More giraffes
Tosin Adarabioyo is making the short trip from Craven Cottage to Fulham Road to become Chelsea’s first signing on a free transfer, at the expiry of his Fulham FC contract.
Little bits of Trevoh Chalobah, and Josh Acheampong as well.
This newsletter also aims at identifying guidelines and benchmarks to look at centre backs.
One giraffe can hide another
The degree of relevance to what follows is up to your perspective on things:
Chelsea ought to keep Trevoh Chalobah who’s currently their best (fit) CB
able to captain the team and deputy in multiple positions on top of CB.
Chalobah’s strength is to match up any kind of forward.
Thiago Silva’s long protracted (or awaited) departure seems to open a gap, that Chelsea has been eager to fill with a thorough and comprehensive search that led them to:
Former Manchester City Academy Alumni Tosin Adarabioyo
Abdul-Nasir Oluwatosin Oluwadoyinsolami "Tosin" Adarabioyo,
born September 24, 1997 in London, but grew up in Manchester
A player who was easily Fulham’s best performer in their car crash 2020-21 season, and featured aplenty against their team over the years
2015 FA Youth Cup final for his Stamford Bridge debut (1-3 / 1-2)
2016 FA Youth Cup final (1-1 / 1-3)
Actually got his senior debut with Manuel Pellegrini the 2016 FA Cup tie (1-5)
The disingenuous blogger would say that in 5 games, Tosin’s team found themselves scoring 5 and conceding 14 goals.
Fortunately, this newsletter’s editorial standards fly well over this; just like a Bertrand Traoré’s looping header over Willy Caballero (and Tosin’s head).
Tosin actually had a good game vs Diego Costa, all things considered.
In other words, a player that was not only difficult to miss due to his 6ft5 height, but also because he was the proverbial profile to target when a team aims at becoming a serious team (again).
Just like Rüdiger was (2018 FA Cup winner and Man of the Match in the final), signed from AS Roma.
It’s often forgotten how good the 2017-18 season (70 points, FA Cup), how Rüdiger kept clean sheet galore. That’s also Chelsea’s last domestic cup success (and full-strength lineup in a final), with serial winner Antonio Conte.
Quick tall dude with leadership and hasty clearances, Tosin is less unhinged and chaotic than the now double CL winner. Probably a better passer (Rüdiger still edges it toe-poke wise, the humongus troll).
Squad building: dumb and dumber
There’s no sporting policy that acknowledges and vindicates once having on the books Tomori, Guéhi, Chalobah and now Josh Acheampong… to end up with Disasi, Cucurella, Chalobah gone; Tosin Adarabioyo and who’s the last one again and no we won’t upscale the doorframe just because you ask.
But hey, here we are. Let’s see who comes up on top of the gruesome threesome between Chalobah’s 8 year contract, Chelsea’s accountants who suggest the unhinged spending spree only to fail to move the needle is becoming a now pressing issue to address (allegedly) with a fire sale on a stall on Fulham Road (also Only a Pound), and WhatsApp connections that really can’t stay stale for too long.
We felt that Chelsea was an asset not terribly well… yes, you know the music.
Any buyer for Marc Cucurella? New manager Enzo Maresca “LOOOOOves him already” anyway ( @JenBacobs )
It’s always a succession of events, and “what if’s”.
But since Rüdiger was asking for the last pay-day that none of Terry Lampard Ballack Deco Drogba got in the Roman Era, in a mere “pure profit” logic; either give him the money, or sell him.
Rüdiger left on a free transfer, with or without Tuchel’s input (who had 1 year to make him change his mind, if it wasn’t made up already).
From that point, Tomori was the victim of circumstances with a loan with option.
Guéhi long gone in summer 2020.
Chalobah was empowered by Thomas Tuchel from the UEFA Super Cup to continue his impressive dynamic as CB, CM for Ipswich, Huddersfield and Lorient to slot into the back three.
An ill-timed injury cut short Trevoh Chalobah’s pre-season and hastly drawn Chelsea into the transfer market.
Axel Disasi, the data-driven, fist-pumping on YouTube chaotic but vaillant signing was swiftly rejoining with a former work colleague.
