11 | Jeremy Doku - 2024/25

[NQCitizen]

I'm not a huge Doku fan but blimey if you take away his performance yesterday, there was absolutely no one who actually posed a threat to Palace. He also put a shift in tracking back, which in previous games he's been lacking.

If any of the wingers deserved some stick yesterday it was Savinho, who was simply awful. Lightweight & constantly made the wrong decisions on the ball.

Doku can beat pretty much any defender one on one hands down. Problem is when he does, there's no one near post so he has to check back & play the inevitable ball back or across to Gvardiol.

Lost count this past year 99% of the time Haaland just seems to drop back far post. Make a near post run & even if you miss it you take a few players with you to expose space for others to follow up.

Agree with previous posters, what didn't help either wingers yesterday was the lack of overlapping runs by our fullbacks, which inevitably meant both Savinho & Doku had to beat either 2 or sometimes 3 defenders to create an opportunity. However, part of me thought it was probably for the best as knowing our luck the fullback would make the run, our wingers would get caught in possession & since our fullbacks were out of position it would be a free for all counter attack, since we had no genuine defensive midfielder to mop up this danger.

Definitely wasn't Savio's best game but he could have had more support from Akanji or KDB, and I felt like he got a few balls into dangerous areas that once again the strikers should have been somewhere near.

I don't know if we need fully overlapping wingback, just players close enough to them to create 1-2s and cutbacks, ironically after Savio and Marmoush went off Foden and Echeverri did a much better job combining down the right.

 

[Belgian Flash]

People talking about boxscore stats forget how much damage Doku makes with the hockey assists (that basic little entry pass to the underlapping midfielder run in the box created so many chances) and simply causing chaos and all kinds of deflections in the box that lead to shots, or how he gets the ball so deep up front that the cut back is actually to the edge of the box or even inside where you can take a shot. He has to score more though to be a starter here. But that hes a great rotation player and supersub there should be no discussion. I honestly think Madrid would have been better this season with Doku instead of Rodrygo. The context matters a lot.

 

[hammersmithlad]

Definitely wasn't Savio's best game but he could have had more support from Akanji or KDB, and I felt like he got a few balls into dangerous areas that once again the strikers should have been somewhere near.

I don't know if we need fully overlapping wingback, just players close enough to them to create 1-2s and cutbacks, ironically after Savio and Marmoush went off Foden and Echeverri did a much better job combining down the right.

If we don't utilise the overlapping wingbacks, then we need to move the ball quicker to our wingers. Otherwise, its a hard ask for our wingers to consistently try to beat two or more defenders, when the opposition has already regrouped.

Savinho has thrived when he's got the defenders on the back foot. He's not as good/effective as Doku when defenders are squared up already in position. Hence, my earlier comment about making the wrong decisions where it was obvious he wasn't going to beat them & went down the inevitable blind alley.

Agree about the lack of help from Akanji, who looked very rusty out there on Saturday & like most fans was surprised Nunes didn't get on the pitch who would have provided more of an attacking threat & given Savinho more options.

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

I'm convinced people think that because he moves his feet pretty fast that it means he's doing something

He does fuck all

I said this ages ago. Hes shit. Runs fast few step overs jinks turns, but either passes it back to full back. Loses it or puts it wide. No better than a palace,wolves,brighton winger

 

[D'Silva]

You will never see this fraud do what Mahrez did in 2021 CL semi against PSG who singlehandedly drag us to our first CL final. Absolutely horrendous for the club we ended up with this showboat that has no end product. From Sane, Sterling and Mahrez quality to buying pound shop level talents.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

You will never see this fraud do what Mahrez did in 2021 CL semi against PSG who singlehandedly drag us to our first CL final. Absolutely horrendous for the club we ended up with this showboat that has no end product. From Sane, Sterling and Mahrez quality to buying pound shop level talents.

Ridiculous post. He doesn’t have to be as good as Mahrez, who actually had a lot of off days. Hix end product is very inconsistent but he has a flair and capacity to make something happen.
I’d really like to see him and Marmoush either side of Haaland big receive the ball in central area from time to time taking on players. Once you can beat one then there’s space for Haaland. But that would also rely on full backs keeping the width.
But Doku is a maverick - let him play as one

 

[Belgian Flash]

You will never see this fraud do what Mahrez did in 2021 CL semi against PSG who singlehandedly drag us to our first CL final. Absolutely horrendous for the club we ended up with this showboat that has no end product. From Sane, Sterling and Mahrez quality to buying pound shop level talents.

The cue that reveals garbage level of football knowledge in this post is calling Doku a showboat.

 

[Sibierskii]

You will never see this fraud do what Mahrez did in 2021 CL semi against PSG who singlehandedly drag us to our first CL final. Absolutely horrendous for the club we ended up with this showboat that has no end product. From Sane, Sterling and Mahrez quality to buying pound shop level talents.

