I’m not sure we should be setting the tactical agenda to cater for a 29 year old full back. But, I do see him improving if we had a more settled and effective central defence like he had at Wolves. And I’m never really that keen on chucking someone under the bus after a short period of time, especially this season.
Strange how two people can watch the same game but have polar opposite views

Personally I've seen a player who can barely run and unable to put even the most basic of crosses in when under no pressure. What he did for Wolves is irrelevant - to date he's been disappointing at best and a criminal waste of 18m at worst. Each to their own.
 
I don't wrote off players in their first full seasons. Modric was voted the worst signing in his first season in Madrid. It was that bad. Doherty used to be a very good player for Wolves. Nothing says he will not eventually become one for Spurs.
 
Strange how two people can watch the same game but have polar opposite views

Personally I've seen a player who can barely run and unable to put even the most basic of crosses in when under no pressure. What he did for Wolves is irrelevant - to date he's been disappointing at best and a criminal waste of 18m at worst. Each to their own.
Not sure we have got opposite views on how he is playing right now. Maybe differing as I don’t think he’s the useless donkey many others do. Just think he’s been below average.

But you asked for what I thought his strengths are. I was really clear that what I was going to post was what I’d seen of him at wolves. Not what he’s been demonstrating here.

His strengths are still his strengths. He’s just not playing to them.

Edit - and his time at Wolves isn’t irrelevant. His performances there were the reason we bought him. And we must have known 100% what we were getting. And Jose would have known too. I’m not having any of this “he wasn’t a Jose signing” bullshit.

If I had to describe a right back that Jose would want, I’d describe Doherty to a tee.
 
One more thing that I believe bears mentioning is that when Aurier has performed at his best is when he has had Sissoko no more than ten feet away from him. Pretty much having two guys do one guys job.

Now Sissoko seems to have been banished to the bench, rightly so, that side has less protection. Let’s see how Aurier does with the “defensive support” of Bale.
 
One more thing that I believe bears mentioning is that when Aurier has performed at his best is when he has had Sissoko no more than ten feet away from him. Pretty much having two guys do one guys job.

Now Sissoko seems to have been banished to the bench, rightly so, that side has less protection. Let’s see how Aurier does with the “defensive support” of Bale.
Weird angle. Doherty has been shit even when Bale was not playing.
 
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