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bigmanbob wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 8:28 am
I've had many a pop at him on here and while last night wasn't perfect he was MOTM for a reason. Loved the way he beat the FB on the outside and inside loads of times. AMN helped massively with his runs off the ball. You could feel in the ground everyone wants him to do well, me included and last night was an encouraging step forward for him. The question now is how Moyes gets Grealish, George, KDH and him in the same team. We'd have to change shape but they're all creative. Moyes needs to look at how thats possible
George and Grealish are definitely the first choice starters... Johnson hasn't done anything yet so I'd say it's between them to Duke it out for who comes in if one of them is injured or out of form.
The main issue for Dibling is that Johnson seems like a more obvious option off the bench as his pace against tired legs, and finishing ability are really valuable in that situation.
However we don't have a backup striker so if George is starting you'd expect Johnson will come on for Barry... Which should open the door for Dibling to be the wide sub.
I don't think Moyes has been wrong not to use Dibling by and large, but after yesterday I'll be really pissed off if he doesn't at least come off the bench against Ipswich
StirlingBlue wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 8:49 am
I’m amazed by everyone’s reaction to the clip of of him playing the through ball then making the saving tackle and thinking that Moyes will be happy with that.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to see Dibling given chances but that saving tackle was only possible because the Wolves player was so slow.
I guarantee Moyes will be more focused on the fact that Dibling was ball watching originally and left the Wolves player free to make the run, if he’d actually been switched on defensively he doesn’t need to make the dramatic save IMO
That's a ridiculous take.
He'd just played the ball of the night and spotted AMN had gone on the overlap and JOB had pushed up too far so he watched the play develop and followed his man.
Bumble wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:11 am
That's a ridiculous take.
He'd just played the ball of the night and spotted AMN had gone on the overlap and JOB had pushed up too far so he watched the play develop and followed his man.
Great 60 secs of football awareness.
Apologies for the dodgy image quality as I can't get the bar to disappear but look at the positions of Hackney and Dibling in the first image, both let the man run past them and don't initially follow. Great work from Dibling on recovery but it's exactly the type of stuff Moyes will be using to hammer them on being switched on at this level.
StirlingBlue wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:31 am
Apologies for the dodgy image quality as I can't get the bar to disappear but look at the positions of Hackney and Dibling in the first image, both let the man run past them and don't initially follow. Great work from Dibling on recovery but it's exactly the type of stuff Moyes will be using to hammer them on being switched on at this level.
Watching the video again he does switch off for a split second. Puts his hands on his head in disappointment that the goal hasn't been scored.
This allows the player to run off him, but he spots it straight away and sprints back to make amends.
If being really harsh I suppose you could say he shouldn't have switched off for half a second, and Moyes probably will pull him up on it. These things can be taught, and you're right that it might not be looked on favourably by the manager.
I think the key takeaway though is that the recovery run and tackle he made aren't things he'd have done before, which suggests he's listening to the manager and taking onboard what's being asked of him. He also switched on really quickly to enable him to make the recovery.
I hope Moyes looks at the positives and not the millisecond he lost the runner, there's lots of good in those moments that eclipse the momentary loss of concentration.
StirlingBlue wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 8:49 am
I’m amazed by everyone’s reaction to the clip of of him playing the through ball then making the saving tackle and thinking that Moyes will be happy with that.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to see Dibling given chances but that saving tackle was only possible because the Wolves player was so slow.
I guarantee Moyes will be more focused on the fact that Dibling was ball watching originally and left the Wolves player free to make the run, if he’d actually been switched on defensively he doesn’t need to make the dramatic save IMO
Again people nit picking at a defensive lapse when we should be lauding the way he ran the show last night moyes would probably look at that as a reason not to play him more but for me he is so talented and would be an excellent 10
TheRam wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 10:02 am
Not bothered about the tackle. We romanticise stuff like that way too much as a fanbase.
Already know people will talk about that tackle as being the turning point if he makes a success of his time here.
He was very good before that tackle and was by far the best player on the park.
If you're not bothered by the tackle you're not getting why there has been a long series of fors and against with him. Nobody in their right mind can question his ability but both Moyes and the majority of our fan base expect you to put a shift in. It feels from the outside looking in it's his personality and lack of confidence that have been the issue re this. The crowd last night genuinely lifted when he did that, they want him to succeed. He needs to understand that if he wants to make it with us
StirlingBlue wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:31 am
Apologies for the dodgy image quality as I can't get the bar to disappear but look at the positions of Hackney and Dibling in the first image, both let the man run past them and don't initially follow. Great work from Dibling on recovery but it's exactly the type of stuff Moyes will be using to hammer them on being switched on at this level.
The person this shows up is Hackney, and a touch Jake.
Hackney isn’t aware of the danger, doesn’t drop on, and then gets dragged to the ball. It’s exactly why Moyes won’t start him even though he does have quality on the ball.
TheRam wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 10:02 am
Not bothered about the tackle. We romanticise stuff like that way too much as a fanbase.
Already know people will talk about that tackle as being the turning point if he makes a success of his time here.
He was very good before that tackle and was by far the best player on the park.
He shouldn’t have to make a lung bursting 40 yard run and last ditch slidey because someone is through on goal after one pass.
That’s the midfield and backline under Moyes being too easy to pass through.
The fact he did it is great and a good show of like application and hard work but what I’m arsed about is every time he got on the ball he looked levels above them in every way.
If I had a manager that would focus on that half a second lapse in defense but not on the throw ball played the second before I would hand in a transfer request. Especially if I was considered to be a creative Winger.
His quality on the ball last night was excellent, he's a bit like Grealish in that he's a fucker to get the ball off as well. Absolutely should be getting minutes each week even if it's off the bench
Great performance from him on so many levels last night.
Made opportunities for himself, created some of the better openings in the first half and played probably the best pass of the game to Johnson, and topped it off with an assist.
As good as his performance was, I do find him frustrating at times. I'm not sure if it's fitness or concentration, but there were a few times where we had the opportunity to counter and he either joined in too late, or didn't make a move at all. There were also times when he was isolated up against the fullback with space to attack, and he just slowed down the move and played backwards unnecessarily. It's things we've been critical of others for doing, so think it's probably fair to mention it for him too, but they are very much the grey lining to the silver cloud of last nights performance.
