Ben Davies - Player Thread

We just need too song his name more; he is coming on leaps and bounds - he now is showing his commitment by being far fitter and timing his runs far better, still a tad slow at recovering sometimes, but that's as much to do with Vert pushing what I think is too far forward and leaving spaces behind him for diagonals and balls over the top..

But you can't have it all, can you?
 
Must admit, I've now watched Ben closely for his first 4 games back since his enforced break through injury.

It's probably too early to ultimately judge him but I'm concerned about his performances. He was never elite level anyway but right now it looks like LB could become a problem area with Sessegnon seemingly a way from being a top 4 LB. Davies is barely making 6 out of 10, let alone his normal 7 as our Steady Eddie.
 
muttley said:
Must admit, I've now watched Ben closely for his first 4 games back since his enforced break through injury.

It's probably too early to ultimately judge him but I'm concerned about his performances. He was never elite level anyway but right now it looks like LB could become a problem area with Sessegnon seemingly a way from being a top 4 LB. Davies is barely making 6 out of 10, let alone his normal 7 as our Steady Eddie.
Click to expand...

The problem for all of our defence is a lack of leadership and a deeper understanding of the effect of not moving up/back together, Davies is also suffering from the same problem.

When we press we need to press and move up together, when in transition you need everyone to get back behind the ball who should be, kill the spaces. counter the press and be ready to spring forward (which he is more than capable of doing).

It's about coaching again now, it really is.
 
Spursex said:
The problem for all of our defence is a lack of leadership and a deeper understanding of the effect of not moving up/back together, Davies is also suffering from the same problem.

When we press we need to press and move up together, when in transition you need everyone to get back behind the ball who should be, kill the spaces. counter the press and be ready to spring forward (which he is more than capable of doing).

It's about coaching again now, it really is.
Click to expand...

I'd say the same thing to Davies, 26 as I would to both Moura and Aurier. They're all at an age now where it's time to step up and be leaders. You talk about lack of leadership, but Davies was the most experienced Spurs player in the entire back line including the keeper.

Must admit though, it's going to be tough for our defence to move up as unit if we're playing 5 at the back or if we have 4, but Aurier is playing more advanced than Davies. I've said for a while that this lop-sided rubbish needs to stop from Jose and he needs to get Aurier defending first. He was even jogging back for the first goal and leaving the player 3 or 4 yards from him. Both Dier and Tanganga got their feet wrong, but Aurier made it too easy for their player to slide the ball across.
 
muttley said:
I'd say the same thing to Davies, 26 as I would to both Moura and Aurier. They're all at an age now where it's time to step up and be leaders. You talk about lack of leadership, but Davies was the most experienced Spurs player in the entire back line including the keeper.

Must admit though, it's going to be tough for our defence to move up as unit if we're playing 5 at the back or if we have 4, but Aurier is playing more advanced than Davies. I've said for a while that this lop-sided rubbish needs to stop from Jose and he needs to get Aurier defending first. He was even jogging back for the first goal and leaving the player 3 or 4 yards from him. Both Dier and Tanganga got their feet wrong, but Aurier made it too easy for their player to slide the ball across.
Click to expand...

Aurier is absolutely playing to instruction; Walker used to do the same under Poch; two things made it different, when he pushed up the pitch Toby and Vert had enough smarts to move across and Rose had the pace to catch and tackle/see off/ foul anyone who got over/between them, by then Walker would be back - but even then Walker was error prone.

Jose has to figure out how he wants his defensive game plan to work, at the moment they're playing to a system that's simply not working/is flawed and that's on him.
 
Spursex said:
Aurier is absolutely playing to instruction; Walker used to do the same under Poch; two things made it different, when he pushed up the pitch Toby and Vert had enough smarts to move across and Rose had the pace to catch and tackle/see off/ foul anyone who got over/between them, by then Walker would be back - but even then Walker was error prone.

Jose has to figure out how he wants his defensive game plan to work, at the moment they're playing to a system that's simply not working/is flawed and that's on him.
Click to expand...

