The Mezzala In Midfield

Originally Published 26th May 2022.

Consistent value is found in recruiting players who have expiring contracts as they are often under-appreciated or under-utilised within a specific formation or style and require a fresh environment to flourish in. The football economic cycle is structured towards contracts expiring at the end of June, meaning clubs can engage in negotiation talks with soon to be unattached players once the season comes to an end in May. However, many clubs list their released list towards the end of May to restrict their rivals gaining an upper hand in conducting negotiations with free agents sooner. Therefore, teams have to conduct their operations in a swift manner and typically in a highly competitive market due to the reduced associated cost without a transfer fee resulting in greater demand. This is arguably very prudent in the Championship whereby the quality of player is still very high.

Luton Town are an example of a club who have gained significant value and subsequent success in the Championship when recruiting free agents. Evidenced by the club finishing 6th within the Play-offs this campaign, the team is littered with free signings such as such as Amari’i Bell (42 league starts, from Blackburn) Reece Burke (27 league starts, from Hull) and Kal Naismith (44 league starts, from Wigan). Thus, it can be shown a club can be prosperous by utilising free-agents particularly from fellow Championship sides.

This article will focus solely on attempting to secure a Championship free agent (player from a Championship team within the 2021-22 season) capable of playing as either a first-choice Left-Back (LB) or a Left Wing-Back (LWB) at another Championship side. Long gone are the days of all clubs utilising a flat back four so it is practical to search for a player functional within the Wing-Back role. Only a handful of Championship clubs adopted a back four more frequently than a back three/five (depending on your view of wing-backs) within the 2021-22 season after all.

The Candidates:

Name	Age	Current Club	Nationality	Height	Weight
Kristian Pedersen	27 (04.08.1994)	Birmingham City	Danish	6’2″	83kg
Jérémie Bela	29 (08.04.1993)	Birmingham City	Angolan	5’8″	71kg
Callum O’Dowda	27 (23.04.1995)	Bristol City	Irish	5’11”	75kg
Ciaron Brown	24 (14.01.1998)	Cardiff City	Northern Irish	6’1″	76kg
Lee Buchanan	21 (07.03.2001)	Derby County	English	5’9″	67kg
Craig Forsyth	33 (24.02.1989)	Derby County	Scottish	6’2″	83kg
Harry Toffolo	26 (19.08.1985)	Huddersfield Town	English	6’0″	71kg
Neil Taylor	33 (07.02.1989)	Middlesborough	Welsh	5’9″	64kg
Murray Wallace	29 (10.01.1993)	Millwall	Scottish	6’2″	75kg
Harrison Burrows	20 (12.01.2002)	Peterborough United	English	5’11”	68kg
Lee Wallace	34 (01.08.1987)	QPR	Scottish	5’11”	75kg

(The 2021-22 Championship Free Agent LB-LWB Candidates as of 20.05.2022-teams may have since re-signed a player)

Due to the potential re-sell value, age and declining ability of Craig Forsyth, Neil Taylor and Lee Wallace; they will be ruled out for recruitment purposes as they should only be used as rotational pieces within a Championship squad next season.

Ciaron Brown is also an unsuitable player to recruit for a first-choice role as has not garnered enough experience in the Championship and is more suited to League One for next season where he showed glimpses on loan at Oxford United within the 21-22 campaign.

Meanwhile, it is expected Harry Toffolo will re-sign for Huddersfield Town after the completion of the Play-Off Final in which he will likely start the game. If he is unable to reach an agreement with Huddersfield then a host of Premier League sides should enquire about his services as he has demonstrated quality to play reasonable minutes for a lower Premier League side. If not then a Championship team with Play-Off ambitions should swoop for him.

Furthermore, Murray Wallace featured significantly for Millwall as LCB within a back three rather than playing regularly as a LWB within the 21-22 season. His profile is arguably much more suited to this role, as he is a weak crosser of the ball and has limited dribbling ability whilst being very adept in defensive and aerials duels.

