Lewis Dunk: Thick or just pretending ?

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

I was actually more annoyed at the 1st yellow card, where I thought he was naive in terms of his decision to be anywhere near the player out wide with 2 other defenders around him. The second was clearly reckless and the worse of the two fouls, but we have seen that so many times where a player has slightly mis-controlled and then over stretched to try and make amends.. That is far more instinctive. The difficulty is to avoid the second one you have to just lump the ball away 1st time rather than try and control it and get us on a counter attack.. I think the follow up work should be more about the 1st yellow card, which is about clear decision making. Dunk believes that he will make the ball each time, and 8 times out of 10 he does.. The tackle against Ince at Derby was a similar example.. A split second later and that is a terrible foul rather than a wonderful tackle..
I

 

[West Upper Seagull]

Completely thick - his recklessness and stupid bookings he picks up proves he hasn't got a football brain at all. For all the good things he does you know and fear that he's always got a cock-up in him. Sometimes he gets away with it (MK Dons penalty that wasn't) but all too often he doesn't and it costs us. Gutted - feels like we lost last night

 

[el punal]

Total idiot. Id take anything over £200,000 for him. Not a bright player. We played well and were let down by that tit.

I'm glad that you don't for the club . . . . do you?

 

[el punal]

I'm glad that you don't for the club . . . . do you?

Work!!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Completely thick - his recklessness and stupid bookings he picks up proves he hasn't got a football brain at all. For all the good things he does you know and fear that he's always got a cock-up in him. Sometimes he gets away with it (MK Dons penalty that wasn't) but all too often he doesn't and it costs us. Gutted - feels like we lost last night

In 20 games he had received just three yellow cards. In the 21st game, the first yellow was a soft decision, although I haven't a problem with the sending off.
To say that he hasn't got a footballing brain is nonsense and an exaggeration, because most fans are feeling angry about last night.

 

[sully]

twatty thread anyway, but I don't think the first foul was a booking and don't think the second was that bad. Not that great, but not as bad as Holloway is banging on about

There was a similarly reckless challenge by Sandro in the first half for which the ref didn't even give a foul / free kick.

 

[vegster]

Completely thick - his recklessness and stupid bookings he picks up proves he hasn't got a football brain at all. For all the good things he does you know and fear that he's always got a cock-up in him. Sometimes he gets away with it (MK Dons penalty that wasn't) but all too often he doesn't and it costs us. Gutted - feels like we lost last night

This, he is a walking yellow card. I'm not sure on the stats but it would be good to see a list of our bookings and sending off over the last two seasons, I reckon he must be top two at least.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

There was a similarly reckless challenge by Sandro in the first half for which the ref didn't even give a foul / free kick.

definitely, on Murphy, although I think it was a free-kick. At the time the commentators were praising the ref for letting the game flow and just giving him a ticking off. At the end of the game they were tearing Dunk a new one. Context matters I guess

 

[Bold Seagull]

There was a similarly reckless challenge by Sandro in the first half for which the ref didn't even give a foul / free kick.

Yes but that is a crucial comparison. First half, by a centre midfielder. Risk v reward.

As a centre half going into the last 10 mins defending a lead, your brain has to switch into complete safety and low risk mode. Get the ball clear, don't dive in, don't take any unnecessary risks. The first yellow is harsh, but ridiculous he's even gone out there given we had 2 players already closing the man down. The second yellow, in that split second, even if he thinks that ball is 60-40 his, the risk outweighs the reward in that situation where the player isn't a direct threat to goal. It is an instant decision, but a very good player accepts he's missed controlled it, and retreats back to decent position, lets the midfield get back around the ball. It is a fine line, but it separates your good players from your very good players.

My memory is crap so I have to look back over games, but to my mind he made the initial mistakes for the Birmingham goal, MK Dons he was lucky not to have conceded an unnecessary penalty when it looked a hands down stone wall decision, Leeds away necessary foul leading to their goal - he's making errors that aren't through lack of ability, they are rash decisions that he can coach out of himself, as Yoda would say, he must learn control!

