MOUSSA DEMBELE

THERE have been people asking questions about this lad over the past couple of weeks. Wrongly. But what is not in question is his ability and talent. Dembele has just about everything needed to become one of the top strikers in Europe and a troubled six-month run where things haven’t gone as smoothly as he would have hoped doesn’t alter that fact. He has just struggled with rhythm due to a lack of regular starts. Dembele is a classy finisher and there is a composure about him in front of goal. If you can sink a penalty in the last-minute of stoppage-time to win a Champions League qualifier, score in the group stages and also bag a hat-trick against Rangers, you have no issues with temperament. Dembele is strong for a guy so young and can overpower defenders. He also has pace over a couple of yards to make space and burst beyond his marker.

Dembele is decent in the air and has shown for France’s Under-21s that he can score with free-kicks.

The Frenchman isn’t the finished article by any means and is still a little raw at times but that is what is so exciting about him. He is a powerhouse.

If I was being picky, I’d like to see him work on his endurance and mix it up instead of trying to shift the ball on to his favoured right side when running at defenders.

If he could learn to go both ways with his power, he will be even more of a nightmare to play against.

What isn’t in doubt is his natural talent but the big man needs games to get that match sharpness. Minutes played 600 Champions League 37 Scottish Cup 90 Goals 5