Therefore, that leaves Pedersen, Bela, O’Dowda, Buchanan and Burrows as reasonable recruitment options for a pending free-agent LWB-LB Championship player.

Kristian Pedersen

Kristian Pedersen appeared in 37 Championship games for Birmingham City this season playing a total of 3,506 minutes. Pedersen has been a regular for the side since joining from Union Berlin in the summer of 2018 for a fee of £2.2 million, featuring at least 35 times in all four Championship seasons since showing solid experience for the league. Across this season, Pedersen played multiple games at LCB, LB and LWB showing his versatility. The data below includes minutes played across all positions he played within the 21-22 season (same applies to other players data percentile bar charts below).

The Danish international is a very strong defensive option as ranked highly in defensive duels and aerial duels compared to his positional peers. Pedersen is a rather active front-footed defender as evidenced by 8.93 PAdJ (possession adjusted) Interceptions per 90. His grand total of 89 interceptions was the second highest of all Championship players, an impressive figure despite missing nine games, thus showing how aggressive he is in open-play and implies an adequate level of positioning present in defensive areas. Unfortunately, his aggressive nature has its drawbacks as Pedersen was booked 11 times and caught out of position numerous times in the build-up to opposition goals. His high frequency of successful defensive actions are almost unmatched by his LB/LWB contemporaries. Pedersen uses his large frame well to outmanoeuvre opponents in duels and shows functional body orientation and competent lateral movement to cover ground.

In possession, Pedersen is serviceable but not spectacular. His first touch is fairly loose often requiring multiple touches to settle the ball and is uncomfortable receiving the ball in tight spaces when he cuts inside. Pedersen’s stance when collecting the ball is arguably too narrow and should open his frame up to create more potential passing angles. Pedersen generally chooses the simple pass available rather than searching for a more penetrative ball to his teammates. This is revealed by the above numbers reflective of a player who lacks progressive tendencies in possession. Surprisingly, Pedersen’s dribbling statistics are adequate, however this is born out of his large frame shielding the ball rather than immense technical quality.

Pedersen is not a frequent crosser of the ball, mainly due to Birmingham’s system. However, he exhibits valuable accuracy at 37.5% of his 48 crosses this season often finding the principal target. That said, this is noticeable due to opponent’s given him a decent amount of time on the ball to pick out a cross as his rather static movement doesn’t require much defensive attention compared to his team-mates so is viewed as a slight afterthought in the final third. This was demonstrated by a stunning solo goal in his last game for Birmingham whereby Blackburn didn’t track his surging run after a give-and go from which he calmly finished.

Situated at 6’2″ alongside his defensive duel success and reduced impact with the ball at his feet, Pedersen may be more beneficial transitioning into a LCB within a back three where his ungainly agility is not utilised as frequently at LB/LWB and has more time to pick out a pass. However, his versatility is a significant tool as can cover numerous positions to a good standard. Despite this, it is unlikely he will stay within the Championship due to an inconsistent 21-22 season and relatively high wage demands; he was on roughly £15,000 a week at Birmingham. A return to Germany towards a lower level Bundesliga side or to one of Denmark’s top teams is more realistic rather than returning to the Championship.

Jérémie Bela

Jérémie Bela totalled 2,457 minutes across 31 league games this season for Birmingham City. Bela split time between the LW, LWB and LB roles but mainly operated at LWB despite featuring predominantly as a LW in his two previous years at the Midlands outfit. Bela moved from Spanish second side Albacete in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer after scoring 12 goals in the league so was seen as a shrewd investment on paper, however he has arguably been misused during his tenure at Birmingham City.

