Dembele words tell a worrying story
Mouse Dembele had an excellent game against Sunderland where they sat back and gave us the midfield, he passes the ball. But against WBA and two banks of four he tried to dribble and slow our play down. One is playing for the team, one is playing for yourself.
The revealing words of Mousa Dembele on the official website may sound bland, look as if it doesn't say much, but it says a lot and it's not good reading.
What has he actually said here. We get the usual PR stuff about tough games coming up, which suggests he doesn't think games we have been having are tough and that sends alarm bells ringing
'We'll do everything to win these games', exactly the same messages we heard before we had a run of games against three of the top four last season and that didn't have any conviction. We'll try is not a positive statement, it's a negative.
Another match coming quickly is definitely a positive, but while a victory would lift the spirits in the squad, the first team won't be playing so it makes little difference, apart from giving everyone at the club a little lift.
'It's not going to be easy', the very same words said before any game of football whoever the opposition are, meaningless.
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'I didn't think we started too badly'. Well he must have low standards because WBA could have scored twice in the opening 7 minutes and had Lescott's shot not hit Dawson, then they would have been in front. That is starting not too badly?
'In the second half we didn't play too well', were we brilliant in the first half then were we? We should have been losing at half-time. Of course Dembele only actually played 16 minutes of the second half so feels we were better with him on the field. However he was replaced by Paulinho who is claiming footballers wages under false pretences at the moment.
'We know we have to win these type of games'. That to me shouts he thought it was not a big game which again is a losers mentality. Every game is a big game, every player should be getting himself motivated for every game. If he doesn't perceive it as a big game he needs to see a sports psychologist and have them train his brain and thought processes.
If you don't think a game is a big game it is impossible to give your optimum performance. You can give a good performance, an excellent performance even, but it won't be your optimum performance. That can only happen when the when you are properly motivated.
Mousa Dembele should be an excellent player but he wastes his talent and is not the player he could be, that is all down to his approach. He is a player who has got to a level and is quite happy to just keep doing what he is doing while collecting a decent wage.
How has he improved as a player in the two years since he joined us? A winner looks to improve their game everyday. Did Gareth Bale learn to curve the ball both ways from a free-kick because he didn't work to improve everyday, did that just happen regularly by accident?
No it happened because he worked to improve, the attitude of a winner. Who are the winners in this squad and who are the losers tagging along? Danny Rose has improved for instance, he improved his game on the training field and took it into games so why isn't someone like Dembele, Paulinho or Chiriches improving?
If you really want to you will, if you don't you won't. Who else is going to improve as the season develops?
The revealing words of Mousa Dembele on the official website may sound bland, look as if it doesn't say much, but it says a lot and it's not good reading.
“There are some tough games coming and we’ll do everything to win these games. The positive thing is that we have another match coming very quickly but it’s not going to be easy against Forest.
“It’s difficult to talk after a game like this. I didn’t think we started too badly but we didn’t create too many chances. In the second half we didn’t play that well.
“Everyone in the dressing room is very disappointed and we know have to win these types of games.”
What has he actually said here. We get the usual PR stuff about tough games coming up, which suggests he doesn't think games we have been having are tough and that sends alarm bells ringing
'We'll do everything to win these games', exactly the same messages we heard before we had a run of games against three of the top four last season and that didn't have any conviction. We'll try is not a positive statement, it's a negative.
Another match coming quickly is definitely a positive, but while a victory would lift the spirits in the squad, the first team won't be playing so it makes little difference, apart from giving everyone at the club a little lift.
'It's not going to be easy', the very same words said before any game of football whoever the opposition are, meaningless.
Recent Articles:
Will Vertonghen be consigned to Notts Forest reserves?
Pochettino has a lot of work to do
As expected, tougher than many thought
An important 3 points today will trigger belief
Spurs v WBA Preview
Captain of Spurs or Europa League winning captain?
'I didn't think we started too badly'. Well he must have low standards because WBA could have scored twice in the opening 7 minutes and had Lescott's shot not hit Dawson, then they would have been in front. That is starting not too badly?
'In the second half we didn't play too well', were we brilliant in the first half then were we? We should have been losing at half-time. Of course Dembele only actually played 16 minutes of the second half so feels we were better with him on the field. However he was replaced by Paulinho who is claiming footballers wages under false pretences at the moment.
'We know we have to win these type of games'. That to me shouts he thought it was not a big game which again is a losers mentality. Every game is a big game, every player should be getting himself motivated for every game. If he doesn't perceive it as a big game he needs to see a sports psychologist and have them train his brain and thought processes.
If you don't think a game is a big game it is impossible to give your optimum performance. You can give a good performance, an excellent performance even, but it won't be your optimum performance. That can only happen when the when you are properly motivated.
Mousa Dembele should be an excellent player but he wastes his talent and is not the player he could be, that is all down to his approach. He is a player who has got to a level and is quite happy to just keep doing what he is doing while collecting a decent wage.
How has he improved as a player in the two years since he joined us? A winner looks to improve their game everyday. Did Gareth Bale learn to curve the ball both ways from a free-kick because he didn't work to improve everyday, did that just happen regularly by accident?
No it happened because he worked to improve, the attitude of a winner. Who are the winners in this squad and who are the losers tagging along? Danny Rose has improved for instance, he improved his game on the training field and took it into games so why isn't someone like Dembele, Paulinho or Chiriches improving?
If you really want to you will, if you don't you won't. Who else is going to improve as the season develops?
3 comments
I've been coaching/managing for almost 25 years.
Your missing the obvious. WBA played two banks of 4 with no intention of opening the game up.
So we played a left foot on the right and the reverse on the left, meaning all we could do was move the ball inside all the time, just where WBA wanted it.
This simply means you have no space. Ericksen is good, but trying to find holes in an area congested with over 14 or 15 players aint going to happen.
As for the team selection, I don't believe in squad rotation, find your best 11 and let them play, be it Europa or Premier league. Players respond best to each other when they keep playing together.
And lastly, Verts is our best defender, he should be playing every EPL game.