Jason Molumby, the other player to see significant game time in Albion’s engine room this season, is yet to set up a goal, although he did score one away to Middlesbrough in February. Mowatt and Livermore chipped in with two each, highlighting their struggles to create from the middle of the pitch as Ismael prioritised the wide areas. It is the first of two Swift assists in that game. He executes the pass perfectly into Puscas’ path, who brings the ball into the box to fire past goalkeeper Lee Nicholls. …Swift swivels and spots the run of George Puscas, who has peeled away from his marker to create a passing avenue to the right half-space. Here’s an example, from Reading’s 4-3 loss to Huddersfield in January, of how Swift can effectively receive the ball on the half-turn to thread passes through to Albion’s forwards.Īfter receiving a pass from Danny Drinkwater…
Swift unlox license#
But with two water-carrier type players behind him in Mowatt and Livermore, Swift may have the license to save his energy for attacking productivity in a West Brom shirt. He is also a regular shooter, reflected in 11 league goals this season, and has a rating of 64/99 for xG from shot creation.ĭefensively, the data proves, he is not particularly dynamic, ranking below average in his position for all five defensive metrics. More of a dictator than an all-action midfielder, Swift prefers to break lines rather than carry the ball past opponents (as demonstrated by a low carry and dribble volume rating (19/99). Swift’s smarterscout pizza chart shows us he is an effective solution to Albion’s lack of line-breaking passing under Bruce, with a progressive passing rating of 77 out of 99 compared to similarly profiled players.
These ratings relate to either how often a player performs a given stylistic action (for example, the volume of shots per touch) or how effective they are at them (for example, how well they progress the ball upfield) compared with others at their position.
Swift unlox series#
West Brom held off significant interest from elsewhere to recruit the 26-year-old on a free transfer as his contract expires at fellow Championship side Reading - a signing that could transform an awkwardly assembled midfield into one that combines creativity and functionality to be one of the best in the division.Ī detailed way of looking at Swift’s profile is to use smarterscout, a site which gives players a series of ratings from zero and 99, a bit like the player ratings in the FIFA video games but powered by real data and advanced analytics. Yokuslu was helped in no small part by Matheus Pereira, arguably the most gifted player contracted to the club in the 21st century, who provided a quick link between defence and attack.Ĭreativity in the final third has been a rarity since the Brazilian swapped the West Midlands for Saudi club Al-Hilal in August. Without a true No 6 since Okay Yokuslu returned to Celta Vigo following his loan for the second half of the 2020-21 Premier League relegation season, the club have lacked a player with the quality to carry the ball from deep and break lines with incisive passing. Supporters have directed their ire towards an often ineffective duo in midfield but those two are workhorses, not creators. He became front and centre of West Brom’s attacking build-up play as they tried to transition away from their style under Ismael.Īlbion ended up with an approach that was neither attritional and high-pressing nor considered and strategic with Bruce. No longer was he asked to win the ball and release it in midfield. With Steve Bruce’s arrival as the new manager, Mowatt dropped deeper and his role changed. Since then, Mowatt, and midfield partner Livermore, have looked less accomplished. By early February, the Ismael era was over, leaving his successor with a specialist squad built to play his brand of football and incapable of breaking down low blocks. That strategy was a resounding success initially but it proved to be a false dawn. In Ismael’s 3-4-3 system, Mowatt lined up alongside Jake Livermore in the heart of a battling midfield, using his cultured left foot to sweep balls out wide to Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson or Grady Diangana whenever Albion’s high press was successful.
0 kommentar(er)
