I must admit to a fair degree of scepticism about the over reliance on this sort of statistical analysis, but in the diagram shown it appears that Bachmann was slightly nearer the post than the “optimal position” to face Sargent’s shot and yet he was still beaten at that near post. What does this tell us, if anything?
Personally I don't think he should've been beaten at his near post from there considering his position, but it's possible he saw it late due to the players in the way.
Name: Agon Sadiku Club: FC Honka (Finland) Nationality: Finland/Kosovo Position: ST Birthday: 10/3/2003 (19) Height: 184cm (6"0) Foot: Right https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/agon-sadiku/profil/spieler/648573 Tactical role + team details: FC Honka are typically a upper-midtable table team in Finland, they finished 4th (out of 12) in 2020, 8th in 2021 and are set to finish 3rd this season (last game is today and they'll finish 3rd whatever happens). They typically play a 433 formation with Sadiku deployed as the lone striker. This is first season in the top flight and has scored 14 goals with no assists in 1803 minutes (11 non penalty goals from 7.34 xG). In Possession: Good range of finishes used (chips, first time shots, dummy shot to fool the defender before switching feet and finishing) although he lacked power when shooting from range. Was happy to try shots with both feet and showed good competency shooting with either foot. Really liked his movement - when marked tightly he would duck behind the centre-back before quickly changing direction and accelerating to get in front of the defender, this was effective and he created some good shots and goals from this movement. Was good at finding space around the penalty area when not tightly marked and showed good anticipation. Didn't look to play in team-mates very often and was quite selfish around the penalty area. Didn't attempt many dribbles for his position, but when he did dribble he looked good and has one of the highest successful dribble percentages for strikers in the league. Out of Possession: Showed good desire and was very effective at closing down opposition players, was very good at cutting off passing lanes. Was willing to get stuck in with a large amount of slide tackles attempted. Very solid defensively Physical: Didn't look very quick or particularly agile (although agility was better than his pace). Wasn't particularly good in the air, ducked out of a lot of challenges although tried harder in the penalty area. Next Step: A clinical finisher with good defensive work, if he could do a little bit more in build-up play I think he'd look a lot more rounded. I think Denmark/Netherlands or Belgium would be an ideal next step for him. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Looking at the list you have Hector ex Fulham CB also free, not saying he is the answer btw. Free agents | Transfermarkt
Name: Hugo Larsson Club: Malmo FF (Sweden) Nationality: Swedish Position: CM/DM Birthday: 27/6/2004 (18) Height: 187cm (6"2) Foot: Right https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hugo-larsson/profil/spieler/931838 Tactical role + team details: Malmo are typically one of the biggest teams in Sweden, winning the league in 2021, 2020 and finishing 2nd in 2019, however with 2 games to go of the 2022 Allsvenskan season they find themselves in 7th place and are currently bottom of their Europa League group. This is Larssons first season with the first team, starting 8 league games (alongside 1 Champions League game and 3 Europa League games) and playing in a further 17 from the bench. He scored 0 league goals and got 1 assist in 1229 league minutes. In Possession: Good range of passing on show, frequently plays chipped passes out to the wing when receiving the ball in central areas - showed good accuracy with these passes even when under pressure although didn't try many creative passes to the forwards and mostly either kept distribution simple or the sprayed passes out to the wing. Very quick feet, was able to evade close pressure with drags and pullbacks, looked good in tight spaces and used his body to shield the ball well. Very frequent scanner which benefitted him a lot both offensively and defensively - always wanted the ball and took up good positions to receive it. Didn't take many shots or get involved too much around the penalty area. Was capable of driving runs up the pitch. Out of Possession: His strength made him formidable in 1 vs 1s in tight spaces, although he relied too much on his strength, when attempting a tackle would've been the better choice. Defensive positioning was very good (helped by his frequent scanning) and was very good at breaking up play and distributing the ball quickly. Physical: Very impressive physicality - very strong and was rarely outmuscled. Powerful runner. His size and strength won him a lot of aerial duels, but I felt he had a poor leap that cost him against similarly sized opponents. Pace was good for his size and frame but also wouldn't describe him as quick. Was quite agile for his size, but did have some slight Next Step: I really really liked him and don't think i've done him enough justice above - his press resistance and defensive qualities were hugely impressive for someone so young. Couple that with his physical qualities and I think clubs in the top 5 leagues will already have their eye on him. Personally I think either Serie A or the Bundesliga would suit him best. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Was up in Edinburgh at the weekend and went to a Hibs game with some friends. Two young players stood out as potentially able to make a step up (caveat being that the standard of football was appalling, far worse than I'd expected - comfortably below Championship level). Rocky Bushiri - 22 yr old centre back, bit impulsive but physically dominant in the middle of a back three and not too bad on the ball. Nohan Kenneh - 19 yr old defensive midfielder. Looked like he read the game pretty well and good at keeping things ticking over. Would be interesting to see if the (admittedly slightly inebriated) eye test stacks up against the modern stats world. @reids - what does the world of data say about the chances of these two? Can see both were released from English clubs quite recently so maybe I just caught them on a good day!
