He's a very talented player. Underrated by many, IMO. No, he is not a complete replacement for Modric, but he brings many attributes that Modric never did. They are a different type of player. But personally, I'm very glad we have Dembele - I've rated him for some time.
Whatever we all think of rat face (and that might be a clue) Utd would definitely be stronger with him. He is better than Giggs and Cleverly and now he is better than Scholes. For Utd, it would have been £35m well spent.
He isn't the first quality player that couldn't get into the Real Madrid team. It's not so long ago Robben, VDV and Sneijder all struggled to get a look in but could walk in to the United team.
Modric would have improved Utd dramatically. We wouldn't have dominated the middle of the park in the first half at Old Trafford if he'd have been playing for them, for a start. They could probably do with a more physically capable central midfielder at the moment, though. Tiote? Old Ratface will get his share of games for Madrid. It's a long season and he can play a few roles, but it's amusing to see him being treated as a utility player.
The difficulty for rat-boy will be to adjust to the Spanish game, which I think he will do with aplomb, in the end. It will take time, though, and Real Madrid are past masters at putting the right player into the first XI, at the right time.
Given the wealth of midfield talent at Real's disposal, Ratboy was never going to be anything more than another squad member. He would have been deluding himself if he thought any different.
I thought the exact same NSIS. He's fighting Ozil for the CAM role who's an absolute class act or Xabi Alonso for the deep lying playmaker role who's up there with the best. Journo's said he'd replace Khedira and play alongisde Alonso - utter bullsh*t. Khedira is one of the best DM's in Europe and is needed in a Madrid side with an abundance of attacking talent. He's their version of Sandro/ Parker. Really is quite amusing seeing Luka on the bench. All the whining, bitching and unprofessional behaviour just to end up sitting front row of Real Madrid games. Sure he'll get minutes for them but I doubt he'll be a starter on a regular basis anytime soon.
[SUB][/SUB] Yes, £15mil was dirt cheap. TBH, I was a little surprised we got him - surprised, but delighted. I think many other clubs will regret not moving for him in the not too distant future. For the price of a Modric, you could have bought 2 Dembeles and still had a reasonable bit of change left over!..he and Vertonghen, along with The Goons' Cazorla were the bargain buys of the summer, IMO.
Getting paid 35 million to watch Real's games from the front row...seems like a fate worse than death, doesn't it?
We got Dembele because he wanted to play for us...a team on the rise..just like his talents....not everyone is obsessed with joining a bandwagon and playing the odd game in the hope of increasing their chance of a medal..some players want to play good football. i hate everything about these so called top teams who think other clubs only get players because they(big clubs) did not try hard enough to get them. Spurs is big enough for Dembele and he knows it and jumped at the chance
You know I wonder sometimes how much some players really care about winning medals. I mean - certainly over the huge increase to their wages that they'll probably get when they transfer. Not slighting their competetiveness - I'm sure once players are on that pitch playing they want to win most of the time. But even really competetive players...I mean do you think Phil Neville's in it for the medals still? You think you average player for your average low-midtable side really goes to work every day to try to get medals? I suspect that most players just know that they're getting paid a fortune (in the prem and championship) and a very decent wage in the other divisions - money they have no way of being able to earn any other way, most likely. And by playing a fun game that most people pay to have to do. Also we can't grumble too much about players talking crap about wanting to leave to win medals - as one of the biggest clubs in the country we've used our pull (and money) to get plenty of talent from smaller clubs in the past. And long may that continue
I'd want to be paid a hell of a lot more to be sat in the fallout zone of Moronho and Showpony's egos.
