11 | Jeremy Doku - 2024/25

[Norman kneejerk]

He wasn’t. Look at that passage of play when he gets wrongly booked. No fucker is anywhere near the box other than Haaland. We have much bigger issues than him. At least 8 bigger issues.

He is getting the blame for today yet the defending was once again completely shambolic, the midfield was slow as fuck and 2 of other 3 forwards did nothing all game.

Savinho on the other hand was awful.

Agree we don't help him. Gundo did a bit early on but that seemed to stop

 

[Dax777]

Doku needs to up his endproduct - how about crossing off the ground for example... where haaland can get his head on it - apart from the final cross/pass I felt he played OK today - it was just that there was never any positive result from when he attempted a cross..

By any positive results. You mean the strikers failed to score? Coz i can count 3 clear easy goal scoring opportunities he created that got fluffed.

 

[Dax777]

The thing is, if we're quantifying something as scoring or assisting, then he's really doing nothing at the moment. He gets people off their seats, but then so does Adama Traore; he can't just be an "entertainer" if he wants to make it here. And of course, we could say the same about Savs and several of our other lads.

You may be right, but I just don't see it with him. Would happily be proven wrong.

Currently, who do you see it with on the team?

 

[Dax777]

Watched that Juve game at the Allianz a while ago. Two moments when Doku broke free on the left side:

Messi, Ronaldinho and Zidane wouldn't be able to pick out a teammate here. Its on Jeremy that he doesn't see that and doesn't take a shot from here, but its insane how much of a difference this (getting a player to make a timely run to the near post) would make and Pep still hasn't corrected it.

Next:

Doku gets the one two from KDB, and this is the step before the pass (when you obviously have your eyes on the ball). Doku notices in the previous half a second that Haaland is hanging on the back post as usual and sends a good ball there, but Haaland this time decides to start making a run to the near post a split second before Doku releases the cross.

Thats not to say Doku doesn't make bad decisions often. But the majority of the issues they have with Haaland, is honestly on Haaland.

Ha! Haaland on a back post run.

 

[ArtetaTechnicalArea]

He has had nearly 2 full seasons with us now and I can’t see a single area he’s improved in.

I didn’t think he was good enough last season and my opinion has only been reinforced by what I’ve seen this season.

I wonder if we could sell him to Arsenal…

Why would we want him?

Its not just his lack of output, he is a soft in the challenge and doesn't offer much from a defensive point of view.

 

[David White]

Why would we want him?

Was tongue in cheek after the very successful purchases (for us) you made for Jesus and Zinchenko.

 

[ArtetaTechnicalArea]

Was tongue in cheek after the very successful purchases (for us) you made for Jesus and Zinchenko.

That was when we finished 5th and Jesus and Zinchenko were good additions to get into the top 4.

 

[Shuffs]

Honestly don’t know how anyone can watch this, and think Doku is the problem.

Agreed


The lad is exciting and gets you off your feet......yes, final ball could absolutely be improved

But, it doesn't help when It is 2 v 6 in the box, and one of those players stands still at the back post. Acting like a world class back post.

 

[Gingers Dad]

Ny any positive results. You mean the strikrrs failed to score? Coz i can count 3 clear easy goal scoring opportunities he created that got fluffed.

Same at Spurs a couple of weeks ago. The problem with assists is your relying on others to do their job.

 

[Tevez City]

Honestly don’t know how anyone can watch this, and think Doku is the problem.

He was really good but can improve his decision making & passing

He could have pass the ball to Haaland & put him on 1 v 1 with the keeper

In another situation KDB was close to him, so instead of passing the ball to him he kept dribbling unnecessarily


Right now he is my favorite one of the front 3 & I would start him every game, but someone needs to tell him there is no shame in passing the ball around.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

How is that revisionism? Those are literally the numbers Raheem put up for us; he was brilliant.

Doku and Savinho couldn't dream of hitting those numbers.

We had a different team and style of play back then. We are now so static up front it's ridiculous.

 

[youngbob]

Honestly don’t know how anyone can watch this, and think Doku is the problem.

Of course every clip in this video conveniently cuts off at the point where his cross finds nobody.