Don’t sign a player to replace an injured player, because you always end up making a stupid decision down the line (usually selling the best of the two).
How did it end up this time? Disasi hitting the bench and Trevoh Chaloback in the XI.
The Monaco pairing that got Monaco relegated
… is a lie, just like every garbage take disguised as “french football analysis”. They’re fine. They kept clean sheets – albeit behind Tchouaméni and Fofana. Not Jorginhovačić, or the 240 million midfield hand held by Conor Gallagher.
Benoît Badiashile, long lasting Chelsea target (just like Tchouaméni; Chelsea’s network of recruitment in France has always been fairly spot on) who was subjected to a 50 million offer in Summer 2022, finally moved to SW6 in January 2023.
In a few words:
Benwa Badiashile: one of the most confidence reliant players in his position, fits the prototype of the computer generated CB with his laser passes, absurd leap and heading, telekinetic ability to connect with set piece deliveries, channel defending and “controlled agression” (coined by Harry Brooks). If he’s overthinking, he’s playing really badly. I’m not sure he was ever no-nonsense 1990s CB Pochettino’s cup of tea, albeit he gave him a run of games at the end of the season
Covered at lengths here:
Axel Disasi: his performances followed a Beverly Hill pattern of ups and downs. Assuredly a good guy to have around a team, keen to celebrate goals, ever-present, winning duels in the air and surprisingly nimble (or not so surprising: without any Academy pathway at Paris FC – no Category-ranked Academy, he was a centre forward up to U15).
A massive human being, yet fairly agile (and resilient) to defend in the channels (yes he is, watch more football) and resilient to defend when taking wave after wave.
Not so much a “dueller” than a guy who reads the game and steps in.
And if I’m very fair, I’m yet to have made up my mind on him funnelling absolute cinderblocks between the lines, or some of the chaotic carries. Sometimes maybe good eee, sometimes maybe *** would philosophically suggest Gennaro Gattuso.
What wasn’t merely hinted at however, was Disasi sitting out the end of the season, after the Arsenal disasterclass (badum tss).
What probably did not strengthen Lemon Man’s position in the now infamous end of the season “review”.
Badiashile played every position at the Pole Espoir Chateauroux, Disasi played as a striker, central midfielder and was a deputable right back at the 2022 WC when Benji Pavard decided he was too good to listen to Didier Deschamp’s feedback and sulked the group stage out.
But in fairness, once you decided Guéhi and Tomori weren’t part of the picture,
Tosin was RIGHT THERE.
Or Trevoh, because even if you don’t pick him in your lineup builder apps, he ends up starting the games whatsoever.
Tosin played fullback at West Brom, albeit not his finest hours (but nor was Badiashile’s or Disasi’s)
A freak back four of CBs in 2023-24 was only laid out to mitigate the fact that none of the midfielders nor strikers tick the two elementary boxes of being over 6ft and being able to head.
The disingenuous onlooker would suggest that despite hiring Josep’s doppelganger, Colwill and Disasi as a fullback pairing might be the closest Chelsea’s ever been to Guardiola football for a dozen years.
And otherwise there’s Josh Acheampong (2) coming through (2006);
and you’d be damned for thinking Lenny Yoro prototypes grow on trees.
They’re not. Wake up.
Acheampong’s already much better at carrying the ball at pace, for what it’s worth.
TALL ORDER: TOsin Adarabioyo
Long story short: Axel Disasi defending in Benoît Badiashile’s body.
Thank you for coming to my Diet-Pep(si) talk. That’s on brand, mind.
Short story long: in my opinion, CBs are an easy position to benchmark because it relies on a fairly algorithmic reading of situations (a problem of 1 and 0), a players’ inner knowlege about their own ability (to make up ground).
Also, defensive fundamentals, and the way to execute it.
Footwork, being on toes, eys on the ball, feet narrow(er) than shoulders are basics that you can ingrain (or figure out) on an academy pitch (the soft way) or a gravel, concrete pitch (the hard way).
Dribbling is never straightforward, it’s heavily conditioned by shoulder drops, deception, change of pace.