Bela’s profile acts as large contrast to his Birmingham team-mate Pedersen and his unfamiliarity in defensive positions was evident in his play this season. Bela’s small frame, reduced physicality and lack of positional understanding caused Birmingham many defensive issues in 21-22. Bela was often caught out too wide from his LCB creating a huge gap for the opposition to expose. To Bela’s credit his defensive duel success rate was 54.2% despite his frame showing perhaps a strong desire alongside good orientation within duels. However, this is a low number in comparison to his positional peers at LB/LWB, a case also present in his minimal successful defensive actions per 90. Arguably, this shouldn’t be a large criticism of Bela but more a critique of Lee Bowyer for putting a player with little experience of the role and unsuitable physical stature in at LWB/LB.

Bela is an attacking threat with a pronounced ability to drive the ball and beat an opponent off a dribble. Bela looks to frequently beat his man displayed by 5.09 dribble attempts per 90 of which he has a 54.7% success rate. Bela’s movement is not predictable as he can cut inside on his favoured right-foot or can take the ball towards the byline on his left; showing fluidity in his attacking approach. After a dribble move, Bela is very keen to utilise the free space he runs into and frequently produces crosses once he has space. Bela doesn’t demonstrate effective accuracy of his crosses as too often over-hits balls to the opposing wing-back. Bela is an extremely useful progressive runner with the ball, exploiting his low centre of gravity and quick acceleration to create a variety of meaningful chances evidenced by a combined XG+XA per 90 of 0.27.

In possession, Bela regular panics on the ball when pressurised and his general passing needs refinement. Similarly, to his crossing, Bela is guilty over-hitting basic passes and is rather static in terms of movement. He does not move enough to free himself up to receive the ball or moves too close to the ball-carrier enabling the opposition to tighten up.

Overall, Bela arguably has the profile to be positioned as a LW however he can fill in at LWB at times, but this should not be his primary position due to his frame, uncertainty around positioning and attacking influence. If Bela was to feature at LWB he would have to be positioned alongside a very defensively astute LCB with suitable mobility to cover Bela’s over-adventurous runs. Likewise to Pedersen it would be surprising to see Bela back in a Championship unit. His wages are a stumbling block, as he was on a reported £13,000 a week at the Blues. If he were to move to a Championship side, playing in a counter-attack heavy side would be beneficial as a LW but could feature as a LWB in a more dominant side where his defensive fragilities would be less frequently threatened.

Callum O’Dowda

Callum O’Dowda endured yet another frustrating season in Bristol City colours, culminating in a rather dismal end to a five-year association with the club. O’Dowda, who was once viewed as a huge coup following his £1+ million move from Oxford United, has been blighted by injuries, extensive competition and numerous managers unsure on his best position. O’Dowda only featured in 1,355 minutes across 20 games this league campaign in which he featured very intermittently. A contract extension was conceivable between November and February when he started 13 out of a possible 14 games at LWB, suggesting the switch to the position from more attacking areas was benefitting O’Dowda. However, the Republic of Ireland international didn’t play a single minute after the start of February following a six-week injury; the type of setback illustrative of his time at Bristol City.

Having played mainly as a winger on either flank, though more capable on the left, O’Dowda only really played significant minutes at LWB this season and his past attacking inclinations are clear to see. O’Dowda is a very comfortable dribbler who relishes 1v1 battles. Employing a range of manoeuvres such as feints, stepovers and shoulder drops, O’Dowda is rather menacing when driving with the ball which is evidenced by a 61% success rate across 3.92 dribbles per 90 this season, although he could be more penetrative towards the opposition’s box. A good level of ball control and sharp turning cycle enable him to gain an advantage on his marker, subsequently creating separation and producing frequent crosses. Crossing and minimal build-up play was promoted by Nigel Pearson last season, akin to his Leicester side, and O’Dowda dutifully provided as shown by 4.25 crosses per 90 with an adequate accuracy of 31.3%. O’Dowda’s attacking inclinations are further revealed by a combined XG+XA of 0.20 per 90 however, this only equated to one goal and zero assists all season showing a distinct lack of final ball quality.