 

[BlueMonkey79]

Of course every clip in this video conveniently cuts off at the point where his cross finds nobody.

Exactly.

Anyone can look decent skinning a few players.

His final ball is woeful. I don't hink he even looks. He just hits the ball along the turf into the first defender or floats one in to no one.

He'd be decent for a team like spurs.

My Geordie mate says he reminds him so much of Saint Maximan. Great Skills but lacking when it matters.

 

[Tier2Blue]

Doku is the same player now he was when he joined us. He hasn’t tangibly improved and doesn’t really look like he will do. Like when we had gabby - did a lot of the good things but needed to improve his finishing to become elite. He never did and by the end you knew he would fluff his lines with chances. Same with Doku - you know the cross or shot won’t lead to anything. We signed Doku and Bayern signed Olise. Liverpool signed Diaz. PSG got the Georgian lad. Doku sums up just how we got complacent/arrogant after the treble.

 

[Damien10]

Doku is the same player now he was when he joined us. He hasn’t tangibly improved and doesn’t really look like he will do. Like when we had gabby - did a lot of the good things but needed to improve his finishing to become elite. He never did and by the end you knew he would fluff his lines with chances. Same with Doku - you know the cross or shot won’t lead to anything. We signed Doku and Bayern signed Olise. Liverpool signed Diaz. PSG got the Georgian lad. Doku sums up just how we got complacent/arrogant after the treble.

Diaz has 6 more goals and equal assists to Doku but has played more minutes. One is 28 years old and the other is 22.

And let’s go further. Diaz first two seasons in the prem he managed:

2021-2022
4 goals 3 assists

2022 -2023
4 goals 3 assists


Hardly a missed opportunity.

 

[jma]

Rapidly coming to the conclusion that it isn’t Doku who has some sort of anomalous flaw in his final product, it’s the structure of this team that completely wastes his ability (and that of some others).

Every time a Brighton wide player beats a man or breaks, they flood the forward position with options. This is based on their superior athleticism but also on structure and coaching.

Don’t forget, when the cross came in near the end of the game, it was Baleba, the holding midfielder, who had killed himself at that stage of the game to run past all of city’s midfield and get on the end of it (let’s ignore the finish).

And on numerous other occasions, someone in their wide positions does well and lifts his head up to see several options.

Doku beats players far more often than anyone else and constantly looks up to see two more players closing him down, rather than worrying about marking other players arriving.

I think he would have looked like a world beater if he was playing for the opposition yesterday, as he would have had multiple options every time he beat the full back, either when in a crossing position or when breaking from deep.

And it’s not just Brighton who are doing this. It’s loads of teams, and that’s why we look so vulnerable to them.

 

[red 2 hats]

Doku was the least of our worries yesterday, wish some of the others played as shit as him yesterday, coz we'd of walked away with 3 points and not the 1 we were fortunate with.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

Doku is getting past his markers and gets the ball into the near post - its not his fault that at the moment no fucker is making a near post run

What some seem to overlook is that the oppo defence double team him (and sometimes he will beat 2 markers and get the ball in there) but then the defence also puts bodies onto the near post and surrounding area to cut out the ball

Doku is doing his job - that's why he Pep picks him. Yes sometimes he may choose the wrong ball or hold on to it too long, but he is still young. At least he is trying and actually going at the defence and keeps going.

Maybe, its time the other players started making those runs - but imo its more likely we wont see this till next season when the rebuild is more in place and Pep has adjusted how we attack

 

[SomeMightSay]

Frustrates me when he skins a defender only to stop, and has to then beat him again. Needs to play the ball earlier once he’s away.

 

[Tier2Blue]

Diaz has 6 more goals and equal assists to Doku but has played more minutes. One is 28 years old and the other is 22.

And let’s go further. Diaz first two seasons in the prem he managed:

2021-2022
4 goals 3 assists

2022 -2023
4 goals 3 assists


Hardly a missed opportunity.

Aren’t those seasons when he either joined in Jan or got a season ending injury? He hasn’t helped himself 9 and 4 assists in the league this season I think. I take your point he he hasn’t been amazing but he has delivered more and impacted the side more than JD. I hope I am wrong but he hasn’t really shown improvement in 2 seasons, will this change?