Douglas Luiz - back home on loan

[PaulWinch again]

That’s fair enough, as you say our views differ here. Hopefully they’ll both be fit and firing soon and then our midfield options will look a lot more healthy.

[LeeB]

Yeah but I’d argue Dougie at his best was one of the best midfielders in the league - now clearly he’s not at that level currently. But he has the potential to be much more than he’s shown.

I suppose that’s where we differ. I don’t think that about Luiz. He’s been really good in periods but even at his best, nowhere near as good or as important than Tielemans for me.

I agree.

[PeterWithe]

I must say, that instance in the last few minutes, when he tried to nutmeg their player on the halfway line and lost the ball, with us having committed players forward, earned him a voluble round of fucks from me, which I dont think was appreciated by his family sitting nearby.

[Monty]

Tielemans just does things that are nearly impossible to replace. There was an early ball, a free-kick I think, where Dougie tried to dink it through the right channel of the penalty area, and just about didn't get it right. It was a good effort - but it's something Tielemans hits pretty much every time, because he's incredible.

Even more so though, what was that insane statistic about Tielemans having the most line breaking passes in the league by miles? Turning defence into attack, beating presses and releasing Rogers or McGinn, conjuring up space from nowhere - Tielemans is literally as good as anyone on earth at doing that. It's tough on Dougie, having been through incoherence at Juve and unfitness at Forest (not to mention playing for cloggers), to suddenly be dropped into those boots.

He's a good player, does many many good things. He just can't replace Youri, because pretty much no-one can.

[Mister E]

Tielemans just does things that are nearly impossible to replace. There was an early ball, a free-kick I think, where Dougie tried to dink it through the right channel of the penalty area, and just about didn't get it right. It was a good effort - but it's something Tielemans hits pretty much every time, because he's incredible.
Even more so though, what was that insane statistic about Tielemans having the most line breaking passes in the league by miles? Turning defence into attack, beating presses and releasing Rogers or McGinn, conjuring up space from nowhere - Tielemans is literally as good as anyone on earth at doing that. It's tough on Dougie, having been through incoherence at Juve and unfitness at Forest (not to mention playing for cloggers), to suddenly be dropped into those boots.
He's a good player, does many many good things. He just can't replace Youri, because pretty much no-one can.

Very well summarised, sir!

[olaftab]

Agreed, well summed up. We could have recruited the world's best midfielder to stand in for Youri but he would not be as effective as Youri at this moment in time.

[Smithy]

Yeah but I’d argue Dougie at his best was one of the best midfielders in the league - now clearly he’s not at that level currently. But he has the potential to be much more than he’s shown.

Indeed, if fit and injury-free, he's an asset, and one who would compete with Youri for a starting spot (though Youri has been incredible at times this season).

Also, given the quirk of him being back here on loan, if we did complete the option to buy, for the alleged £25m, his net cost to us over his career, with both purchases (from Man City and Juve) and his sale to Juve, would be -£8m. We've effectively been paid £8m to make him our player.  That's pretty good.

[KevinGage]

I’m much more comfortable with Luiz receiving the ball deep from either the goalkeeper or fullback than most of our other midfield options when we try the aul’ bait and switch.

Tielemans prob has more variation in his passes than Doug, true. But Doug can play the killer defence-splitting ball from deep or further forward n’all.

Get him up to speed again and he’ll be fine.

[Olof's Beard]

I'm not sure many of us would have had Tielemans ahead of Luiz in the one season they played together. I'd say Youri has now hit a level which is slightly above Dougie when they are both at their best but as others have said, there isn't much in it. I just don't think Dougie is anywhere near his best yet. He was also dropping far deeper than we'd like last night, often filling in for Tyrone if he venture forward and that's just not where he is most effective.

As he plays himself into form, it'd be great if we could work out a structure which deploys him further forward.

Overall he's been busy and his performances have been fine if not at the heights (understandably) that we know he can fit.