"Without getting into the whole Trippier/Walker debate"......................goes on to talk about Tripper and Walker.Without getting into the whole Trippier/Walker debate, your argument about us not putting in highly dominant performances is self defeating, because Dier has been involved in most of those games too, so has at least a 50/50 chance of proving my argument than yours.
But if we really analyse it, we see that even with Walker, and Dier in CM, we finish 3rd in 15/16. With Walker and then Trippier (and by the way, our results were even better with Trippier that season - though a smaller sample obviously) but Wanyama in midfield we finish 2nd (16/17) and put in the the most consistent performances of Poch's reign.
Lose Wanyama and Dier comes back into midfield (now with Trippier) we go back to 3rd. Same as the season with Dier/Walker. The common denominator is Dier.
I have no bias toward Trippier. I'm saying exactly the same about Trippier as I am Dier in some respects, that I'd rather see an academy kid play than him. I'm not claiming he's something he isn't or are hard to qualify. You do this with both Trippier and Dier. All I've done with Trippier is debunk some of the bullshit claims by you and others. You blame Trippier for things that clearly aren't his fault. Like other teams exploiting the fact that we play with a high line and FB's pushed into attack.
I don't think Trippier is a great defender, (I also think he's had a particularly poor month and have been calling for KWP to start games) I've always accepted that he has flaws. But he does produce creatively. And I look around and see the paucity of genuine quality RB's - especially ones that can play our system and be defensively great too - and think how easy will it be to upgrade. Aurier's proven not to be the answer. Even Walker was dropped for 3 games recently because Guardiola got pissed off with his brainfarts. That's not bias, that's balance.
I'll happily see us upgrade Trippier, and have asked people who they would upgrade him with, but there's very few suggestions of PROVEN top quality out there that would be easy to obtain. Chelsea won the league with Moses as a RB. Leicester with fucking Simpson. ManC with Delph as a LB. There really aren't a plethora of quality FB's out there.
I repeat, I would prefer to see KWP given a run of games than see Trippier right now.
But I would also rather see Skipp or even Marsh out there than Dier, who's offers nothing I wouldn't happily sacrifice for some fucking dynamism and courage to get on the ball under pressure.
For the record you HAVEN'T debunked what I say about Trippier being targeted by the oppo, he is EVERY game without fail. You can throw whatever ever poxy numbers at me you like, you proved absolutely fuck all mate, but you still claim that teams don't see him as our weakest link, whilst weak after week Frodo is run absolutely ragged.
You have completely changed your tune on him, probably taken until this calamitous season for you to concede that KWP would be a better bet (not necessarily better every game but well worth investing in a player who is more technically proficient in his correct position for him to develop faster). I've called for KWP from day one with you disagreeing with this on a number of occasions.
Anyway, Dier. He's more than OK, he has limitations but we can and should be looking for a CM/DM with some legs/fizz/dynamism who can beat an oppo press, carry the ball and move the ball decisively it could be a Modric/Racatic/Demirbay style player or an N'Dombele/Bennasser/Hofmann type (I would have loved to have brought in Rabiot who is also a very, very unique player offers so much going forward but defensively not so much, but could have been a great partnership with Dier if looking at a double pivot).