Aurier is playing to instruction positionally but there is no way Jose is telling him to defend like he often does and did for the first goal. Any of the 10 outfield players needed to get closer in that situation regardless of the number on your back. He even caught up OK and then for the last bit just ambled and stood off Jota, let him cross it easily and then had the audacity to blame his team mates. Dier ball watched and didn't drop the extra yard to cut out the cross properly (Toby would have) and Tanganga got his feet muddled. Earlier, Sanchez got left on his arse whilst only Winks tracked back. Gio started in the same space as Sanchez and just stood there as it unfolded.

This is my problem with Spurs goals. They are calamitous and quote often you could take about 5 of them to task on their contribution. Even the second goal, Winks went to press and Gio was standing 5 yards ahead of his man. Never dropped in. Bergwijn same. The third goal, Aurier just stopped running and wasn't anywhere near the 18 yard box as the ball hit the net.

So most is absolutely on Jose. If we can watch repeats on YouTube and see this schoolboy stuff then shame on him. I have no clue what he does with that team of analysts and how he turns it into tactics.
 
muttley said:
Aurier is playing to instruction positionally but there is no way Jose is telling him to defend like he often does and did for the first goal. Any of the 10 outfield players needed to get closer in that situation regardless of the number on your back. He even caught up OK and then for the last bit just ambled and stood off Jota, let him cross it easily and then had the audacity to blame his team mates. Dier ball watched and didn't drop the extra yard to cut out the cross properly (Toby would have) and Tanganga got his feet muddled. Earlier, Sanchez got left on his arse whilst only Winks tracked back. Gio started in the same space as Sanchez and just stood there as it unfolded.

This is my problem with Spurs goals. They are calamitous and quote often you could take about 5 of them to task on their contribution. Even the second goal, Winks went to press and Gio was standing 5 yards ahead of his man. Never dropped in. Bergwijn same. The third goal, Aurier just stopped running and wasn't anywhere near the 18 yard box as the ball hit the net.

So most is absolutely on Jose. If we can watch repeats on YouTube and see this schoolboy stuff then shame on him. I have no clue what he does with that team of analysts and how he turns it into tactics.
Click to expand...

I.m unconvinced Jose knows how to do it either - he's too used to have top players in every single position and simply letting them play - he had the same problem with Manure, so perhaps his much vaunted 'top coach' title isn't warranted anymore - he hasn't had to coach a team to be better than the sum of their parts for a very long time indeed..
 
Spursex said:
I.m unconvinced Jose knows how to do it either - he's too used to have top players in every single position and simply letting them play - he had the same problem with Manure, so perhaps his much vaunted 'top coach' title isn't warranted anymore - he hasn't had to coach a team to be better than the sum of their parts for a very long time indeed..
Click to expand...

I actually always thought that about Redknapp. It was the senior players sorting out the tactics and systems rather than the manager. He was a great motivator though.
 
muttley said:
I actually always thought that about Redknapp. It was the senior players sorting out the tactics and systems rather than the manager. He was a great motivator though.
Click to expand...

Can't agree with that, tactically and as a coach Harry was actually better/brighter than most. The problem with Harry was this 'simplistic' persona he would adopt, which I can assure you was utter nonsense.
 
Quite telling how long this thread has remained untouched; maybe that says it all, but just when I/we are debating his contribution in his last two games at CB against the barcodes and forest, I get some welcome, but unexpected support from an outside view! ;)

more here: https://theathletic.com/5141401/2023/12/16/ben-davies-tottenham/

Ben Davies often remains a beacon of calm in a sea of chaos at Tottenham Hotspur.

The players around him change on an almost-weekly basis, yet he continues to bring a reliability that has epitomised his nine years at the club.

In that time, the Wales international has rarely been considered first-choice, whether that has been at left-back or as the left-sided centre-back in a back three, but his value stretches far beyond that.

Now, covering for the injured Micky van de Ven as a centre-back in a pair, he continues to exceed expectations and admits the new role is one he relishes.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he told The Athletic after the 2-0 win away to Nottingham Forest. “I’ve played centre-back in a back three before and, in the system we’re playing, it’s pretty similar. I’m really enjoying it and it’s another string to my bow.”


