MIGHTY MOUSA
Never mind Kane or Eriksen — the real star in Turin was...
Whenever he is asked about Mousa Dembele, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino always reaches for the same word.
‘Genius, no?’ he shrugged after Dembele’s sparkling display against Arsenal took the Argentine back to a theme he has touched upon before.
‘I always say, “Mousa, in my book, you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky to meet”.’
Also in this exalted bracket are Diego Maradona, ronaldinho, Jay- Jay Okocha and Ivan de la Pena. It is an exclusive club.
‘I would have loved to have taken him at 18,’ said Pochettino. ‘he would have been one of the best players in the world.’
Dembele is 30 but against Juventus in Turin on Tuesday, he produced another sublime exhibition of midfield control. he won the ball and passed it effortlessly, forged past opponents and set the tempo as Spurs fought back from 2-0 down to earn a draw.
‘Play stronger against the bigger teams and you will receive a quicker compliment,’ quipped Dembele, after the Arsenal game. ‘I feel good. I feel good all season. except when I was injured.’
While his talent has never been in question, his fitness has, and injuries have often eaten away at his rhythm and consistency.
Since he arrived in english football at Fulham in 2010, there have been 46 recorded injuries, most relatively minor. Of 215 Premier League games since his move to Spurs he has started only 123.
It goes some way to explaining the frustrations of Les Ferdinand, who worked with him as a coach before Pochettino arrived in 2014.
‘I’ll be honest, I’ve been disappointed with Mousa,’ Ferdinand told Belgian website Omnisport. ‘he’s suffered a few injuries and hasn’t hit the heights I thought he would hit. I really thought he would be the next player to leave Spurs for real Madrid.
‘When he plays you can see how important he is but I expected him to push on from when I left.’ Dembele’s style invites contact and pressure through his legs. his strength and ability to play comfortably off either foot means he sways and twists through his hips and ankles.
he learned his football on the streets of Antwerp, playing a game without goals — touching the ball against a post for points. It explains his technique in possession and perhaps why he has never been a fluent finisher despite playing in advanced roles as he moved from Germinal Beerschot in Belgium to Willem II in holland and on to AZ, where Louis van Gaal put him on the right wing.
Fulham paid £5million for him and used him as a centre forward or winger until Martin Jol replaced Mark hughes and tried something different. With his speed, power, vision and passing ability with both feet, Jol thought he was made for central midfield.
he also wanted to free him from a role where he was judged purely on goals.
Like Pochettino, Jol rated him as one of the best technical players he had seen and his instinct about his best position proved right.
Dembele caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but Tottenham were first to match his £15m release clause.
Without the injuries, perhaps he would have passed quickly on to somewhere like real Madrid. For the past couple of years, a foot problem has caused pain and proved difficult to diagnose.
he had surgery in May in an attempt to clear it up but there have also been hip injuries this season and Pochettino has used him carefully.
Finally there are signs he might be back at his best as the season enters its crucial phase.
Spurs have a more pleasing balance with him in midfield and Belgium, england’s rivals in the World Cup, may benefit, too.
Belgium manager roberto Martinez was in Turin to witness Pochettino’s ‘genius’ at work.