Name: Sebastian Gonzalez Club: LDU Quito (Ecuador) Nationality: Ecuador/Spain Position: CM/DM Birthday: 6/6/2003 (19) Height: 180cm (5"11) Foot: Left https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sebastian-gonzalez/profil/spieler/903610 Tactical role + team details: LDU Quito are one the better teams in Ecuador, finishing 6th last season (qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana, where they finished 2nd in their group) and finished 4th in the league in 2022. They have most often used a 4-2-3-1 formation or 4-3-3 formation this season with Gonzalez most frequently used as part of a midfield pairing. This season was his second season with the first team (playing 581 mins last season in the league). This season he's played 1345 minutes in the league scoring 2 goals and getting 1 assist. In Possession: A very progressive passer, he frequently looked to move the ball forward, often distributing balls out wide or vertically into the channel. He demonstrated a good range of passing with his long-range passing and his crossing from wide positions in particular being stand outs. He played a good amount of creative (key, smart, through-balls) passes to the forwards with good (but not exceptional) accuracy for a player often used in a deeper role. Showed good willingness to receive the ball and took up good positions to receive the ball. Didn't deal well with being pressed or playing in tight spaces, often losing the ball in 1 on 1 situations and lacking awareness of who was around him. Lacked skill and creativity when dribbling, often dropping the shoulder and shifting the ball to his left foot to try and create space for himself. Took a lot of long shots, has very good power in his shots when hit with his left foot, with decent enough accuracy. Out of Possession: Lacked effectiveness and looked clumsy in defensive 1 vs 1s giving away a lot of fouls, but had a good reading of potential danger and moved quickly in order to cut it out. Superb positioning to cut out passing lanes and looked very effective at making interceptions. Physical: Showed good pace when on the ball and was able to outpace a lot of opponents in a footrace. Aerial ability and strength didn't look to be the best. Agility was mixed, sometimes looked very slow to turn Next Step: An odd one. I really liked his passing ability, but his ability to play the ball under pressure is a major downside as most games in better leagues won't be as stretched as they are in South America. Think he'll need another year to develop to see if he can improve in this aspect. If he can improve that then there might be a decent player there, but currently the negatives outweigh the positives. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Always skeptical about CB stats as there's so much that they don't tell us, but Bushiri looks really solid defensively with superb numbers in pretty much every defensive metric. I looked at Kennehs radar and it really reminded me of Choudhurys, so I compared them. Quite the similarity in playstyles! Defensive monster but keeps it mostly simple in possession and doesn't contribute too much in the offensive phase. Overall definitely a couple to keep an eye on, Kenneh especially has impressive stats for a 19 year old - Choudhurys stats make him one of the best DMs in the league defensively, so if Kennehs stats can be repeated at a higher level then there's definitely a lot of promise there.
Thanks for that. When you're head of analysis at a Champions League team and need a part time scout to review a few players after sinking a few pre match beers, give me a call!
