Fans react to Fazio and Stambouli performances

Discussion in 'Tottenham forum' started by James McC, September 18, 2014.

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  1. James McC

    James McC Member

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    Summer signings Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli both made their first starts for Tottenham tonight as we saw out a hostile draw away at Partizan Belgrade.

    The latter of the two made his first Spurs appearance at the weekend as he came on after 70 minutes top cameo in our 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, however he reversed his role this time out as he managed 72 minutes at the heart of midfield.

    Benji
    Playing next to an equally inexperienced Nabil Bentaleb, Stambouli completed 92% of his passes – the best out of any of his outfield teammates, while only his midfield partner made a higher percentage of his tackles.

    The Frenchman signed on Deadline Day of the summer transfer window for a reported fee of £4.7million from Montpellier, and did his defensive duties excellently before being replaced by Etienne Capoue, and our failure to score can be mainly credited to our lack of chances created.

    And our fanbase seems suitably impressed by our new toy –

    @WindyCOYS “Stambouli looks like a hybrid of Parker and Holtby. In a good way.”

    @spenno_000 “Thought stambouli was excellent he will cement a place next to capoue in midfield in the PL in no time..#THFC”

    @FWBenn “Stambouli should be captain, has authority and presence...”


    @maximmbroking “Having said that Stambouli looked decent, and Fazio did well in difficult situation. Onwards and upwards.”

    @SpursFanVA “10 changes, clean sheet and very positive Fazio partnership with Vertonghen and Stambouli looking good. But most not happy”

    @g2mcc 1 I thought Stambouli was excellent, probably the bright spot of what was an average enough night.

    @BenPearceSpurs “#thfc Looks like Stambouli will fit in well and be a good option in the centre, while Fazio was solid apart from one error from a throw-in.”

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    Fazio

    While the finger is pointed at that the misfirings of Harry Kane, Andros Townsend and Paulinho going forward, at the back the situation looks all the more brighter.

    On a difficult pitch, and with a fairly intense atmosphere baring down on them, the back 5 did well to keep a clean sheet against a fired up Partizan.

    Although Kyle Naughton was quiet and Ben Davies pretty much had a mare, with just over 60% of his passes completed, the central partnership of Jan Vertonghen and new boy Federico Fazio flourished.

    Vertonghen looked elegant and back to his former self, while our summer acquisition from Sevilla Fazio commanded anything over shoulder-height. Being 6ft 5”, it would be expected of the Argentine to do so, but he never once looked fazed by the Partizan attack.

    Familiarly, the centre-half could have a few problems on the turn. Pace may not be his forte but that’s an issue we’ve been used to in recent years…

    Tonight’s performance from Fazio makes the decision to name Younes Kaboul as our new captain all the more strange. Fazio could easily be in our Premier League XI in a very short space of time, that is of course if Pochettino is not afraid to pull the French skipper from the side.

    @JaiP72 “positives Fazio, Lamela, Lloris, draw away from home in hostile atmosphere. Negatives - the rest of them, YAWN Tip Tap”

    @kahnalfhodgson “Was not a bad peformance. Fazio played well alongside super jan. But paulinho was poor harry kane looked ok aswell #coys”


    @tottenhamtalk1 “Been impressed with Stambouli and Fazio has done well, not sure on Davies again.”

    @king26ledley i thought fazio made a couple of poor mistakes but with vertonghen back there we should be ok.

    @TimJamesGibney “Fazio & Jan look like a very capable partnership #THFC”

    @TimmyT21 Fazio had a great first game. Stambouli looks like some extremely shrewd business very slick player


    Both of our new signings could slot straight into our team for this weekend’s game against West Bromwich Albion, and it is now clear why Pochettino wanted the players in the first place.

    Hopefully they can both repay the faith he showed in them.

    COYS!
     
  2. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    Stambouli in particular impressed me but I wouldn't have him in and Capoue side by side. It would be one or the other as we need the midfield to get forward much more
     
  3. Aside from feeling more comfortable watching Fazio and Stambouli, I wondered, regarding Townsend, if his activity was a Poch strategy or a need to belong to Ballhogs Anonymous. He is not good enough to be a one-man wrecking crew Lennon might not ever be much of a goalscorer, but at least he has moves, passes, and isn't afraid to get back and defend.

