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Our midfield is our most talented, deep position on the pitch but it's also the spot that brings the most questions. Paulinho, Mousa Dembele, Lewis Holtby, Etienne Capoue, Sandro, Nabil Bentaleb are all big time talents, even Ryan Mason and Tom Carroll look like they could be contributors but the issue remains, who fits Mauricio Pochettino's high energy, pressing, one touch, quick style? Clearly, Pochettino doesn't feel he has all that he needs as our pursuit of Morgan Schneiderlin has never wavered.
Paulinho chipped in with 6 goals last year and showed some class but at times looked lazy, shying from tackles and not interested in defending. Mousa Dembele fits the defensive responsibilities that are required but doesn't possess the ability to quickly turn defence into attack and the same applies to Capoue and Sandro. Lewis Holtby has the ability to do a bit of both but doesn't excel at any one thing, however, he seems to check all of the boxes of what Poch looks for in a midfielder. Bentaleb looks like a player who can take a major step forward and fill one of the starting midfield roles but we need to temper expectations and allow him to continue to grow. Bentaleb and Holtby looked very promising against Schalke but you can see where the puzzle piece shaped like Morgan Schneiderlin would fit. A big strong midfielder who is dedicated to his defensive responsibilities with vast passing range and ability to turn the field over. Do we need him? Need is a strong word especially when we have all of the skills wanted, just not in one player. Could Morgan be a major player in the centre of the park for us, yes. It remains to be seen whether we will capture the talented Frenchman but at first glance (without seeing the World Cup players in Poch system), it looks like Bentaleb, Holtby are the two best fits currently with Paulinho, Dembele, Capoue & Sandro needing to adapt their games to fit the system. A starting XI containing Schneiderlin next to Bentaleb, Holtby, Capoue or Dembele would be very disruptive to play against and also be a strong base supporting the attack.
Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Aaron Lennon playing behind the striker have shown great understanding and chemistry this preseason. Each player fits Poch's philosophy and they will combine for some beautiful football this season. At Ajax, the defensive system that Eriksen played in is similar to Poch's pressing system so I am not sure where the doubts of his fit come into play. There will be occasional meltdowns when Eriksen is listed as RW, LW or AM but all of the 3 players behind the striker will interchange and flow, therefore the actual position doesn't matter. Everybody will defend, press, win the ball back and have freedom to roam around the attacking third. Townsend needs to improve his decision making, Chadli with confidence can hopefully keep playing at a quick pace rather than slowing the attack down and provide good depth on the wings.
At striker, Roberto Soldado looks like a strong fit for the system. He links up very well with the other 3 attackers and his movement is very intelligent and allows space for the others. He needs to score a few early on in the season and his confidence will be right back. You don't score 20+ goals per season and lose that ability over night. Adebayor is an interesting player because he has all the ability in the world but has a questionable attitude. One thing I've noticed with Adebayor this preseason is that his movement is selfish. As a striker, it is your job to get into the best positions to score goals so I don't fault him for it but it is also a responsibility to create opportunities for others with your movement. Ade simply doesn't do that. He gets open for Ade to score goals but not for Lamela or Eriksen to ghost into dangerous spaces. He is one to keep an eye on this season because he has the highest boom or bust potential, once again. Harry Kane has been growing by the week, his performances last year were very strong with the first team and he is a very useful player. He was just rewarded with a new deal and I am excited to see what he can grow into. He likely won't ever be a star but that doesnt mean he can't play a big role this season and beyond.
We have plenty of attacking options but we could certainly use one more creative player to fit in as a winger or attacking midfielder...Memphis Depay anyone? We won't be buying a player in that spot without moving Andros Townsend or Nacer Chadli. We have all of the pieces to play flowing, bright, attacking football with a strong spine, it is all about finding the right fit at this point and I trust Poch to do so. If the preseason was any indicator, we have many capable players and it's up to our leader to choose the ones that he feels will allow us to prosper.
Tomorrow, predictions and a final word heading into Saturday's season opener vs. West Ham!
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Capoue fatured really heavily in preseason - and seemed to fit the Poch's system very well.
ReplyDeleteNot so sure that Sandro does turn defence into attack in the same way - we may, sadly, say goodbye to him by the end of August.