Defensively, O’Dowda as a LWB is dependable enough. He exhibits decent posture during duels, shows good willingness and commitment to winning the ball back despite hardly ever playing in a defensive role before this season, as shown by a defensive duel success rate of 59.8%. Aerially he is suspect and can be exploited with switches towards his LWB region of the pitch and at 5’11” he is hardly a small target.

In possession his last season at Bristol City featured numerous poor displays with the ball despite previously being regarded as an adequate passer of the ball. O’Dowda is comfortable playing passes with either foot and is strong at clipping balls diagonally to the other side of the pitch. This season in small confined spaces and when pressurised his accuracy was insufficient and wasteful. This has to be taken into the context of the system O’Dowda played in and the positional unfamiliarity he had in the LWB role. Pearson primarily preferred a quick passing game with little emphasis on holding possession for long periods of time which contributes to O’Dowda’s poor passing stats in 21-22. The Robins had the 4th least average possession of only 45% this season. Furthermore, O’Dowda’s previous season passing stats reflect a more accurate player in this aspect.

Championship Season	Passes per 90	Passing Accuracy	Progressive Passes per 90	Progressive Passes Accuracy
2021-2022	20.32	67.3%	4.05	65.6%
2020-2021	29.61	81.9%	3.55	66.7%
2019-2020	27.69	77.0%	3.90	63.6%
2018-2019	25.81	76.0%	3.63	69.6%

Overall, O’Dowda does have the frame and profile to be an effective LWB although he needs to sure up in possession. O’Dowda’s athleticism would likely benefit from being involved within a higher-pressing system at LWB as at Bristol City they played a mixture of low-block and mid-block with reduced pressing responsibilities. Over the years he has shown he lacks the finishing quality to be played as a consistent LW so perhaps LWB would be more tailored to his skillset. The Irishman was reportedly on around £8,000 a week so represents an affordable option and certainly has the capabilities to maraud down the left flank at LWB and still offer defensive protection.

Lee Buchanan

Thrust into the starting line-up last year at Derby County side, Lee Buchanan has made the LB position his property over the last two seasons. He aggregated 2,419 minutes across the season, it would have been significantly more if injuries did not prevent him, overtaking fellow free-agent Craig Forsyth as the number one LB at Pride Park in Wayne Rooney’s back four. Despite his youthful age, Buchanan has shown great levels of maturity and Derby will be wishing their ongoing takeover is completed before the 30th June as they can potentially activate a year extension for Buchanan, although Buchanan may feel he should be playing a step ahead of League One.

Defensively, Buchanan is a rock despite his relative inexperience, age and lack of size. A defensive duel success rate of 68.9% cannot be understated. Buchanan is adept at either tackling the ball-carrier early or waiting for the opponent to make the first move and sticking in a leg to poke the ball away. This is only going to improve with more coaching and first-team minutes, but it seems Buchanan has already found a nice balance between exhibiting patience and being proactively aggressive. Aerially he is no slouch either and adopts a front-footed approach typically to intercept the ball with a high frequency with little fuss. Furthermore, his overall positioning is strong and was not repeatedly caught too high up the pitch in defensive transitions which a lot of young LB’s are guilty of.

Moving further forwards, Buchanan does have room for improvement, but it has to be reminded that he is only 21. Buchanan is confident at overlapping and does not shy away from offering himself as an outlet in attack. His assist against Fulham showed he has the speed, confidence and final quality to produce a cross into the danger area. His dribbling ability is decent and can suck in an opponent before moving away with his quick bursts of acceleration. Despite this, Buchanan has to swing in crosses from deep and byline positions with more composure and accuracy as often does not look up enough before whipping balls in, resulting in a low cross completion rate of 19.0%. As well as this, his first touch can be sloppy and depends on his favoured left-foot too much so creates unnecessary danger which may be exposed more if the opposition are receptive to this.

