11 | Jeremy Doku - 2023/24

[Cassandra]

For longer standing fans, I think he had a Sambrook day today - let’s hope he doesn’t have as many as he had!

 

[southamptonblue]

Not sure why everyone's debating Doku/Grealish.....Grealish has his own thread........bottom line today is, Doku was as poor as he was good against B/mouth.

 

[city warrior]

The game had already gone to shit. Grealish isn't a miracle worker. If he'd started we wouldn't have gotten into that pickle in the first place.

When Grealish got in, we were winning 3-2, which is when you need the most control. I still don't get it. The rivals also play, and Chelsea played well. This narrative of: we control games with Grealish, and we don't with Doku is crazy. Sure, Grealish is more helpful to that, but whoever thinks the game would've been that different if he started is fooling themselves.

 

[greek citizen]

With the absence of kdb and gundogan leaving we need players to make something happen, otherwise we just pass it around without any intend. He will have bad games, all players do especially with opponents like james. See vini and mbappe vs walker last year. The difference is he is more of a vini, mbappe or even haaland where when they have a bad game creating something they don't have anything else to offer like control or defensive hunger. Jack is a very good player, does not create anything at the levels doku does but does the things doku doesn't. I think pep will most likely play them together in the near future either with both of them in the wings or jack as an 8 where i believe he will be even better, especially with Bernardo most likely leaving in the summer and kdb aging.

 

[Bluewars]

Grealish is never gonna be an impact player. He is the control that we were missing for 60 mins which helped to turn the game into chaos for no reward from Doku

This notion that Grealish offers more control than Doku is lame. Jeremy is equally adept at retaining, the difference is when there's a chance to take on a player Doku does it, Jack will slow the game down to the extent where the opposition defenders are able to get back in shape and organised.

The only thing Grealish has over Doku is that hes better defensively, tracking back for his fullback and more robust in defensive duels.

 

[applejuice]

Jack is a very good player, does not create anything at the levels doku does but does the things doku doesn't.

Really? Weird thing to say after watching the derby and midweek game isn't it? 7 chances but Rico and co could not finish it. Grealish also created the winner last season when we played Chelsea away BTW. He created most chances in CL last season.

 

[applejuice]

I agree but my point is he really didn't bring that control we thought.

Grealish played on the left. He got everything under control from his side. He could not control the game on the right hand side when Walker decided to kicking everything everywhere unless Pep played him in the middle. That right hand control was Bernado's job last season.

 

[applejuice]

Jack will slow the game down to the extent where the opposition defenders are able to get back in shape and organised.

At the same time our defense gain enough time to move up the pitch and occupy the desired spots. Thus even if the ball is lost in the next steps, the opposition can hardly break though easily.

Our big defenders are not the quickest. It is crucial to allow them push up comfortably. Otherwise you will see today's version of Dias and etc.

 

[Craig]

Really? Weird thing to say after watching the derby and midweek game isn't it? 7 chances but Rico and co could not finish it. Grealish also created the winner last season when we played Chelsea away BTW. He created most chances in CL last season.

Gonna drag on a lot this season whenever one of them starts and doesn’t rip it up people will say the other should’ve started. Yesterday i’d have liked to see Grealish come on for Alvarez with Foden moved inside to give us a bit more balance and control. Seemed like a great opportunity to get Doku running at curly one on one whilst he was on a booking.

James played Doku well but we didn’t get him on it that much. People always say the hardest thing in football is scoring goals but really it’s consistently dribbling past people. Every winger struggles to do it every week apart from the greatest player ever in his prime at Barca.

 

[applejuice]

Gonna drag on a lot this season whenever one of them starts and doesn’t rip it up people will say the other should’ve started. Yesterday i’d have liked to see Grealish come on for Alvarez with Foden moved inside to give us a bit more balance and control. Seemed like a great opportunity to get Doku running at curly one on one whilst he was on a booking.

James played Doku well but we didn’t get him on it that much. People always say the hardest thing in football is scoring goals but really it’s consistently dribbling past people. Every winger struggles to do it every week apart from the greatest player ever in his prime at Barca.

You cannot play Foden and Doku on the same side of the pitch especially when Walker is not in his best form. It will be too easy for the opposite to cut through. But I agree with subbing Alvarez with an 8 (Kova or Rico IMO).