 

[brightn'ove]

After sleeping on it, my anger has subsided. He has been very good this season but he completely lost his head last night. You could see by his reaction, screaming in the face of the fourth official that he had totally lost it. He needs a spell on the sidelines to be shown that he isn't irreplaceable and he will come back stronger and hopefully will have learned his lesson.

 

[WATFORD zero]

This, he is a walking yellow card. I'm not sure on the stats but it would be good to see a list of our bookings and sending off over the last two seasons, I reckon he must be top two at least.

This season

Reds

Dunk 1
Murphy 1

Yellows

Kayal 6
LuaLua 6
Stephens 5
Solly 4
Greer 4
Bong 3
Dunk 3


Only stat i can find from last season was that he was 2nd top goalscorer after Tex

But carry on

 

[vegster]

This season

Reds

Dunk 1
Murphy 1

Yellows

Kayal 6
LuaLua 6
Stephens 5
Solly 4
Greer 4
Bong 3
Dunk 3


Only stat i can find from last season was that he was 2nd top goalscorer

But carry on

I stand corrected, sure he was right up there.

 

[Bold Seagull]

This season

Reds

Dunk 1
Murphy 1

Yellows

Kayal 6
LuaLua 6
Stephens 5
Solly 4
Greer 4
Bong 3
Dunk 3


Only stat i can find from last season was that he was 2nd top goalscorer

But carry on

Last season Dunk got 8 yellows and a red in 38 appearances. Not dreadful, not great, by contrast Keogh for Derby got 4 yellows in 45 appearances.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

To me he always looks like he's one step away from making a cluster f**k or a stupid challenge.

Unless he irradiates the stupid decision making the 6m will look like a rather large missed opportunity for us.

One of his main problems is that he does not seem to have the art of making a subtle foul, he is so obvious and makes it easy for the ref.

Not an intelligent player, has ability but not the footballing brain.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Last season Dunk got 8 yellows and a red in 38 appearances. Not dreadful, not great, by contrast Keogh for Derby got 4 yellows in 45 appearances.

Trying to compare Dunk in a team fighting relegation, with a defender in a team near the top of the table, is like comparing chalk and cheese. Of course, a team fighting relegation is going to have to defend more.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I stand corrected, sure he was right up there.

He does make silly challenges and gets reds and yellows he shouldn't but he is improving year on year but still has 11 years until he reaches Greer and Bruno's levels of experience (then he may only lose Charlie Austin once on a corner the whole game !)

 

[Bold Seagull]

Trying to compare Dunk in a team fighting relegation, with a defender in a team near the top of the table, is like comparing chalk and cheese. Of course, a team fighting relegation is going to have to defend more.

The funny thing is TB, when you delve into what I'm saying, I'm actually more positive about Dunk than a lot of people happy to accept a rash decision. I actually think he can be a top player, not just a decent centre half in the Championship, I mean he can become a seriously good centre half - which is why it is so infuriating that a player of his ability, his class, his composure on the ball, sometimes some amazing long passes, is making inexplicably bad decisions.

I'm a constructive critic if you like. There is the talent there to be a brilliant player, but he is going to have to learn to cut out these types of errors fast, because as I said on a previous post, cutting out these errors is what separates the good from the great, and I genuinely want him to be great, I'm not content with him just being good.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The funny thing is TB, when you delve into what I'm saying, I'm actually more positive about Dunk than a lot of people happy to accept a rash decision. I actually think he can be a top player, not just a decent centre half in the Championship, I mean he can become a seriously good centre half - which is why it is so infuriating that a player of his ability, his class, his composure on the ball, sometimes some amazing long passes, is making inexplicably bad decisions.

I'm a constructive critic if you like. There is the talent there to be a brilliant player, but he is going to have to learn to cut out these types of errors fast, because as I said on a previous post, cutting out these errors is what separates the good from the great, and I genuinely want him to be great, I'm not content with him just being good.

That comes with experience, and has already been pointed out, Bruno & Greer have 11 years on him.

 

[Bold Seagull]

That comes with experience, and has already been pointed out, Bruno & Greer have 11 years on him.

So your aspirations for him is to be as good as Greer and Bruno? Maybe I need to be more negative about him and accept that's how good he can be.

 

[dazzer6666]

Dunk's passing last night was pretty poor as well - misplaced a lot more than usual.