Saka isn’t a phenomenaly creative dribbler, but he’s mastering to perfection the art of changing gear at the very moment where the defender is off balance or trying to recover it
You can learn defending in a book; but when in a chaotic situation, it will be about reading the relevant cues (ball, hips) and blank out those which don’t matter (shoulder, arms, words…).
And re-adjust in real time. Whilst having in your mind your GPS coordinates wired to stay between the ball and the goal (always be on the imaginary line).
In that sense:
Two footedness helps to avoid tangling the wrong leg and concede a foul
Narrow base (feet under shoulders) means shorter steps, and supposedly quicker frequence, so that the planted leg can push from any position to change direction for more accuracy (if your leg is half a yard behind, unless you’ve got gigantic legs, you’re doomed)
Being “bouncy” isn’t just about being muscular, or reactive, but a combination of both to never land flat footed on the floor and always being spring loaded.
helps
Harrison Murray-Campbell (3) is obviously a vastly different cluster of CBs than Tosin (or Chalobah) in the short(er) bulky, but epitomizes the category of centre backs on springs. Boing Boing.
As for Tosin Adarabioyo, we’ll say that
His defensive footwork is solid, he gets on the half turn quickly enough, and twists his huge frame (and maintains core balance) to never have the upper body carry him off balance. Cue is: shoulders over feet, never flat footed.. He’s a good academy trained CB, he’s also gigantic.
He’s reasonably dynamic to jockey and backpedal, eyes on the ball, he looks the part.
He’s reasonably “bouncy” to block his momemtum, and go in another direction. Sometimes because the footwork is short therefore it’s easier to block right there and cut. But also sometimes, the footwork is a bit larger (he’s got a larger frame) and it’s his freakishly long legs who allow him to bend the knee and nick the ball. Where a 6ft1 (1.82 – 1.85) CB definitely clatters knee vs knee and concedes a foul.
As far as L/R is involved, he’s fairly naturally two footed to intervene, unlike right footers who only go with the right, or left footed who unfortunately only rely on the left putting their leg across.
On a similar play of a winger taking on 1v1, which is a difficult situation, dreaded by CBs ; Tosin does alright-ish to adjust his footwork, run back diagonally. But ultimately not displaying the dynamism and complete dominance Chalobah shows in his play.
Chalobah’s jockeying is mesmerizing, just as his incredible ability to stay on the direct line between the ball and the goal.
Tosin and Trevoh are both quick, this isn’t the difference-maker at the highest level.
Deceleration is, to set the footwork at the earliest possible opportunity (whilst having made up the ground with speed in the first place).
Between two quick CBs, find the one who decelerates with the best balance and motion.
Between Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah, respectively very good and excellent; Trevoh edges it.
Who dat? Josh Acheampong
This is excellent footwork to harass, cut and eventually nick the ball.
Players are skillsets, not positions. Can you jockey defensively, stay focused, change direction and gear, and actually get stuck in? Yes? See you Saturday 3PM
back to Tosin Adarabioyo
Tosin can occasionally suffer from the odd nutmeg when closing down, when rushing out of the defensive set up to pick up a marker, but also has some success in gambling and forcing the striker to decide (and winning the tackle).
Tosin also masters the Vincent Kompany NFL tackle, which is about clattering the opponent anywhere near the touchline in the opposition half. Get turned by a striker, clip his knees, raise both hands, apologise to the ref and sprint back in position.
Giant slalom in the penalty box
Can you change direction?
Keeping pace with Jota in the box, and cutting to his right hand side
Still a narrow base (shoulders over feet)
Which allows cutting in another direction easier
Interestingly, uses his nearest right leg to block (most CBs would use their left). Pros: stronger with the left to block a shot with the ankle, cons: the ball takes more momentum. Using the right he can block the ball earlier
You Shall Not Pass
This one is a combination of systemic instruction, coupled with know-how.
Entering final third, we’re at the frontier between “game model” and “game demands”
Game model is what the coach demands: in an inbalance situation in middle third
press, and cover (the pyramid) if there’s a carrier not closed down.
Other coaches might demand CBs to back off and narrow into a line of 4 until they block shots. Back off retreat and stop at the edge of the D.