    PS. Our attacking needs to be much more incisive, even against a stacked defense. That's why we were supposed to see more wide play tonight to stretch the defense.
     
  4. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    I agree mate. As with the Sunderland game, I think we allow teams to get back and defend far too easily, so it is important that we maintain a certain pace and fluidity to our attacks.
     
  5. Roziman Guest

    Our strikers was totally out...the attacking midfielders also had a poor performances..need to do something about...not good enough to compete with other top teams in epl...
     
  6. RV5 Guest

    Stambouli had a good night, fazio did ok but you could see he is a strong header of the ball.

    We need to play dembele when eriksen and lamela aren't on the pitch. Lennon and Townsend are wide and won't drop deep to advance the ball. stambouli + capoue / dembele + bentaleb.
     
  7. big fran Guest

    Think both were just OK really tbh stambouli perhaps just shaded it and as a whole we learnt little from them as bigger challenges lie ahead in particular for fazio against quicker and more mobile EPL forwards.. On the other hand think we did learn a lot regarding others. Lennon still has a lot to offer but will never make anything other than a right sided player. Bentaleb and Kane no where near good enough for this level yet and I doubt
    Kane ever will be ananything other than impact sub for spurs. Defensive wise we seem to be getting stronger as a team unit pretty much due to the fact they get a lot of protection off the two DMs and the hard working lennon a full backs dream. Unfortunately attacking wise we look really really really average at best. We simply do not create enough chances for our front men. Its clear another window will be needed to bring in players to improve the supporting 3 to the CF. Rodriguez could be imminent and I'd also fancy konopkplaya and miralles from Everton. Think top 6 is achievable with the squad we have and from what's been on offer this early season which represents a good season...
     
  8. mark55 Guest

    Pualihno needs to go we need a good box to box midfielder or a decent number 10 as alternative to erikson
     
  9. notnats

    notnats Well-Known Member

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    As expected Paulinho has been given a more advanced CAM role for cup games not because he is particularly good or effective but because he's to fecking lazy to be considered as a true box2box player. needs to start showing some ticker.
     
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  10. I am amazed that people are sill picking lennon this man is useless why does he never score a goal why does he never take a corner or free kick.I will tell you why he does not know how to kick a ball correctly all he does is run sideways across the pitch and then sidefoot the ball back to a defender he would not get into any other premiership side.
     
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  11. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    He seems to think he has a God given right to play in our team and his lack of effort is appalling.
     
  12. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    He is a box to box player....he stands in a box and simply stays in it!!1
     
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  13. Ramos43

    Ramos43 Active Member

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    Anyone that regularly reads my posts knows that I have NEVER been the biggest fan of Paulinho, more or less since he arrived at Spurs.

    But I have to say, in the last two games he has played this season under Pochettino, the Brazilian has been impressive. He was EXCELLENT for the majority of the game against Limassol (at home) and was very good in the first half of the match against Partizan, yesterday.

    Yes, his influence dwindled in the 2nd half of the game, last night, but I suspect that was due to the (gradual) deterioration of a pitch that was terrible to begin with, and the fact that the team struggled to maintain possession in the 2nd period of the game.

    There IS a player in their. And there are signs of improvements.

    His big test will be to translate his early season, encouraging form in the EL, to the robust and rigorous environment that is typically associated with the EPL.

    The MAIN issue Paulinho has, at the moment, is changing what's going on between his ears. To me, the Brazilian has shown all the signs of a man that is yet to commit himself to adapting/changing his style/level of intensity to suit the PL.

    After a few successful seasons in Brazilian football where he became a 'big deal' for, both. club and country, Paulinho has approached his career in England with the demeanour of a man who thought he DIDN'T need to change his game to be a success on these shores.

    Well after a decent 1st season, statistically, at Spurs, if he doesn't realise that he must commit to change this campaign, after being dropped by both his managers post the AVB era, he never will.