Looks like the matchday thread goers have found the player performance threads.

 

[Revolver]

Sane Mahrez and Sterling all had peak KDB, David Silva, Aguero, Walker etc bombing about creating space and havoc.

Not saying that Doku is on a par with the 3 wingers but the comparison is unfair. Who at the moment is playing with any pace in our team?

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Was listening to one of the city podcasts and a guy called Doku a ‘random number generator’

It’s the perfect description really.

 

[madloaf]

All our current wingers have absolutely no interest in occupying space in the box when they don't have the ball to help out Marmoush or Haaland. There have been too many occasions to count where the opposite winger is doing his thing, and they just stand 10 yards from the corner of the box waiting for the overhit cross. It's fucking depressing that they're not being coached. Maybe next year.

 

[Frankie lad]

Sane Mahrez and Sterling all had peak KDB, David Silva, Aguero, Walker etc bombing about creating space and havoc.

Not saying that Doku is on a par with the 3 wingers but the comparison is unfair. Who at the moment is playing with any pace in our team?

Your first sentence is also part of why KDB had faded as the movement of those greats provided openings that are no longer there.

 

[mattcity5]

All our current wingers have absolutely no interest in occupying space in the box when they don't have the ball to help out Marmoush or Haaland. There have been too many occasions to count where the opposite winger is doing his thing, and they just stand 10 yards from the corner of the box waiting for the overhit cross. It's fucking depressing that they're not being coached. Maybe next year.

They're being coached. It isn't working.

The wingers are mostly pinning the fullbacks wide, so our attacking midfielders can join Haaland, but the opposition midfielders just drop in to make a back 6 and 'forwards' drop into midfield to replace them and make a 6-4-0.

Our wingers aren't great finishers anyway.

 

[madloaf]

They're being coached. It isn't working.

The wingers are mostly pinning the fullbacks wide, so our attacking midfielders can join Haaland, but the opposition midfielders just drop in to make a back 6 and 'forwards' drop into midfield to replace them and make a 6-4-0.

Our wingers aren't great finishers anyway.

Respectfully I disagree but one things for sure they ain't gonna get better out there!

 

[toddluvzgta]

Clearly not as good as Sterling was when he was here.

Otherwise we would’ve at least gone to extra time on Saturday.

Vinny’s personal recommendation had too much riding on his signing for us.

 

[WallyA]

I think we play better with the false winger system that suits Marmoush, Foden and Bobb.

Doku and Savio need to adapt to it imo.

I think Pep may adapt the fullback to invert to keep the winger wide... but I hope he doesnt.

Id prefer Doku and Savio just go through the growing pains of learning to play in the half space, they will be in better goal scoring opportunities and develop better in the long run.

 

[super_city_si]

I think we play better with the false winger system that suits Marmoush, Foden and Bobb.

Doku and Savio need to adapt to it imo.

I think Pep may adapt the fullback to invert to keep the winger wide... but I hope he doesnt.

Id prefer Doku and Savio just go through the growing pains of learning to play in the half space, they will be in better goal scoring opportunities and develop better in the long run.

Yes said the same in another thread. I like the other 2 forwards narrow and the width coming from fullback which Nunes does very well and oreilly looks good at too.
Marmough and foden are suited to the narrow forward role.

 

[Belgian Flash]

After all this time Haaland still has zero anticipation and makes the worst runs in the box. Like seriously where are you going, how do you expect to receive the ball where youre going....

 

[Yue Wollongong]

After all this time Haaland still has zero anticipation and makes the worst runs in the box. Like seriously where are you going, how do you expect to receive the ball where youre going....

Nice gif. I think it shows more on how Doku passes are inefficient than Haaland’s positioning. It’s not wrong to me to go toward the opposite side to open up the space. If anyone should be in the passing direction it should be the attacking midfielders arriving from outside the box. But fair enough if nobody runs as his pass is very random. He only passes when he cannot dribble any more.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Nice gif. I think it shows more on how Doku passes are inefficient than Haaland’s positioning. It’s not wrong to me to go toward the opposite side to open up the space. If anyone should be in the passing direction it should be the attacking midfielders arriving from outside the box. But fair enough if nobody runs as his pass is very random. He only passes when he cannot dribble any more.

Haaland is supposed to take advantage of the defender's blindside, The defender is looking at the ball, so he makes the calculated guess to assume that the attacker is behind him, a good attacker would take advantage of the defenders instincts, make the run from behind to the front of the defender, that way you either get the ball first or draw a penalty, Aguero did it EVERY time.

How Haaland expects both defenders to let the ball through in that gif is beyond me. They are there to stop the ball from getting to you, you are there to read the game faster than them and get to the ball before they get to it.