If you have David Luiz or a young Marquinhos, or Tarkowski and Gary Cahill; you’re obviously intelligent enough to ask them what they’re good at. And if you like both, well there’s your saloon doors.
David Luiz would lose a marker in a phone booth, but Gary Cahill would willingly part way with a limb to prevent a goal. Cahill in chaos defence = fish out of water. David Luiz in 1v3 is unhinged enough to lunge in and occasionally get something of it.
This is a risk / reward benefit, nobody’s gonna give you a candy for setting players up to fail to please the Great Football Man in the Sky (who’s watching Sassuolo anyway – or pretends he does)
Game demands is that when the players enter the area where a chance has a likelyhood of being scored (the darker green band of grass, or the D)
Therefore the framework of reference is the universal dynamic of the game:
The bottom green row: ‘you can shoot’“ (as in with a reasonable chance to score for non Tyrique George people), therefore the opponent needs to “get in the way of the shot”
Watered down of the collective sport / football framework delivered in coaching courses. What matters is the respective number of people in front or behind the ball. That gives you the degree of inbalance for or against a team (or an even state)
You get the “what do I / we need to do” at the invidual, group and team scale.
Back to our onions:
Carrier not closed down decisiion to make for both Tosin and Jota: Jota needs to bait Tosin to see if he bites (play in behind), or backs off (therefore continue to carry).
Tosin does what he does possibly because he’s asked to, possibly because he fancies it. Gambles on forcing Jota to make a decision by standing still. See Tosin’s balance, he’s on toes, leaning frankly forwards which means he’s in the strongest position he can be to make a standing tackle (because the contact point will be below his shoulders) – as opposed to being in a turkish toilet stance and having a weak leg to try to nick something.
Gets away with the ball.
This is a reasonable gamble, forcing modern attackers to think is a valid decision to make. Do that vs Ronaldinho and you get rainbow flicked (not just because it’s Pride Month). Jota, well he’s going to carry or tumble until / when he needs to improvise, right?
Also Tosin can reach a large distance if he stretches to intercept. Another instance of height being useful for more than heading. But hey Pep thinks 5ft7 Martinez is the best CB in the world.
Listen to him, has never played a CB shorter than 6ft3 since Carles Puyol because he couldn’t (strategically, more than financially) afford to Eliaquim Mangala him through the back door. Most expensive left footed CB at that point, and CL semi finalist.
Throwing hands
Tosin has the personal, or maybe systemic habit of gambling these half positions, stepping up and forcing a decision. And players (on the pitch) don’t have our full picture, they only see gigantic limbs on the way.
Tosin isn’t a quitter, and will make sure his handwork is equally efficient vs Mara.
Gamemanship, but John Terry and especially Ricardo Carvalho were excellent at it
Solving the channel algorithm
Word salad
Winger striker vs fullback CB is a matrix with a few situations to read:
FB in place, CB in place
FB caught out, CB in place
FB in place, CB out
FB caught out, CB caught out (picture)
As much for defenders; spefically: fullback picks the deepest runner (to the byline), unless he hasn’t seen him in which case the CB picks the run (and the fullback does a defensive overlap to act as situational CB). Simple 0 and 1 algorithm, fill the areas.
… than for attackers:
FB in place = receive into feet and take him on ;
FB gets tight (=caught out), run in behind with a diag run for a straight pass.
And then the algo applies again
CB tight, play a 1-2 to get past him.
CB in place: drive and roast him
The damage mitigation Tosin does is good. He’s floating between covering for his fullback, but not opening the space between CBs either. Palinha screens and forces wide. Leeds believe the reading of the situation is: Gnonto into feet, because the affordance to play Gnonto doesn’t exist (to Firpo’s view, very much a give and go guy, than a clip the ball in the channel – Stephen Warnock type).
Gnonto receives, gets smothered by Tosin between himself and the touchline.
That’s called “reading a situation” and making a decision accordingly, or in other words why you can’t coach attacking patterns with plastic mannequins. Unless you spend 35’ on each situation, which is as efficient as throwing shit on a wall until it sticks.
