That's not a good defense lol. He attempts difficult shots not because he's some sort of daredevil badass, but because he's incapable of finding himself in more optimal positions for goalscoring. The difficult shots are his "last resorts" to push out some end product out of luck, throwing anything to the wall to see what sticks.
Ousmane Dembélé
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Birdy
Senior Member
1) He is not a CF, and scoring is his secondary (not his primary) duty on the attacking phase. His primary duty is to create space and breaks by running with the ball and taking on defenders.
You would be more justified in criticizing him for not assisting/crossing well, rather than not getting into the positions to finish.
2) Even if we accept he has to take a bulk of scoring duty, what you say is always a double-edge sword. As much as he is responsible for not getting into the most dangerous positions, are his teammates for not providing him with balls in those positions.
Joan
Well-known member
That's simply wrong
To be productive player needs to get into goalscoring positions first and foremost. If he's not doing that well, of course I can accuse him of low output.
How can teammates provide him with balls in those positions if he doesn't get there?
It's a false symmetry you're implying.
Another poor defense lol, it's 2021 not 2004; wide forwards/winger are supposed to know how to move inside the box and finish, especially at an elite club like Barcelona. Also he's pretty shit at his "primary duties", considering he can barely take on players especially in low block situations and make a through ball or two.
2) No one is saying he needs to take on the bulk of scoring duties, I just expect a forward at Barcelona not to have the end product of a winger in a club battling relegation lol. Also lol@blaming teammates for Dembele's poor movement. Fuck sakes, De Jong gets into better scoring positions and subsequently gets better opportunities than Dembele. lmao
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Dembele was moving well yesterday. His off-the-ball movement might have been shit this season because he was instructed to hug the line and create width. Difficult to get consistent goalscoring chances if instructed so. However, even Trincao with far fewer minutes manages to have numerous clear-cut chances every game due to clever movement, so Dembele was probably subpar in this respect because he attacks the space poorly. We'll see in the following games whether Dembele manages to find himself in more goalscoring positions.
Birdy
Senior Member
Dembele is not a wide-forward like Fati, who would cut diagonally into the box to be on the receiving end of an attacking combination on the other flank.That's a given.
If you accept that drawback, then most of what you say against him is exaggerated.
His movement when there is space in front of him is good, his movement with the ball on his feet is also good. He is maybe the only player (now that messi cannot move so much) to beat his defender via dribbling and running with the ball.
The fact that he plays close to the touchline is not wrong IMO: he creates breaks in the opposition block and with this movement goal-scoring opportunities arise for other players to finish.
Plus, he has already improved by miles his defensive duties under Koeman.
You are asking too much from him given what he does already...
If you accept that drawback, then most of what you say against him is exaggerated.
His movement when there is space in front of him is good, his movement with the ball on his feet is also good. He is maybe the only player (now that messi cannot move so much) to beat his defender via dribbling and running with the ball.
The fact that he plays close to the touchline is not wrong IMO: he creates breaks in the opposition block and with this movement goal-scoring opportunities arise for other players to finish.
Plus, he has already improved by miles his defensive duties under Koeman.
You are asking too much from him given what he does already...
Vilarrubi
New member
Yeah his decision making in final third is terrible. Poor shooting/passing/assists. That goal against Sevilla was first meaningful involvement I can remember since the Copa game against Cornella (I could be wrong). Needs to offer way more as starter for Barca, that’s without remembering he cost 120m.....
Respekt_III
Anti-everything
Didn't realise saying he's less shit and more useful to the team than the other two would be so controversial.
This is you just unwittingly admitting he's not good and being okay with that lol. All modern elite wingers can and do hug the touchline depending on the occasion, run with the ball, and cross just like Dembele. They also move within the box searching for opportunities, they finish, know how to handle the ball, and know how to dribble in multiple situations (whether counter attacks or low blocks). When you say he's not like Fati (or Coman, Salah, Mane, Sterling, Sane, Rashford, Ribery, Robben, Neymar, Hazard etc) you're just saying he's not good, and quite frankly a limited player too. If all you expect from our wingers is hugging the touchline, sprinting, and crossing then you might as well take Daniel james off Man United's hands and change our club's name to Real Sociedad or some shit, because that's the level you want us to be at.
You say I expect too much from Dembele, I say I just expect quality players to play for this club.
Birdy
Senior Member
LOL, what are you talking about mate?
I said he does not have the striker instinct of Fati (and Salak, Mane, Rashford if you wish, not the rest), the rest is just you trying to put words in my mouth, and projecting your biases against Dembele.
And since you used good examples: yes, he is like Neymar, Robben, Ribery, Hazard, Sane -> he is that type of winger, and
NOT like Salah, Mane, Fati who are wide-forwards rather than wingers and like to find themselves in the box in a position to finish.
1) You wanted him to be in the latter group, but as I said he is not that type of player.
Dembele can dribble and run with the ball better than Mane for example, to be frank he can do everything with the ball better than Mane apart from finishing and storming in the box to finish.
And he can run/dribble better with the ball on his feet than all the ones you mention bar Robben, Neymar, Hazard
The point that every player playing wide should be a wide-forward is moot, and you can realize yourself why. No, not every wide player in 2021 should be a wide-forward.
2) The fact that he is not Neymar or Hazar pre-2019 I have not denied. If that means automatically for you he is not the quality required for Barca, then you are plainly wrong.
In what positions do Barca currently have Neymar-level quality? Please tell me, just to make sure you don't live in an alternate reality
Both 1) and 2) show that you hold him to a standard you don't hold other players, especially other Barca players. Why?
Birdy
Senior Member
LOL.
How many times have you seen Mane playing?
Better at dribbling/running with the ball than Dembele?
Sure, and the earth is flat as well...
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Although I think Dembele would register a higher dribbles per game index at Liverpool, he (2.2 in La Liga and 3.2 in CL) indeed has fewer dribbles per game compared to Mane (2.6 in the EPL and 1.1 in CL). Dembele has better CL stats. Dembele is also much better at carrying the ball, I agree. Mane is a different player though, he is almost a striker.
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