Name: Djordje Gordic Club: Mladost Lucani Nationality: Serbian Position: CM/AM/LW/RW Birthday: 5/11/2004 (17) Height: N/A Foot: Right Contract: June 2023 Value Estimation: Tactical role + team details: Mladost Lucani are a mid-table team in the Serbian top division, finishing 9th (out of 16) last season in the regular season and then finishing 3rd in the relegation group. They most frequently play a 4-2-3-1 formation with Djordje most commonly used as an attacking midfielder, although he has been used in various different positions, such as playing a deeper midfield role and also used as a winger and striker. Gordic is a product of the Mladost Lucani academy and has been capped for the Serbian national team at U17, U18, U19 and U21 level. Gordic has played 1156 minutes in the league this season, scoring 3 goals and getting 1 assist. He played 2176 minutes last season scoring 4 goals. Attacking Phase: A creative player around the penalty area, often looking to play in teammates with creative passes with good accuracy. Looked a good crosser of the ball, with a majority of his crosses ending in good locations. Movement around the penalty area was impressive, making good runs to receive the ball from team-mates and was adept at finding space. Wasn't afraid to shoot with both feet, finishing ability was mixed with most shots coming from good locations although it was noticeable how many of his shots were blocked at close range when either trying to find a team-mate or trying to create more space would've been the better option than taking a shot that was obviously going to be blocked. Attempted a lot of dribbles where he demonstrated good close control but rarely ended in a positive outcome for the team. Build Up Phase: Showed good long-range passing when distributing the ball out to the wings although long-balls to the forward were often poorly timed and inaccurate. Takes up good positions to receive the ball and distributes the ball well over short distances. Looked to make things happen and often tried to move the ball forward rather than playing it safe. Dealt with being pressed well and looked good in tight spaces. Scanned frequently and looked good at finding space. Defensive Phase: Was very alert to danger and had good anticipation in cutting out passing lanes. Wasn't afraid to work hard defensively, tracked runners well although lacked strength when trying to win the ball back. Physical: Height information was unavailable but looked to be around 183cm (6"0), despite his height he was poor in the air, challenging well for the ball but lacked effectiveness and power in the air. Lacked strength in 1 vs 1s and looked very lightweight. Good turn of pace and no issues with agility. Limitations: Will need to put on some muscle, currently a bit lightweight and easily bullied. Coachable Aspects To Improve: Decision making around shooting and long-balls to the forward. Next Step: He's not ready for a top 5 league yet and would suit a fringe league like the Dutch or Belgian leagues as a good stepping stone, but I think due to the fact he's available next summer on a free transfer a team in a top 5 league will take a low-risk punt. Serie A probably suits his skillset best but will most likely need a loan next season to smooth out some of the rough edges. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Was bored this afternoon, didn't have time to do a scout report (and hate start/stopping them) so ahead of the January window decided to search some of the players names I'd looked at on Twitter to see if they were linked to any clubs in the January window to see if my Next Step and Potental levels were accurate. Decided to turn it into a full on review so here we go! No links but came 2nd in St Patricks player of the month award last month. Not sure if he's allowed to join another club until he's 18 so a while to go yet. Was named in Uruguays provisional squad for the WC but didn't make the final cut. Only club being linked are Botafogo in Brazil, baffling really as he's got such a useful skillset for a top 5 league and shouldn't cost much at all. No links. No links. No definitive links but apparently he'll be moving in January. Has been training with the national team this week and could maybe sneak a spot at the WC. No links. Palmeiras (top team in the Brazil), River Plate and Norwich all linked. Called up to the National Team for the first time. Linked with various clubs in Brazil. European clubs are sleeping if they let him go to Brazil first. No links No links but in the provisional Ghanian squad for the WC (although apparently won't make the final cut) No links. No links. Linked with Real Madrid (along with Endrick - doubt they'll get both though!) No links but called up to the Brazilian U20 national team which is pretty big for someone in Serie B. Imagine he'll move in January. No links Might leave in January according to the Colombian press, no names linked though. No links No links No links. Linked to Fluminese (Matheus Martins replacement?). Trying to convince Casa Pia to take a look at him. No links Being linked with a move to Norway (Rosenborg) No links but won the leagues young player of the year award a couple of days ago so imagine clubs are switched onto him! No links No links
