Jump to content

Leander Dendoncker


HalfTimePost

Recommended Posts

6 hours ago, Mantis said:

I think I overreacted after the Stevenage debacle. He was very good yesterday.

Most people did. It was a bad mistake, a massive lapse of concentration, but his performances against Brentford and United have been very good, and yesterday he put in another top display.

I'm very happy with him in the squad, comes in, does a job and provides physical presence which isn't abundant in our squad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With kamara out he was always the obvious choice, swapping just one player like for like. Putting Bailey in meant swapping mcginns best position for dm and weakening the right side, putting more stress on the ever young young.

It may be OK ( and we got wins) doing just that against weaker teams but we look far more solid keeping mccginn out on the right, Ramsey on the left and donk in the middle until kamara is ready.

He won't dribble round 3 players and curl it into the top corner but he will recycle the ball and allow luiz to push a bit further forwards if needs be.

He also slowed down towards the end of the game quite noticeably so may need a bit more fitness training is needed ? 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

He's not a bad player, he breaks up play well. He's just miles off Kamara. He rarely shows for the ball, and when he does have the ball he will never make an incisive pass in between the lines.

Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool and Brighton to come...will be very tough if we don't get Kamara back.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big Donk was solid today, not a misplaced pass. We know his limitations, he will take one or two touches on the ball too much, but that's better than trying to play direct passes and make howlers. Likewise he will never play the through balls that Luiz does, but he does a good job defensively and is solid. Should upgrade on him in the summer though. Or he can stay and be fourth choice to the mid two spots.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

People shouldn't underestimate Fulham's central midfield, it's worked well all season and there's real quality in there with Paliniha, Andreas Pereiera finally showing he can be a good mid tier prem player and Harrison Reed is underrated and made some good forward runs like the offside goal.

Donk is fine. He's started what 4-5 home wins now so he can be a nice squad player for us next season if Emery still wants him. Depends on summer business of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Overall for his first season I feel very mixed on him. 

A big part of the issue is we've spent £13mil and first-team wages on a player who I would rather never started a game for us. He was brought in at a time when we had Chambers as a capable DM/CB option too, although much less physically imposing. 

My biggest gripe is that he is a player in our squad who may potentially be a road-block to someone like Iroegbunam. I can't decide personally if I'd rather have never signed Dendonker and then never loaned out Iroegbunam if that was the hypothetical. A season of games in the Championship will have been good experience but would they be better than a season in first team training and around 10 appearances for Villa, whilst also saving £13mil + wages on a player who will never be good enough to play for us and will never increase in value?

I don't want to knock him too much as he's been good and solid and dependable on the whole and it's obviously not his fault we had an awful manager and a damaging, meltdown window in the summer. He's done everything asked of him and offers something different so he's been a good option and helped us this season when called upon, so he's done everything required of him and been a part of this brilliant season - just means ignoring financial and youth promotion aspects. 

I'm very curious to see what happens with him when all the youth prospects are back, if Kamara and Luiz are fit and healthy in pre-season. Emery will have a big decision to make on a lot of people, including him if the decision isn't already made up in his mind. 

  • Haha 1
  • Confused 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Cizzler said:

He's not a bad player, he breaks up play well. He's just miles off Kamara. He rarely shows for the ball, and when he does have the ball he will never make an incisive pass in between the lines.

Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool and Brighton to come...will be very tough if we don't get Kamara back.

These games might suit him more compared to games we are expected to control the game

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ender4 said:

I don’t understand this. 

Ironbunam may or may not ever be PL quality. We shall see in a couple of years, but 100% not ready this year and most probably not next year either.

Donk at £12-13m is a cheapish reliable back-up in a league where back-ups for the top 6 teams cost £30-50m.

13 mill is chump change for majority of PL clubs going back about 5 years at least. People need to realise this is state of the PL

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â