There’s more enjoyable and modern ways to allow players to make decisions because they are the one who do, no matter how many imaginary balls you can kick from the technical area.
Tosin called upon in the channel (fullback out of position, Tosin needs to squeeze in as he’s the closest, and CM picks up the channel runner), mobile and quick enough to make up ground
Deceleration is equally important as sprinting. On toes, kill momentum
Tosin won’t get fooled too easily, tries to get the left leg and arm across. Long limbs help, gamemanship too. This isn’t a sport for nice people
Resilient, eventually nicks the ball even doing “the splits” (because he’s tall, therefore his left leg can be planted far, he can legit take the ball with his right leg)
Speaking of splits:
Change of gear
Full play gives it more credit, but Tosin isn’t just a hurdle jumper who’ll reach peak speed after 20-30 yards (that a lot of straight line tall quick CBs are).
He’s fairly powerful / quick over 5-10 yards. So is Trevoh Chalobah.
Grounds he eats up on (2) is impressive
And his ambidexterity shows, using the ball near leg to tackle and get the ball out of play (rather than right leg that takes longer to rely upon, by which time the winger has one more touch and that’s the yellowest card you can imagine)
Barycenter > Barry White > Brian Barry-Murphy
You don’t need to watch 48h of WyScout footage to evaluate a CB.
You need to pay attention to a cluster of identified situations that are more telling than whether he can put soles on the ball or “maintain good distance with the regista”.
Your mind switches on, that’s the good stuff; what’s your CB gonna do?
Bassey steps up, Tosin steps back to cover; whilst maintaining a distance that protects the goal and makes him at crossroads between different options (to force a decision
Tosin jockeys laterally, on his right leg to tackle with his left. Arms for balance, shoulders over toes, balance leaning forward.
Eventually makes a last man block; mostly becauuse 1-2-3 are done excellently well in a “crsis” situation.
Making handling a large space easy, with sound decision making, staying alert and dynamic. In the barycentre of the space between his two nearest team mates, basically.
Darwin or lose, Up the Blues
Tosin is quick. He can match up with quick forwards.
And you’ll be left in the dust
Unless I stuck by ya
You’re the sunflower
One easy image for young CBs (when they learn what a Sunflower is), is that they need to set themselves like the ball is the Sun. Always face the ball.
And especially if the carrier isn’t closed down, alwaus one foot in front, one foot behind (so it’s easier to sprint both ways).
There’s no reason to be back to your own goal. Always face the nearest touchline to funnel and force a decision.
Ball splits Fulham’s midfield
Speed at which Tosin readjusts, that’s top level CB (but still the basics)
Decding to engage because the threat of the shoot exist
Readjust the footwork: balance forward, on toes. Not exagerrated, just how you move a 6ft5 set of limbs without looking discombobulated
Nick the ball with the right foot tackle. Tap the left arm to disrupt the player
Say whaaaat (kins)
Not the most inspired but oh well.
Another type of match up Tosin can manage: being driven at with space in behind.
Funneling the ball and staying in the line between ball-goal, top CBs have a GPS in their mind
Quality defensive footwork (. . . )
The interesting part here, is how Tosin reacts and bounces back from Watkins’ “pump fake” shots. Tosin stays low, and strong enough to stay level and match up Watkins movement, whilst initiating two consecutive blocks.
Where most non strong, non dynamic CB throw themsleves once and stay there, or concede a shot between their legs (usually deflected)
All (Mic)hail Tosin
Tosin can match up with back to goal strikers, as well as he can match up with Darwin (or lose) previously.
Michael Antonio is the proverbial “Welcome to Barclays Premier League” test for centre backs, you can clear the bar or can’t.
This position is a door hinge for centre backs, channel-ish, out of position, 70 yards away from goal
It’s about standing firm but also keeping track of the player when he gets on the turn.
Arms are important, Antonio is a big boi to get around, and makes sure his right arm prevents anyone to get in front.
Tosin still manages to squeeze in an arm
Height is not only about headers, anyone shorter makes a foul from 5. onwards, but Tosin can extend his leg and grab the ball (whilst trying to retain Antonio, without grabbing the shirt).