Name: Maxim Dekker Club: AZ Alkmaar Nationality: Netherlands Position: CB Birthday: 21/04/2004 (18) Height: 190cm (6"3) Foot: Left Contract: 30th June 2026 Estimated cost: €7-9m https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/maxim-dekker/profil/spieler/646704 Tactical role + team details: AZ are one of the better teams in the Netherlands, finishing in the top 6 for the last 9 consecutive seasons and are currently 4th in the league and have won their group in the Europa Conference League. They typically play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Dekker most frequently used as a left centre back. He joined the AZ academy in 2017 aged 13 and signed his first professional contract in August 2020. He's been capped at youth level at every age range for the Netherlands from U15-U19 and is a current member of the U19 team. This is first full season with the first team (making played 1 game for the senior team last season), having mostly played for Jong AZ in the Dutch second tier last season. Attacking Phase: Plays a lot of long balls to the channels and to the centre-forward - the technique and power in his long-range passing looked good, however the passes were slow to travel and lacked accuracy. Didn't look much of a threat when attacking set-pieces Build Up Phase: Keeps it very simple when passing over short distances often passing to the left-back or the other centre-back and rarely tried to progress the ball into midfield. I felt he had a very heavy touch when receiving the ball and spent too long when on the ball allowing him to get pressed which limited his options - this however could be tactical (to invite the press) as he looked better moving and progressing the ball whenever a DM dropped in to form a back 3. Frequently dropped deep to receive the ball rather than playing closer to the opposition, but was always willing to receive the ball and always looked to find space ready to receive the ball. Defensive Phase: Good timing and ability in aerial duels although he wasn't dominant in the air, was often too focused on the ball in the build-up to an aerial duel and lacked a bit of awareness about opponent players wanting to challenge. Was very solid in 1 vs 1s, where he got tight and rarely got turned. Defensive positioning and awareness to danger was good with him often reacting to opposition runs ahead of his defensive partners although his pace and build made him look awkward when dealing with passes and quick runs in behind him. Looked to mostly pressure the opponent rather than make tackles/interceptions, I felt he could be more aggressive when trying to win the ball back by trying to put a foot in more often. Physical: Used his body well in duels, good strength in 1 vs 1s. Was good enough in the air but far from dominant. Looked very awkward when having to turn quickly, pace was also sometimes an issue although I'd say he's quick enough for most teams. Limitations: Pace and agility are potential limitations holding him back that are unlikely to improve. Coachable Aspects To Improve: Time spent on the ball, decision making when picking passes + defensive aggression. Next Step: Interestingly I didn't rate his build-up play or passing too much but the data seems to suggest he's much better at it than I rated him which I thought was odd as that usually sticks out pretty well! I liked lots of his defensive game though but think he needs another season in the Eredivisie before moving on. I would've put his potential as a 6 but seeing his data I'll move it up to a 7. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Reids, I'd be interested to hear how you evaluate decision making speed. Watching some League 1 and 2 games, one of the key things that became obvious was how the players are fractionally slower in making decisions which sometimes prevents a particular pass or whatever being possible. Top class players are able to evaluate a situation much more quickly. This is all before the technical ability to carry out the action. If a prospect has good technical skills but poor decision making skills can decision making be coached? Similarly, is a player with good decision making but less good technical skills worth the risk?
I think it can be coached. I was never particularly good at playing football, but I read a paper on the art of scanning (basically constantly looking around every couple of seconds and taking pictures of where everyone is) and how often the elite players do it (there's a good video on it here - https://twitter.com/GeirJordet/status/1448546000897982473?t=oOxcDqhVmSx3zwzuKBQA1g&s=19). After reading this and reading how much of a difference it makes I realised I didn't do this much at all so made a conscious decision to try and put it into practice. It took a good year for it to become second nature but it most definitely improved my decision making and speed of thought significantly, which improved my overall game. This is something I look for in scouting players as well, especially in CMs and CBs, CBs when defending is always a good one to look for, Watfords CBs are appalling at it and basically never check their shoulders when backtracking. I think this depends too much on the circumstances to answer properly, would depend on age vs the financial aspects of the transfer vs the qualities of the player vs the system used to try and find the right fit!
