Originally Published May 19th 2021.
The furore of the planned European Super League, the vociferous outcry it produced from all those intertwined in club football’s historical DNA and its dramatic downfall have collectively dominated society’s conversation in recent weeks yet alone the bulk of global sporting headlines. Due to this astonishing amalgamation of events it has become seemingly easy to forget there is a scheduled European Championship only a matter of weeks away.
The landscape of modern club football may be on a knife edge but something surely even the powerful oligarchs of the capitalist wheel can’t disrupt is national football competitions. Even the most controversial institutions like FIFA cannot take away the purity of nationalistic pride, surprising continental coronations and the sheer pain whole countries are endangered with via the likes of the World Cup and the aforementioned European Championships. It is football heritage that even the most barbaric bandits in blazers cannot defraud society of.
1798 days.
1798 days would have passed when Turkey and Italy take the field since the most unlikely hero in Ederzito António Macedo Lopes, otherwise known as Eder, struck gold for Portugal against hosts France back in 2016. Since then it’s fair to say a lot has occurred. The postponement of the Championship from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the typical cycle from four to five years gifting players and coaches a whole 12 months more to develop or on the other hand dissolve.
Whilst there is great fanfare regarding the multitude of contenders expecting to reach the semi-final stage at a bare minimum, there is also a bevy of nations who will be envisaging a dream run of their own with a few potential ‘giant killings’ lying in wait. After all European Championships’ is one for shocks.
Despite winning the last coronation of the Championship, Portugal only won one game inside 90 minutes and were very much viewed as an outsider despite the mercurial talents within A Seleção’s ranks. More shockingly, Greece in 2004 and Denmark in 1992 stunned the continent with unimaginable victorious campaigns. Simply put the European Championship’s defies logic, the form guide and rankings more than most sporting tournaments.
Therefore, it felt appropriate to shine a spotlight on XI players who might not be ‘household’ names and may derive from less fancied nations but contain interesting profiles who could make a fascinating viewing come June.
Goalkeeper – Uğurcan Çakır – Turkey – Trabzonspor – 25 Years Old
Having started all three of Turkey’s recent World Cup Qualifiers in March, Uğurcan Çakır is the presumptive starter for the Euro’s having surpassed Mert Günok as the nation’s first choice goalkeeper. International merit is richly deserved considering Çakır’s strong performances over the last two seasons for Trabzonspor where he has arguably been the standout shot-stopper within the Turkish Süper Lig. A sign of his acclaim was dialogue surrounding a potential move to usurp Kepa Arrizabalaga at Chelsea, however the London club eventually decided to sign Edouard Mendy instead.
Despite this, another season on the Black Sea’s coast has improved Çakır’s stock significantly as the team’s stoic defensive displays had them finish second lowest in goals conceded within the Turkish SüperLig. The talisman to Trabzonspor’s defence is resoundingly Çakır who combines a 6’2″ frame with a large wingspan and nimble footwork. Statistically Çakır’s shot stopping ability is imperious. His total Süper Lig prevented goals figure of 11.97 is a remarkable figure that visibly demonstrates his over-arching qualities which ultimately all tie in to saving opposition chances.
Çakır’s reflexes mixed with strong footwork and flexibility mean he is able to fend off opposition shots at different levels. 47.4% were saves with reflexes suggesting he is comfortable with depending on his natural reactions to stop shots rather basing his game solely on intuitive positioning.
Çakır is often quick to shut down his opponents with a combination of smothers and sweeps which aid his one-on-one keeping when the situation to press arises. During these situations Çakır favours the ‘spread’ technique whereby the goalkeeper attempts to take away as much of the goal’s surface from the attacker as possible with the use of a proactive larger stance. Typically, Çakır pressurises well but can be prone to closing down players too soon leaving himself at risk of opposition feints.
In possession, Çakır is encouraged to play regular long balls especially passes that have the potential to start counter-attacks for Trabzonspor. At national level this could be a useful tool for Turkey considering Burak Yılmaz’s penchant for finishing counter-attacks for club side Lille this season. Çakır is the opposite to being a risk averse player, rarely settling for a straight-forward lateral pass to this teammates. In comparison to Mert Günok, Çakır’s overall passing accuracy is much lower at 79.0% in contrast to Günok’s 87.3% although this is inherently by design of Trabzonspor’s tactical set up. This perhaps is an area to improve on given the progressive ball-playing nature of several Turkish’ defenders such as Ozan Kabak, Çağlar Söyüncü and Merih Demiral who can all exploit the opposition if provided the ball more frequently from the goalkeeper.