Where there’s a Wil(fried Gnonto), there’s a way (or is it)
Another match up to look at is: isolated vs a 1v1 winger, Wilfried Gnonto.
Spinning to go in a different direction relies on running technique (setting the left planted foot not to far, possibly already pivoting to go in the other direction).
Then what the player makes out of it, how quickly he can kickstart in another direction, with the strength / power he’s got.
Stamford Bridge too far
French’s nutmeg is “le petit pont” (small bridge), and go around the player (the Madueke) is “le grand pont” (the big bridge).
Tosin is prone to get nutmegged when he gambles on tracking markers out of position. That is a thing that happens and is very much what it is, and regularly mitigated by his ability to throw his hockey stick leg and get the ball back (without fully getting back right side)
That will assuredly be picked on, let’s see the reactions.
Toss the ball in the air
Tosin wins the ball in the air.
Off screen = carrier isn’t closed down
Get moving towards the ball at the apex (highest point of the trajectory)
Challenge the drop point with the right arm in position to cushion the defender without pushing
Height allows not to jump higher, but contorsion so that he can still win the ball against a recalcitrant striker who decides to half challenge for it.
If you pull a shirt, never stretch the arm (only half), and always top to down (not back to front, that’s much more obvious to spot). Preferably on the ref’s blind side with the opponent in between, and you’re foolish to think CBs don’t play with it.
Heading backwards
The Barclays casual will not pay attention, but this is one of the most difficult headers to perform for defenders. The group movement here, is akin to trapeze artists exchanging lemons, community shields or anything else (got to love AI art).
This is incredibly risky, but also becoming routine with a bit of training.
Still, maintaining core strength to run in a direction, and move the neck/head to head it backwards is not something you can do at home.
Instead of heading the ball out of play, you head it back into traffic because you’ve got the certainty that your second ball harvesting midfielder (or USMNT buddy Antonee Robinson, who probably played pickup basketball somewhere) will get there first
Free ball knolly: look at West Ham’s set up
if the free kick is outswinging, you set your 2 or 3 “rebounds players” near post, far post and beyond. If the free kick is inswinging you set your 2 or 3 “rebound players” close, near post and far post.
Because inswinger (imagine JWP) would be cleread in front (where Willian is)
Outswinger is flicked away (hence Alvarez – far side) for the rebound.
Still, as far as Tosin is involved, leaping and flicking the ball diagonally backwards is made looking easy but it’s definitely not.
Clearing the ball expertly away from danger, exactly where it’s the farthest away from a WH player without conceding a corner (or an easy volley at the edge of the box)
That’s defensive technique. Putting soles on the ball is either circus or time wasting.
Drop point
The most important thing with aerial duels, is not the aerial duel in itself, but the preparatory work to clear and dominate the drop point. NBA fanalysts are paying attention to this for rebounds, so should Barclays fanalysts.
The nudge (which isn’t a nudge) off the ref’s vision, smoothly executed so that the player doesn’t fall over.
Arms half bent, pull the shirt to put the player off balance
Touch wood
[Narrator’s voice]
The Barclays is a fierce environment, where you’ll make bad encounters even touching wood beforehands.
Or when Wood is out there to clatter you anyway.
the Kiwi has no intention to compete for the header fairly, just pretends to do so, in order to nudge Tosin between both shoulders. Tosin is unmoved, has core strength and timing and could resist the initial charge to clear the ball header, whilst being bumped into.
That’s top level stuff. Yet un-noticeable (until it doesn’t happen, and Sesko dunks on Cucurella’s wig 12 times in the same Champions League group stage game)
Graham Potter never saw a live Champions League game, I guess that’s why he thought he’d get away with the “missing piece of the puzzle” Cucurella at LCB.
It’s a wonder how he could succesfully blank so many games out with such a liability in his XI.
Instead of hiding the forest for the trees with 62 million Marc Cucurella, this is Tosin absolutely going through Chris Wood, sent flying in the air.
Aerial caveat
There’s a caveat with aerial duel % percentage. Sometimes, the defensive interpretation of the situation (no winger to flick the ball) invites to lose the flick on purpose and let the covering CBs and CB pick the ball up.
