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Is Dendoncker our most important player?

WickedWolfie

WickedWolfie

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Matt said:
Leander Dendoncker is a solid defensive midfielder. He is absolutely not, in any way, shape or form an attacking midfielder/winger. It’s absolutely ludicrous.
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I would add that he can make a reasonable fist at centre back too in emergencies but otherwise agree.
 
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reanswolf

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WickedWolfie said:
To be fair, and l agree that he was poor, he was set up to fail by Lage playing him there.
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He's a Belgian International midfielder. He wasn't playing in an unfamiliar position like centre forward or left back. played well in that position in the 1st season.
And I get no pleasure highlighting it, but if you genuinely cannot see how limited he is 80% of the time, then what are you actually watching?

Sorry, I want to like the Donk, but he is substandard, Brighton totally bossed CM today and that is what again made the difference. To be fair, Mouts wasn't much better today. They were just way better than us in all departments, but you still lose the game in midfield primarily.
 
WickedWolfie

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reanswolf said:
He's a Belgian International midfielder. He wasn't playing in an unfamiliar position like centre forward or left back.
And I get no pleasure highlighting it, but if you genuinely cannot see how limited he is 80% of the time, then what are you actually watching?

Sorry, I want to like the Donk, but he is substandard, Brighton totally bossed CM today and that is what again made the difference. To be fair, Mouts wasn't much better today. They were just way better than us in all departments, but you still lose the game in midfield primarily.
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Was Donk playing CM? Didn't look like it to me or most people l spoke to!
 
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reanswolf

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WickedWolfie said:
Was Donk playing CM? Didn't look like it to me or most people l spoke to!
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He was trying to get forward at times, his attitude and effort can’t be questioned, he was just very poor. He certainly wasn’t playing on the wing so people need to stop making excuses for his crapness.
 
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Bognor_Wolf

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Was really happy when we brought him in and when he eventually got into the side really thought we had a good player on our hands got up and down the pitch had a goal in him (remember him nearly scoring a screamer which led to a Jota goal!) but for what ever reason he hasn't kicked on and if anything has gone backwards... The frustrating thing there is a decent player there but we clearly aren't using him right but also his inability to take a single risk makes him slow us down as he looks to get rid of the ball mainly backwards or sideways...

Think for all a move in the summer might not be a bad thing, feel he needs a different challenge a move to say Serie A might be good for him where it is a bit slower and has more time in midfield...
 
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Deleted member 8455jwf

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Matt said:
Leander Dendoncker is a solid defensive midfielder. He is absolutely not, in any way, shape or form an attacking midfielder/winger. It’s absolutely ludicrous.
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Dendoncker has never been defensive midfielder, more box to box.
 
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If Dendonker doesn’t suffer from imposter syndrome every time he steps onto the pitch - then he really should do. The ultimate proof that anyone can become a Premier League footballer if lucky enough.
 
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I've never liked him as a player, though I concede he had some decent displays in the 19/20 season. I don't think I'll ever quite get over the way he dangled his leg out at Wembley and cost us the cup final, so I admit that colours my judgment of him ever since.

Today was a classic shirker display from him, passing the ball to the opposition far too often because he just guessed a team mate might be in the direction of the pass and even when he intercepts the ball, he simply slaps it blindly backward in the general direction of a teammate who is often immediately under terrible pressure.
 
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Bugsy911

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So that's 3 to 4 midfield platers we need
 
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reanswolf

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Sedgley Gold N Black said:
He’s a passenger.

The opposition just stroll past his half hearted tackle or attempt to press.
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Sadly he's got the turning circle of a tank.

I said to my lad yesterday, "watch Donk here, the opposition will just go round him" (in a tight 1 on 1 situation). Most of us have ben able to see this for some time (I am baffled why others can't). This remember, defending, is where his strength is meant to lie.

And yes, the skilful Brighton player just went round him with ease, he just couldn't keep up or make a tackle in a tight space, his legs and feet were just too slow.
 
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reanswolf

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Leander Dendoncker - 3​

"An incredibly passive performance from a player who looked out of his depth, regularly gave the ball away and made little to no impact."


Liam Keen's rating (Express and Star) - and he tends to like him.
 
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As stated above, you have to go back 2 or 3 years to find any decent form. He has too many weaknesses in his game for me. First touch isn’t great, no speed, gets beat to easily, hardly ever scores and I have lost count of the really good headed chances he’s failed to convert.