Name: Konstantinos Koulierakis Club: PAOK (Greece) Nationality: Greek Position: CB Birthday: 28/11/2003 (18) Height: 185cm (6"1) Foot: Left Contract: 31st December 2025 Estimated cost: €10m https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/konstantinos-koulierakis/profil/spieler/669380 Tactical role + team details: PAOK are one of the top teams in Greece, finishing 2nd in 20/21 and 21/22 and are currently 3rd after 13 games played. They typically play a 4231 formation, although have also played a 442 at times this season. Koulierakis often plays the left sided CB, he has played 75% of available minutes so far this season, playing 874 minutes. This is his first season in the first team, playing 1936 minutes for PAOK II in the Greek Super League 2 last season. He is a product of the PAOK academy, which he joined at 13 years old. He has been capped at U16, U17, U19 and has recently made his debut for the senior Greek national team on the 17th November 2022. Attacking Phase: Was comfortably venturing beyond the halfway line on the ball, but didn't attempt too many dribbles or positioning himself too aggresively. Posed a good threat from set-pieces, winning a good number of headers - also took some direct free kicks for PAOK II and the U19 Greek national team Build Up Phase: Good technique and positioning when receiving the ball and always looked to move himself into a good position to receive the ball. When on the ball he'd either try a long chipped pass or keep it simple with a short range pass to the LB or his CB partner. In his long-range passing he showed great technique and power in his ability to strike a ball, with good accuracy to match. His passing over short distances was also very good, with a good but mostly safe choice of pass and speed of thought, however when put under pressure he frequently went long when better short passing options were available. Would've liked him to take a few more risks progressing the ball into midfield as he looked good when he did attempt this but the number of attempts to do this were rare, despite looking like he has the skillset to do so. Defensive Phase: Had instinctive reading of the game and awareness to danger with fantastic decision making of what to do in each situation that frequently ended in a positive outcome for his team. I felt he was weak against dribblers in 1 vs 1 situations though, getting beaten too often and conceding a penalty in a recent game. Strong tackler, wasn't afraid to get stuck in. Looked vocal and showed good maturity in giving instructions to team-mates. Good strength when using his body to shield attackers and when tight to the attacker was rarely beaten by a turn. Physical: Very impressive pace and was rarely beaten in a race. Very strong in the air with a good leap and good accuracy in retaining possession after an aerial duel. Good strength and agility. Limitations: I don't think there was a single flaw in his game that couldn't be improved by coaching. Coachable Aspects To Improve: Better choice of pass when pressed. Look to play a bit more progressively into midfield. Next Step: Despite not even playing a full 10 games of senior domestic football I was very very impressed by Koulierakis and would be surprised if some big clubs weren't already paying very close attention to how the rest of his season goes. Bundesliga would be a great next step for him, but Serie A would also be a good fit for his next move. His physicality and build is perfect and he showed a lot of desirable attributes for such a young CB. Definitely one to watch. Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
Name: Adrian Ascues Club: Deportivo Municipal (Peru) Nationality: Peruvian Position: Attacking Midfield/Central Midfield Birthday: 15/11/2002 (20) Height: N/A Foot: Left Contract: December 2022 Estimated cost: Free (would estimate his value to be €600k if his contract wasn't expiring) https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/adrian-ascues/profil/spieler/810550 Tactical role + team details: Deportivo Municipal are a lower to mid-table team in the top division in Peru, they finished 14th in the 2022 season, 7th in 2021 and 15th in 2020. They most frequently play a 4231 formation, with Ascues most frequently used as an attacking midfielder, although he's been used in a variety of positions including central midfield, on the wings and as a striker. He has played 72% of the minutes available, starting 89% of Deportivo Municipals games. He's scored 9 goals this season (including 4 goals from 4 penalties) with 2 assists. He joined Deportivo Municipal aged 13 years old and made his first team debut aged 17. He has been capped at U23 level for Peru. Attacking Phase: Very confident player in the final third, likes to take players on and has a great change of direction and very quick feet that enabled him to regularly take on multiple players or get away from situations in tight spaces. Tries to play a through-ball behind the defence to the striker frequently, with timing and weight of pass used - would be a good option for a team with a lot of pace in attack. Confident striker of the ball, not afraid to take shots and had a good variety of of shots. Did try too many long shots that were very inaccurate or a poor choice to shoot, although did have good power and generally good technique in his long shots. Set-piece taker for his team, taking lots of corners with good accuracy to a variety of locations as well as taking direct free kicks and penalties. His penalties in particular are a highlight, hitting them with power and good