Cold blooded analysts log it as a “lost aerial”, but that’s still a win for the team.
The arm on the shoulder: jump higher, raise your arm to lay the forearm (without aiming to knock the opponent out).
Apex
CBs need to start their sprint towards the ball at the apex of the trajectory, so that they’re at their own apex when the ball is dropping.
The “arm on shoulder” requires agility and technique.
Too soon, you’re shoving the guy forward
Putting down the striker because you can’t jump, it’s a foul
Elbowing, well just keep your elbow out and hit the player, and that’s nasty and thankfully that’s one of the things the Premier League ironed out in the past 20 years, some of the “intimidation” or “get on with it” opening minute elbows in the head were bordering GBH
The thing is to jump high enough that your arm is there, and the player meets it when he jumps, and go sideways to spin to limit the surface where you can take a hit (chest).
Tall dudes to score on set pieces
Marking players is equally difficult, as not really regulated. You can’t grab, but you can social distancing hug with arms around
Set piece shenanigans were covered here:
Point is, you’re gonna get disrupted, so the taller you are, the easier it is to have the arms above the oponents’s (who can’t prevent you to spread the arms), and also you can jump whilst being shirt grabbed. Nemanja Vidic would score with a shirt pulled, just like John Terry.
McKinsey suggest a £750.000 training course, with three slides of powerpoint, and one week training to talk you through it.
Slide 1: find tall dudes
Slide 2: preferably tall dudes who can head
Slide 3: find a good set piece taker
Who’s the worst team on attacking set pieces in the entire Barclays top flight?
Takes some doing (or precisely: none) to not be 8th or 12th. But have barely 50% of the attempts of top of the class Liverpool FC and be worse, in the first season where the three woeful promoted teams all go back down without getting out of the elevator, than the three teams going down.
Bleach or gasoline to defend the set piece at the near post?
Ask Bernard. But don’t guess the content of his very first email with bernard@chelseafc.com
FW: sign tall dudes [!]
attachments: height_chart_chelsea_1.pdf
hi
help plz
nard
Tosin was right there
Tosin is very tall, but ultimately came through a good talent pathway and player development curriculum. Nothing he does is hastly, nor otherworldy, just a professional CB doing his job
Shoulder check
Backpedalling so that he sees the maximum of information
Feet on the 6yd line, then go for the ball when the cross is hit
Jump higher than anyone, and clear the ball
Groundbreaking stuff
And if I’m honest, fairly boring to mention or talk about.
Just find CBs who do their job, then we can move on to the intersting bits we want to see: counter attacking, plays and creativity.
Header without jumping
are another valuable defensive play, which rely as much as holding off and maintaining position at the drop point, than popping the head through the window to head it clear. Gotta stand one’s ground.
Probably in a similar way to rebounding in basketball, finding the drop point is the hard part to read and hold onto.
Goalscoring
Tosin also can score on set pieces,
This is a corner follow up, but a well taken top corner goal
Also, we could do with a Alex free kick vs Arsenal anytime now.
Switches of play
Tosin can switch the ball, he’s got the Badiaswitch
but we can’t help to think that whilst his backlift long passes are quality, they’re not fizzing like Trevoh Chalobah’s.
A Trevoh Chalobah’s quarterback pass, he’s got that in him
Tosin Adarabioyo can pass the ball about, clearly likes a line breaker into feet, and a switch. He’s a good passer.
Passing range is more than efficiency or “robbed assists”, the way you hit the ball is important.
Caveat: fwiw; Tosin is perfectly acceptable to pass short / long. Chalobah is just better.
There’s elements of Badiashile’s technique, and Disasi’s cinderblocks sent flying
Data Room
Oh, so Chelsea’s looking to sign an Academy centreback who captained his team to a FA Youth Cup final?
Ah, right. Not from their own Academy.
Tosin’s past two seasons suggest he’s reliable on the “winning duels” part, but it’d be interesting to wonder why despite a similar involvement (1.3 to 1.1 tackles), his success plummeted from 7 in 10 to less than 6.
Fulham clearly haven’t had the same level of success as a team
Albeit their underlyings look relatable
They conceded 10 more goals.
