BoroMart
Well-known member
He is the best forward at the club when out of possession. He knows the art of closing down, which isn't simply about running around lots. It's about pressing the ball into certain parts of the pitch, and then leading the team to press. It's about reading and cutting off the safe passing lines, to force the opposition to play a risky pass that can be intercepted, a difficult pass that can go out of play, or to loft it forward leaving the defenders favourites to regain possession.
He is the best of our strikers at dropping into the 10 spot and holding the ball under pressure, then dribbling it out of traffic or spinning it out wide. That pulls CBs out of position and creates space, it also gives us tie to get our wing backs from a defensive role into a more advanced one.
His big failures are not running in behind enough, and poor finishing and controlling the high ball under pressure....but then play it to his feet or at least below his chest and he will get between defender and ball and hold it up. It's a team failure to play it to his head.
Now I'm not saying the lad is a superstar, he isn't, he has plenty to improve. I do believe he would not get the grief he does if he had a regular striker partner scoring and him being the foil but he should score more absolutely. He should look to get in behind a lot more.