For my money, there are far better players we could bring in, that would be an upgrade and not cost very much. On him leaving at the end of the season, I remember being told I was being made redundant but the Company wanted so many to stay until a certain order was complete. Needless to say, none of us that stayed had the slightest bit of motivation or did a hard days work thereafter.
 
Minimalist

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It is ridiculous the role Lage asks Donk to play.
It is akin to when Nuno played killman left back last season.
 
bod101

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Minimalist said:
It is ridiculous the role Lage asks Donk to play.
It is akin to when Nuno played killman left back last season.
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Nuno also played him in that role numerous times, god knows why.

Anyway 2nd half the role went back to normal and I would say he was worse, was like a lost child trailing a couple of metres behind Moutinho
 
Minimalist

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bod101 said:
Nuno also played him in that role numerous times, god knows why.

Anyway 2nd half the role went back to normal and I would say he was worse, was like a lost child trailing a couple of metres behind Moutinho
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Did seem slightly different how Nuno instructed him, it was when we were more defensive and Donk mostly stayed deeper and then tried to get into the box late as we attacked. Bruno basically has him as a sort of wide 10!
Anyway neither manager has ever made me like the 352 system much. Would much prefer 3412 so the extra midfielder was more central. Yesterday that could have been Cundle.
 
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S G Wolves

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Does seem to be moving stuff from his home, could be nothing though...
 
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Dendoncker holds a vital position that needs filing with a different type of player if we are to score and create goals .
That doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful squad player but not a first choice midfielder if we are to progress .
 
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wwbug said:
Dendoncker holds a vital position that needs filing with a different type of player if we are to score and create goals .
That doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful squad player but not a first choice midfielder if we are to progress .
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Not his biggest fan but still think he brings something to the squad would just like someone in midfield who offers something a bit different as we don't have that many options in midfield which means we use him for roles he isn't best suited for!

Thing is though I just can't see him being happy with being a squad player here think he would much rather go elsewhere and be a more important player then sit on our bench next season.
 
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TheConcourse

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He redeemed himself yesterday, to a degree, in the last 15 minutes. The 75 before that rivalled one of the worst performances I’ve seen live in a Wolves shirt.

Ironically the only time he does decide to put a foot in and engage in a tackle we break away and score.
 
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Manic88

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He definitely offers something different.

No idea what that is though.
If we want a big lump to break up play, he’s not that because he doesn’t like to tackle.
He doesn’t like to head.
Isn’t the best passer.
Can’t shoot.

Other than being the physical obstruction that Neves & Mouts aren’t I’m not sure what this “something different” actually is
 
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Bognor_Wolf said:
Not his biggest fan but still think he brings something to the squad would just like someone in midfield who offers something a bit different as we don't have that many options in midfield which means we use him for roles he isn't best suited for!

Thing is though I just can't see him being happy with being a squad player here think he would much rather go elsewhere and be a more important player then sit on our bench next season.
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Well if he doesn’t want to stay as an squad filler , that’s fine he could bring in good money for squad strengthening .
 
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So much better when the game is in front of him and playing in the position he plays for Belgium. Needs to play there more to get the best out of him….not an attacking box to box and never will be. Protects the back 5 pretty well so play him in that role! Let him do the simple things and leave everything else to the attacking talent we have in the squad.
 
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reanswolf

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Redhillwolf said:
So much better when the game is in front of him and playing in the position he plays for Belgium. Needs to play there more to get the best out of him….not an attacking box to box and never will be. Protects the back 5 pretty well so play him in that role! Let him do the simple things and leave everything else to the attacking talent we have in the squad.
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But that's what the position needs to do and its what he did quite well first season here. Neves and Mouts are never likely to burst forward, they are the technical brains who can pass a ball and control the middle. Not sure Donk can do that either unfortunately so it makes his role under-utilised, whatever it is. And for us that lack of mobility damages us immensely. When we play a midfield 3 we just cannot afford to have 3 sitting midfielders, we need variety, and tho you may feel its harsh on Donk, because he can't really pass or create either, what really does he really bring us routinely apart from just being present. He needs to be at 100% to be effective and that does not happen 80% of the time unfortunately.
 
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Redhillwolf said:
So much better when the game is in front of him and playing in the position he plays for Belgium. Needs to play there more to get the best out of him….not an attacking box to box and never will be. Protects the back 5 pretty well so play him in that role! Let him do the simple things and leave everything else to the attacking talent we have in the squad.
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We dont have attacking talent. So we need support from midfield , not just a defender playing in midfield. .
 
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