Issa Diop

[fmgod]

Very solid again, bizarrely I think as we're getting big as a club we might get a stupid offer from somewhere like Tottenham etc used to get for backup players

[funky chicken]

Caught out once or twice in the first 20 minutes. Otherwise another very solid showing from Issa. Who would’ve thought after the unconvincing performances from both he and Dawson towards the end of last season they’d all of a sudden look fine but together!?

For some odd reason I always thought - even under Pellegrini - that Diop seems to weirdly play better on the left of the centre halves. No idea why, but I think a lot of his best performances have been on that side.

[Shabu]

[Albie Beck]

Given that defensive partnerships are so important, especially that they can work together instinctively, the fact we are developing two:

.........Fab
Zouma .....Oggy

and

.......Areola
Dawson ...... Diop

means that Moysie can develop some real defensive solidity. Very un-West Ham

[funky chicken]

It’ll be good if Diop continues to play to his potential. As it’ll mean that’ll be one less position to worry over in the next few windows. Diop is still young for a centre half, Zouma is perfect peak age, Dawson is still early 30s and we have the experienced Ogbonna in his mid 30s.

If Diop didn’t start to up his game this season I was expecting Moyes to sell him at the end of the season and nab Tarkowski on a free. But now, why would we need to?

One thing we will have to do before the end of this season though is offer him a new contract. As he only has 1 year remaining after this season.

The crazy thing is before this season had started Ogbonna was arguably our best defender in the whole squad. At the moment he is arguably the most vulnerable now.

[IronZ-79]

It’ll be good if Diop continues to play to his potential. As it’ll mean that’ll be one less position to worry over in the next few windows. Diop is still young for a centre half, Zouma is perfect peak age, Dawson is still early 30s and we have the experienced Ogbonna in his mid 30s.

If Diop didn’t start to up his game this season I was expecting Moyes to sell him at the end of the season and nab Tarkowski on a free. But now, why would we need to?

One thing we will have to do before the end of this season though is offer him a new contract. As he only has 1 year remaining after this season.

The crazy thing is before this season had started Ogbonna was arguably our best defender in the whole squad. At the moment he is arguably the most vulnerable now.

Tarkowski can always still be considered as a replacement for Dawson or Ogbonna.

Issa has been fantastic. We have a decent set of CBs right now.

[yakandyeti]

I see Tarkowski having the barcodes written all over him. He could be one of those transition players they overpay for, either in January or once his contract is up.

[westlondonhammer]

I predicted at the start of the season that he'd end the season as being first choice with Zouma

The way he is playing I see no reason to change that view. The patience is paying off with him and Moyes team are turning him into the player we all thought he could be

[jastons]

Issa has been rated as the sexiest player in the Premier league

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... o-ronaldo/

[devonshire flu]

Issa has been rated as the sexiest player in the Premier league

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... o-ronaldo/

The Sun have clearly forgotten that Phil Jones is still technically an EPL player.

[Believer]

It's a big season for us too. If WE want him to stay beyond this season, we know what WE have to do.

No way on this earth should we entertain him going anywhere. Get him a new deal asap. The Diop of old (seems strange saying that about a 24 year old CB) is back.

Totally agree with this. I long said that last season was a blip for him and that Covid hadn’t helped but he has been fantastic this season and it won’t have gone unnoticed at other clubs. We should really be aiming to get him signed up sooner rather than later..

[steveyrockstar]

Issa has been rated as the sexiest player in the Premier league

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... o-ronaldo/

That is one of the most bizarre things I've ever read. Golden ratio formulas, Python Libraries and facial landmark data??? :shock:

[simonirons]

I reckon its a matter of time before we see Issa and Happy giving us a sneak peak of France's Centre Back pairing for Qatar and the next 5 years.

[PF.]

There’s a reason why he’s 4th choice. 30 minutes in Genk show us why.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

His worse game since Newcastle, the last time we lost away from home.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

None of the defenders have played well. Coufal has been well off it aswell.

[fmgod]

He is the French John Stones, good on the ball, okay at defending but not amazing and prone to the odd error

[Centre Half]

The goal was horrible.

Lazy lazy defending.

[El brooko79]

He is the French John Stones, good on the ball, okay at defending but not amazing and prone to the odd error

Is he that good on the ball?
I think his best quality it defending against players who receive the ball on the deck, back to goal. He is strong and nicks the ball. He struggles with good moment into space like tonight as he reacts a bit late.

Obviously not as good at defending or using the ball as John Stones

[prophet:marginal]

The goal was horrible.

Lazy lazy defending.

It was a shocker but maybe his first, this season?

Improved player, really.