    We should remember that despite turning in some inept displays last term, that the Brazilian could have EASILY bagged himself double-figures in terms of goals had he been wearing his shooting boots more often.

    He has a wonderful knack of being in the right place at the right time as far as attracting the ball in the opponents box , and his movement in the opposing teams penalty area is excellent.

    Like I said, there IS a top player in their, somewhere. The question is, will we see that top player on a regular basis this season?
     
    Last edited: September 19, 2014
  14. Burnt Guest

    Think both did ok to be fair .. Will have a lot tougher tests than that and than we,ll be able to judge them properly .. Main problem with fazio , is going to be his lack of pace playing that high line ..( another endless problem with us ) ..Both individualy & as a unit defensivly we seriously lack pace , and playing that high line will be suicidal .. On another note if last nights pairing become our number ones wich is highly possible where does that leave our new captain .. Lots of questions to be answered over the coming months ..
     
  15. Ramos43

    Ramos43 Active Member

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    Fazio is deceptively quick over distances although in terms of initial acceleration he could be caught out. But make no mistake, once the Argentina opens up those long legs of his (to run of course, ;)) he is certainly NO slouch.

    What you saw from him yesterday is typical Fazio. He ALWAYS wants to be pro-active in his defensive work, and try to nip in front of the forwards to recover the ball. Strong, composed on the ball and dominant in the air, Fazio will prove to be an astute piece at £8m once he has a few games to adapt to the EPL.

    What I liked about Stambouli is that straight away, he has picked up what Pochettino wants from his players. Perhaps being a midfielder with good stamina, a combative style and a healthy team ethic helps in that respect,but I was VERY impressed by the way he initiated the press (along with Paulinho in the 1st half) throughout the entirety of the game, although at times he didn't have adequate support in that regard from the rest of his team mates in the 2nd half.

    That was ultimately Schnierderlins role at Southampton, to instigate the press as well as attacks from that middle 3rd and that's EXACTLY the type of role Benjamin will replicate at Spurs. Another CLEVER piece of business by the club, in signing a player in the mould of a Pochettino favourite, at around £5m (due to amount of time left on his contract)

    Don't be surprised to see Stambouli integrated into the starting eleven sooner rather than latter.
     
    Last edited: September 19, 2014
  16. Dicie Guest

    I am not reading the thread.

    All i can say this. (I liked the piece Not Nots wrote on Dembele in the 39 piece and i though it was a great article. Over there Not notts is the Mirror/sun GO GET YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE. (not to mention that Beratoff row we had last your u ..... yes i like reading your posts and ramos43 and the baldy chap. Yes i'm sure he won't mind. You ALL show great love for the club.

    I many not write this w/k but your three.

    Thats a propoer 3 points.
     
  17. Dicie Guest

    ps folk this is the STEAK of the comment on dembele from Not notts which i think is totally right and well written.

    On his day Moussa looks world class and carries the ball out on a string, he's very good at running the ball out of a congested area and going past a player or two with a powerful run, my only concern is that he is not at all a highly effective distributor of the ball, although he can instinctively use his physicality to run past his man which makes him look immense on the pitch it is often without any real purpose other than to beat that man and then ends up with him being easily closed into a deadend area in which he is forced to play a not very effective 6 yard sideways pass. Look don't get me wrong, I think Dembele could be the player that we want him to be, I just think he needs to work on his distribution and his awareness otherwise while we are all admiring his ability to glide past an opponent the opposite team can just as easily get everyone behind the ball and make it difficult to break them down.
     
  18. notnats

    notnats Well-Known Member

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    Thanks mate, all I can say is, that it is a lot of fun posting on this site. cheers
     
  19. notnats

    notnats Well-Known Member

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    For some reason I cant help myself when I see Pauli described as a box2box player, I still see a box2box in a traditional way of someone with a fantastic engine, strong in defence as well as up top, someone who can cover every blade of grass in a game. I want to see a player with so much courage, determination and passion for this mighty club that he is willing to achieve glory or die trying. Is this too much to ask?
     
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  20. notnats

    notnats Well-Known Member

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    The baldy guy, do you mean the one who looks a bit like Daniel Levy ?
     
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