Overall, Çakır should be an interesting watch behind the talented Turkish backline at the upcoming Euro’s presuming he is the starting goalkeeper. Group games against Italy, Wales and Switzerland present a wealth of attacking quality where Çakır’s reflexes and anticipation will be tested. It shouldn’t be a surprise if a Champions League calibre team comes calling if Çakır has a strong championship with the Crescent-Stars having possibly outgrown a Turkish Süper Lig team who finished fourth.
(hint hint AC Milan)…
Left-Back – Owen Wijndal – Netherlands – AZ Alkmaar- 21 Years Old
Another player perhaps viewed as arriving late to the European Championship cycle is Netherland’s Owen Wijndal considering he made his national team debut only in October 2020. Whilst international experience is not on the left-back’s side, technical and physical skills certainly are.
Having joined AZ Alkmaar at 10 years old, Wijndal has taken the well-trodden path through the club’s ranks having featured in over 50 leagues games for Jong AZ within the Tweede and Eerste divisions. Despite being thrown in at the deep end for his first AZ start in a 4-2 loss against PSV back in February 2017, Wijndal’s career has gone from strength to strength. Featuring in an exuberant AZ team crammed with talented youngsters such as Calvin Stengs, Teun Koopmeiners and Myron Boadu , Wijndal has shone under the guidance of Arne Slot and Pascal Jansen.
Although, Wijndal’s attacking responsibilities are in line with the modern full-back he is fairly efficient in the defensive phase. Operating in a possession orientated system at one of the Eredivisie’s most distinguished teams Wijndal does partake in less defensive actions than most but he has the capability to defend well when called upon. Wijndal’s mobility and footwork serve him well in defensive phases alongside keeping a decent upright posture although he struggles with over-aggressive tendencies.
Arguably, too tenacious within duels and pressures, Wijndal succumbs to poor-positioning frequently. Learning when to step out and when to ‘jockey’ backwards is critical for his development as he currently leaves too much space in behind him demonstrating a lack of awareness in the defensive third. This has been exploited by the higher ranked Dutch teams so almost certainly will be a zone where opposition teams in the Euro’s will look to capitalise on.
Wijndal exhibits a strong technical competence which fits into AZ’s fluid game plan via the use of frequent open body positioning, positive ball control and intelligent movement. Having formed successful partnerships along the left flank with first Oussama Idrissi and now Jesper Karlsson, Wijndal comes to the fore in the final third.
Using his quick feet in tandem with regular scanning (rather opposite to his lack of scanning in the defensive third), Wijndal manipulates the ball extremely well with successful dribbles and cleverly finding pockets of space between the lines via overlaps and underlaps. Using his outstanding acceleration and a mixture of running angles Wijndal is simply very difficult to keep track of. Wijndal’s intricate network of running pathways and speed facilitate time to compose himself on the ball to complete many shot-creating actions. Either whipping in sumptuous crosses out wide or executing pull-backs into the box, Wijndal has an arsenal of dangerous tools to exploit defences. 0.22 combined Eredivisie Expected Assists and Expected Goals per 90 this season is a concrete example of his final-third output.
At the Euro’s, Wijndal attacking contributions will provide Frank de Boer’s attack with another string to its bow. Harnessing a strong partnership with Oranje star Memphis Depay has got to be one of Wijndal’s primary objectives ahead of the Euro’s as the two combined have devastating potential. While his defensive skillset does have drawbacks, young left-backs are commonly associated with these problems. There is scope that international experience and greater coaching standards will slowly minimize Wijndal’s positional errors and curb his eagerness which should sufficiently sculpt a left-back capable of entering the world’s elite at the position.
Left Centre-Back-Nico Elvedi-Switzerland-Borussia Mönchengladbach-24 Years Old
Many Champions League and Europa League calibre teams would’ve been very disappointed at the news of Nico Elvedi signing a new contract in March, three months before his original contract was scheduled to end. That should indicate the stellar quality the Swiss defender possesses but even that level of praise falls short of poetic justice.
