Tottenham Hotspur - AVB Must Choose Between Paulinho And Dembele

The heart of the Tottenham Hotspur midfield has a war within. Two players of equal standing battle it out for a place in the starting 11. Who will emerge victorious – Moussa Dembele or Paulinho?

It is a known fact that a die-hard fan gives a piece of his mind to the manager of his team before every match on his team selection and formations. The current craze among Tottenham Hotspur supporters is the dilemma of choosing between two very similarly positioned yet uniquely styled players. The departure of a deep lying play-maker Luka Modric left the team with a lack of creativity and depth in the midfield. One manager and many purchases later we are caught between two very competitive players who both carry a considerably large price tag.

The Dembele Effect At Tottenham

Dembele - Unique combination of pace and strength (by Erik Daniel) — Dembele – Unique combination of pace and strength (by Erik Daniel)

Moussa Dembele arrived at White Hart Lane for a sum of A? 15 Million from Fulham after receiving much appreciation for his performance against Manchester United and went on to score the equaliser on his debut against Norwich. Joining Tottenham Hotspur as an attacking player, Dembele soon adapted to a deep lying playmaker role where his physique and physical presence seemed well used.

Commentators, players and fans often marvelled at his ability to glide past his opponents like a knife through butter with a dancerai??i??s grace. Making 13 appearances in the current year and averaging 2.3 dribbles per game, Moussa Dembele has offered an additional attacking threat to the team as he skips past defenders and makes crucial passes. He has been able to manage an 89% pass completion percentage in the 2012/13 season which is slightly more than his predecessor whom he was brought to replace (Modric at 84%). Dembele now has gathered 1 assist and has a pass success rate of 91%; averaging 0.5 shots per game he has been unable to score a single goal in the league.

However it has been stated that goals and assists are not the criteria to measure the success of a player of his position. Averaging 1.2 key passes per game, Moussa Dembeleai??i??s contribution is only overshadowed by the lack of goals scored by the more advanced midfielders as well as strikers. A player in Dembeleai??i??s position serves a dual role. Not only is he required to contribute on the creative side but also provide additional manpower when faced by a counter attack or cover for a defender out of position. Amassing 31 bone-crunching tackles and 1 intersection in every game played. Dembele sends attacking midfielders and strikers of the opposition squealing like terrified dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.

Samba in North London

Paulinho_(c)_wikimedia(dot)org — Paulinho: Raw energy and brute force

It seemed as though Dembeleai??i??s position would go unchallenged but when the club decided to splurge all their Bale begotten money, Paulinho joined Tottenham Hotspur for a little over A? 17 Million. His performance for his Brazilian club Corinthians and his national side during the Confederations Cup was commendable.

Playing in the same positions as Moussa Dembele, Paulinho was initially dubbed by many Tottenham supporters as a redundant purchase as he too occupied a similar deep lying box to box midfield role. However, his approach to the game was more direct and rash. He was often found lurking in the box along with the striker or back near the penalty area mopping up loose balls in the defence. Paulinho being the quicker of the two has been preferred over the Belgian in the last few games due to his more direct and no nonsense approach. He has been able to tear past defenders and get into positions that might give the opposition fans a heart attack.

However such ability has only remained a threat and not caused any real damage. Pulling of almost 3 shots a game, Paulinhoai??i??s conversion rate is miserable having scored only two. He has however been able to provide 2 assists and also 1 key pass in every match played. Paulinho’s trait to pick up the ball and drive through on his own has owed to a lower pass completion rate due to which some may tout him as a more solo player as compared to his counterpart.

At 5ai??i?? 11ai???, Paulinho is considered quiet average in size as per English standards but offers a new dimension to the team defensively. With more box-to-box ability as compared to Scott Parker who occupied his position for a large number of games in the previous season, he often drops back between the two advancing center halves so that one may surge ahead without worrying about leaving his position uncovered. Like Moussa Dembele, Paulinho too has managed to put in 33 successful tackles and more than 1 intersection in every game. Hence he seems the perfect fit for AVBai??i??s high defensive line formation at Tottenham Hotspur.

We can see that there isnai??i??t quite a difference between the two players who offer the same set of skills from the same position who both perfectly fit into the system. AVB looks as confused as an infant in a topless bar with injuries looking like the only deciding factor as to who would start for Tottenham.

Playing both of them side by side would confuse each otherai??i??s role, playing one of them in a more advanced position leaves out players of great quality such as Christian Eriksen and Lewis Holtby. Playing neither would render the squad less fluid and more defensive as the other options for the positions they occupy are Sandro and Capoue whoai??i??d rather babysit opposing playmakers just ahead of the back four. Moussa Dembele is more accustomed to an English physical game as he shields and holds the ball well. Paulinho on the other hand has received praise from football pundits as he has adapted well to the game and truly lived up to the role of a box-to-box midfielder.Ai?? There is much concern for his awkward style of tackling that might be considered a bit dangerous by officials which is why he has been shown the yellow on 3 occasions more than Dembele.

If stuck in a situation where only one were to be picked, Paulinho would be the way forward for Tottenham Hotspur. His ability to be omnipresent gives an additional passing option to the team both defensively and offensively, his chemistry with Sandro and Holtby who often drops deep to build up an attack works to his strengths and urge to score. Paulinho and Moussa Dembele both pose a threat to any team and are difficult to tell apart. Tottenham supporters can only hope AVB does justice to the talent available and delivers results.