Richarlison opened the scoring for Tottenham at the City Ground and the brilliant Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 in the second half to secure back-to-back wins for Ange Postecoglou’s side, but another red card for Yves Bissouma soured the night somewhat.

An incoming four-match ban will keep him out until after the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Destiny Udogie — fresh from signing a contract extension — will miss a match after being shown his fifth yellow card of the season. So, that means it will be all change around Davies again for the visit of Everton next Saturday.

That has been the theme of the last six games for Tottenham, since Van de Ven and James Maddison were injured in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea. The hamstring injury suffered by the young Dutch centre-back forced Postecoglou’s hand and a lack of alternatives meant Davies would deputise, as he has done in an array of roles since joining the club in 2014.

Full credit must go to the 30-year-old for his seamless transition into his latest position, especially given the lack of stability around him. In six games, he has played with three different centre-back partners, two different left-backs and four different pairs of holding midfielders.

As a rare constant throughout those games, Davies has had to show his leadership and experience.

“That’s part of my character, I try to be vocal on the pitch,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of football now, I am one of the more experienced players in the team and it is important that you try to be that calming influence and being in the centre of the pitch where you can see it all sometimes helps your perspective.”

Amid the chaos, he has been one of Tottenham’s stand-out performers in recent weeks. As part of his composed showing against Newcastle, he made a fantastic goal-saving intervention with the scoreline goalless and only Kulusevski could claim to have been better than him against Forest.

His appearance at the City Ground was his 219th for Spurs in the Premier League and while other senior players have been moved on or sidelined in that time, like Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier, Davies has remained part of the squad.
Among his former managers have been Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte — two coaches renowned for their defensive prowess — who both valued the Wales international’s contributions to the squad.

Having turned 30 back in April, his adaptation to Postecoglou’s system is perhaps most impressive as part of a fearlessly high defensive line that is often left exposed by full-backs Pedro Porro and Udogie joining the midfield.

Davies is not a player blessed with Van de Ven’s searing pace or Romero’s proactive style, but his reliability is arguably his best attribute and that is by no means a slight against his technical ability.

In the modern era of constant high-intensity matches, players who can consistently put together runs of 90-minute matches are becoming increasingly valuable. And those players quickly become priceless when you can rely on them to do a job in a range of positions and roles.

No secret has been made of Tottenham’s desire to sign another centre-back in the upcoming January transfer window, but that does not mean Davies will be pushed out. Romero’s well-documented hotheadedness means there is always a risk he will pick up suspensions while Udogie is hardly a saint himself, having picked up five yellow cards and a red this season.

In a time of crisis, Spurs know they can call on their Mr Reliable.
 
Ole reliable...nothing flashy, just that old car that simply gets you from point A to point B.

I have said it before...Davies is a important SQUAD player, that wily veteran on the bench you bring in when you need to close out a game or something.

Credit Davies for being a solid pro.
 
One other data point here is Ben's contract that runs out in June 2025. That means one more season after this one before he is a 31 year old free agent.

I think Dier and Rodon leaving is a no-brainer. Same as Reggie. I also think Sess will go as well. His contract also ends Jun 25. The only other one is Japhet who will inevitably leave as well.

The squad will look a lot thinner by Sep next year.
 
Real Deal said:
Plenty of spurs fans want Davies to get the armband now Son is off for a month.

Let's get a statue of Stuart Nethercott whilst we are at it. 🤣
Click to expand...
Can not believe what I am reading, "solid, sensational,rock" etc etc

He lost his man three times in the first half alone yesterday, twice in own 6 yard box/just out side.

It is a miracle Real have not come in for him given his supposed greatness
 
Real Deal said:
Plenty of spurs fans want Davies to get the armband now Son is off for a month.

Let's get a statue of Stuart Nethercott whilst we are at it. 🤣
Click to expand...
I don't think it will make any difference if he was, RD. The players won't listen to him. Why would they? He's won nothing and largely been an understudy for his whole career at Spurs.

Porro and Udogie are already playing at a higher level than he has ever reached. They'll just continuing doing their own thing until the cavalry returns.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.