accuracy, regularly hitting them to the top corner. Build Up Phase: Frequently tries to make things happen when he had the ball, playing a good number creative forward passes and chipped passes to the wings, with good accuracy. Was a bit guilty of standing around after playing a pass, when moving to a new position to receive the ball or make a run would've been a better choice. Generally took up good positions to receive though Defensive Phase: Aggressive presser who likes to constantly snap at the opponents heels. Good awareness of cutting out passing lanes, although was drawn to the ball too frequently which sometimes let the opponent play round him and the midfield too easily. Not great at tackling but was effective at his pressing. Physical: Good build - was strong with good pace and agility, however was very poor in the air. Limitations: Aerially poor. Coachable Aspects To Improve: Shot locations. Defensive awareness. Look to receive again after making a pass. Next Step: With his contract expiring at the end of the month (didn't realise until I'd finished writing all this and decided to do a twitter search for him - otherwise I would've picked someone else!), I can't imagine he'll be short of suitors - who doesn't want a high pressing, creative attacking midfielder who scores goals? A club in Portugal or Brazil would suit him perfectly. Reminded me a lot of a rawer version of Asprilla! Current Level: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful Potential: 10 - Champions League level player 9 - Top Half PL player 8 - PL player 7 - Top half player in Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 6 - Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/Ligue 1 Player 5 - Top Championship player 4 - Championship player 3 - League 1 player 2 - League 2 player 1 - Awful
[QUOTE="reids, post: 3193018, member: 5411"]I think it can be coached. I was never particularly good at playing football, but I read a paper on the art of scanning (basically constantly looking around every couple of seconds and taking pictures of where everyone is) and how often the elite players do it (there's a good video on it here - https://twitter.com/GeirJordet/status/1448546000897982473?t=oOxcDqhVmSx3zwzuKBQA1g&s=19). After reading this and reading how much of a difference it makes I realised I didn't do this much at all so made a conscious decision to try and put it into practice. It took a good year for it to become second nature but it most definitely improved my decision making and speed of thought significantly, which improved my overall game. This is something I look for in scouting players as well, especially in CMs and CBs, CBs when defending is always a good one to look for, Watfords CBs are appalling at it and basically never check their shoulders when backtracking. I think this depends too much on the circumstances to answer properly, would depend on age vs the financial aspects of the transfer vs the qualities of the player vs the system used to try and find the right fit![/QUOTE] Not sure if it is coached now but I did all my badges about 20 years ago and the guy running the course was very big on this, especially midfielders as in general they need to scan both ways. He said Bryan Robson was a master of knowing what was going on around him. I think there is video of Frank Lampard scanning his surroundings and it's incredible to watch
Linked with a move to Glasgow Rangers. https://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2022/11/ryan-porteous-to-rangers-hibernian-star-to-leave-easter-road/
Looks like he's joining RB Bragantino (Red Bulls Brazilian team) for about €7m despite a last minute bid from Barcelona. Bit surprised he's not coming straight to Europe, but that's a great staging ground to test him in a better league before the inevitable move to Leipzig or Salzburg.
Red Bull and the City group are parasites. RB tried to set up a team in Argentina. They were told to politely get lost.
I think the Brazilian league also had a rule about outside investors up until very recently. But that's now changed and the vultures are circling, Chelsea and City apparently looking at buying Brazilian teams, the group I work for have bought one as well that I've been working for over the last few months
Once upon a time Pele and Co were effectively banned from leaving the country to ply their trade, how times change...
Only a matter of time before Red Bull pick up an English side. Obvious choice would be MK Dons - or RB Dons.
Confirmed to be joining Sporting Cristal (one of the top teams in Peru). Gutted I found him so late and surprised there wasn't interest from Europe, although maybe the fact he was playing for a poor team in Peru put them off. If he has a good season next year then i'd be shocked if there isn't European interest.
@reids - happened upon any up-coming right backs who'd be good enough to play for Watford already with room to improve?
Juan Jose Mina was the only RB i've looked at (https://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/scouting-thread.59642/page-2#post-3180437). I liked his overall potential but he's so very very raw still and i'm not convinced he's ready for the Championship. I've not got much on this week (well, basically not working till January now) so i'll do a big project: look at the stats of the best full backs in the world to work out the metrics to look for, compare them to their first season in football, use data to narrow down the list of potentials and realistic targets and then use video to get down to a small list of 2/3 that I think will go on to big things.