For Borussia Mönchengladbach’s objectives, tactical style and long-term plans it was candidly vital they kept Elvedi. Since arriving from FC Zürich in 2015, he has become a defensive mainstay featuring over 200 times at a Bundesliga team pushing for greater things evidenced by their fairly successful recent Champions League campaign. Playing in a consistent back four under Borussia Dortmund-bound Marco Rose has gifted Elvedi steadiness rarely provided at the top level which has been a springboard for his development. Now 24 years old Elvedi is undoubtedly one of the Bundesliga’s most talented centre-backs which will be pivotal for a Switzerland team who are surely viewed as dark horses at the Euro’s.
Simply put Elvedi is an outstanding athlete. Situated at 6’2″ and armed with the modern centre-back build, despite having more room to fill out, Elvedi is physically commanding overall. Combine his size with terrific mobility, functional sprint speed and fluid body orientation he has all the necessary physical traits. In defensive setups his footwork is solid especially when having to back-pedal against the swarms of counter-attacks that govern many Bundesliga outfits.
One area that Elvedi can improve upon though is his aerial duels. Despite having more than an adequate frame to compete, his aerial duel win rate of 54.6% is not ideal in a league that is not very equipped with colossal figures.
Borussia Mönchengladbach have found themselves exposed at times on the left-hand side due to Ramy Bensebaini being caught out of position. This has led to Elvedi relying on his athletic ability to cover large areas which has occasionally asked too much of him and subsequently left him isolated too. His positional sense is typically competent for a top league although this could exact issue could be replicated at an international stage due to Ricardo Rodríguez’s attacking desires.
With a PPDA (Passes allowed Per Defensive Action) of 12.60-11th highest in the Bundesliga, Gladbach’s press is not as intense as many would expect. Instead, they intelligently press via a structured mid-block with an emphasis on staying compact and covering half-spaces. This translates to Elvedi not having to be very aggressive so forays out of the defensive line to pressurise are infrequent. Elvedi patiently waits for the attack to come to him and defends his space with composure before performing an action. A Bundesliga duel success rate of 73.8% (6th highest of players with plus 400 minutes), demonstrates a strong defensive technique with an aptitude for well-timed challenges.
In possession, Elvedi is unmatched in efficiency for a centre-back and is very comfortable under pressure. Able to pass well from both feet, Elvedi enables the possibility of more passing lanes to be constructed via his ambidextrous ability. Pushing the ball into space and making a simple yet effective pass is his forte. A pass completion rate of 93.4% is only bettered by Axel Witsel in outfielders of over 400 minutes in this Bundesliga season. While this is born out of Gladbach’s system and Elvedi’s risk-averse approach there would be few centre-backs who could match his productivity.
However there are questions surrounding Elvedi’s ability to progress the ball. According to Statsbomb data via FBREF, Elvedi only ranks within the 20th percentile for progressive passes per 90 within his position across Europe’s Top 5 Leagues and European competitions. Quite rightly this is a concern as there is significant room for improvement in making more meaningful passes compared to his peers.
His long-range passing is also somewhat to be desired too with only a completion rate of 36.1% and an average of only 2.1 attempts per 90. Diagonal balls to the right side are again an area for improvement as consistency is sorely lacking which is disappointing given Gladbach’s preference to attack down the right. This could also hinder Switzerland’s progression into the right side, a zone they will surely wish to utilise due to the presence of Xherdan Shaqiri and Kevin Mbabu.
Nonetheless, Elvedi should make for a great viewing within this talented Swiss squad. Although his passing has scope to improve in to meet the modern demands of central defenders who are increasingly becoming tasked with progression, the bulk of Elvedi’s game is serviceable at the highest level. Elvedi’s defensive acumen, physical traits and composed nature place him close to the archetypal European centre-half which perhaps will come into greater fruition this summer.
Thank you for reading,
George
All Statistics courtesy of WyScout.com unless stated. All Statistics up to date as of 19.05.2021. All figures from player’s current domestic league season unless stated.
For Interactive Tableau Graph please go to:
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