Overall, Buchanan has shown plenty of potential and quality to suggest he could play in the Premier League so a move back into the Championship would be wise. However, a move to a team utilising a back four would likely be more suitable so he can sure up on his attacking play rather than be forced to learn on the job as a LWB who garner much more attacking responsibilities. His situation however is very dependent on Derby’s takeover situation so he could quickly become re-signed rather than being an available free agent.

Harrison Burrows

The youngest out of the five outlined options is Peterborough United’s Harrison Burrows. Totalling 2,831 minutes this season, Burrows predominantly played as a LWB in a 3-4-1-2/3-4-2-1, although did feature as an attacking midfielder or left-sided centre midfielder too. Ultimately, it was an unsuccessful season for the Posh but Burrows showed signs of quality particularly going forward where he has more experience in previous seasons.

As evidenced below, Burrows comparatively, has strong end quality which is further demonstrated by a total of 3 goals and 7 assists (3.10 XG and 4.08 XA), an impressive return for a team with only 43 goals in their 46 league games. Both Grant McCann and Darren Ferguson have utilised Burrows in a multitude of positions yet he has shown goal contributions from all of these, however his versatility has potentially been a drawback to his consistency, or lack of.

Burrows is a strong dribbler who has a variety of skills which enable him to penetrate zones inside as well as being adept at overlapping and maintaining width outside as is left-footed on the left-flank. Overall, Burrows has a good appreciation of space and can attack the by-line or cut inside well. From these locations, Burrows is able at producing a high-level of crosses with good accuracy, especially on-the run with a low-whipped delivery beating the defenders with curve into the box away from his left-foot. His decision-making needs large improvement, he takes too many shots from inefficient areas and sometimes crosses the ball aimlessly.

In possession, Burrows orientates his body well to receive the ball and displays a strong understanding of where to pass next. His first touch is usually crisp and his trick dribbling feet are translatable to his general ball control, although arguably tries too much in possession in a side with few quality ball-players.

However, Burrows is a bit of a mess defensively at times. His one-on-one defending is disappointing and gets turned in and out frequently as holds a too narrow stance as well as never getting tight enough. Committing 0.99 fouls a game, he is too slow to an on-coming dribbler and brings them down unnecessarily. Positionally, Burrows is susceptible to the counter-attack and the opposition continually exploited this area of unguarded space this season.

Ultimately, Burrows’ profile is more suited to a LW role and currently should only act as cover for LWB rather than be a genuine option unless serious coaching changes his defensive behaviour. Nonetheless, he is a young player with genuine pace, technical ability on the ball who offers tactical elasticity across several positions with over 75 appearances for Peterborough.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I believe Callum O’Dowda would be the best LWB option to implement straight away into a Championship side due to his reasonable likely wage of c.£8,000 a week, experience within the league, commitment to defending, ideal frame and strong attacking qualities. However, clubs need to be fearful of his injury record so it is advisable to partner him with a reliable LB/LWB option. He is likely capable of playing as a LB but would be better served as a LWB. Furthermore, at 27 he should be in his prime but won’t offer a sizeable sell-on value. Perhaps teams like Birmingham City, Coventry City and Reading should go for O’Dowda.

Lee Buchanan represents significant quality as a LB right now in the Championship and has Premier League potential alongside a possibility of a massive sell-on value if he is available on a free transfer. Refining his attacking and transitional qualities are necessary as defensively he is already at a high standard. Despite this, until Derby County’s financial situation is made clearer it is unknown if he will be accessible as a free agent or not.

Harrison Burrows also has tremendous potential but his skillset is currently directed to being a LW unless robust and quality training is directed to his defensive game. Pedersen and Bela are both very capable of continuing to play in the Championship however it is unlikely either will. Due to Pedersen’s likely wage demands and ambitions he surely is more of a fit in another league and as a LCB in a back three. Similarly, Bela is more suited to a LW role rather than a LWB/LB.

Thank you for reading,

George

All Statistics courtesy of WyScout.com unless stated. All Statistics up to date as of 20.05.2022 and reflect the 2021-2022 Championship unless stated.

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