Fulham are a very well drilled team, who play an efficient brand of football.
Football Gods (there’s a grand jury) like humble and bland rigid 442 and love to warrant bonus points, or sprinkle sheer dumb luck. See also Ranieri’s Leicester or Lucien Favre’s Borussia.
It materialised in Fulham scoring goals from Stevenage Road, or playing 11v10 after a random “João Félix” decides to get sent off every other week.
Football Gods loathe preposterous possessionball, and will make you hit the post and claim there’s a xG curse (that’s Graham Potter’s Brighton).
Tosin is a good player, who was monitored by Monaco and has a lot of admirers in Spurs, Newcastle, United and probably Arsenal. Ultimately, Fulham didn’t feel extending his contract and enter a financial galaxy that might not align with the players’ solidly good output.
If we look at his three seasons before this one for Fulham, he’s played a lot of minutes and has been consistent in terms of winning headers.
Interceptions are not necessarily super high, albeit he likes to step out (but to tackle, more than intercept). The number of blocks is worth noting, as being unremarkable.
Passing success can be explained with the difference between garbage possessionball with Scott Parker,
and proper mid table Moyes / Hughton (Marco Silva) 442 back to front wide circuits that don’t beat around the bush, and feed wide players early (for as long as they can get hold of it).
2003-2016-2018: Manchester City
2015-2016
Manuel Pellegrini gave Tosin his senior Man City debut in 2016 for the 5-1 defeat, akin to a young Joe Hart under Sven Goran Eriksson losing 6-0 in 2007.
More like Manuel Pellegrumpy amarite
2016-2017
Pep Guardiola having sucesfully pulled the carpet from beneath the Engineer’s feet, gave a Champions League debut to Tosin for a difficult match up vs Celtic Glasgow and Moussa Dembélé (1-1 at the Etihad, 3-3 at Celtic Park)
2016-17 was box office, not only for the Mourinho / Guardiola rivalry, but for the way the English game and “Everton” “Leicester” “Celtic” humbled the catalan savant.
Maybe Gijon don’t prepare games, but Celtic assuredly did:
Talk about hanging a young CB to dry in the Champions League.
Because Pep Guardiola imported the absolute worst brand of antifootball tactics the industry lets him get away with; tactical fouling.
And because his genius didn’t let him fully grasp the magnitute of it’s usefulness until two years into his tenure, early Pep-ball was easier to cut through than hot butter with a laser saber in a nuclear powerplant.
A rigorous Tosin here did jockey back to the 6yd box angle (but why was Celtic in position to shoot 3v7 in the box?)
But not really got in the way of the shot, with Patrick Roberts slotting the ball past a hapless Willy Cabellero, now Maresca’s assistant coach at Chelsea!
What sounds like a theme, Tosin doesn’t block shots so much.
Some will say it takes selling your soul to win a Premier League (let alone 4)
Or perhaps, be advised by the most acute tactical minds in the game – second hand.
No, not Mikel Arteta. But Mikel Arteta’s godfathers Alex McLeish and David Moyes. For how to drill a defence or make a tactical foul.
This is why Pep now plays 6 centre backs, and there’s no way you make that preposterous brand of football work if you don’t cynically drill your attackers to commit 3 rotational fouls each. Right way to play, only if you get the memo.
Tosin is quick, 6ft5 and this looks like the ocean to drink for him (or Upamecano, or Maguire…). Peak Ramos or Marquinhos, sometimes Rüdiger occasionally come up with something, but more often than not would show their limits (more about the limits of the humans as a species, to cover half a pitch on their own).
This is the kind of “pick your poison” situations defenders can only try to mitigate.
Mind you, a tall guy has a radius for interception bigger than a Garden Gnome CB.
Still, if the situation is read properly; step in we slot the ball past; back off, we’ll find the open man Moussa Dembélé
Saying Tosin whatever because he picks bleach instead of Ribena Black Currant (sorry (not sorry)) doesn’t make sense.
This is a last chance saloon, damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Pick the run, the carrier can shoot. Step up Dembélé is free.
The solution is
1 – stop turning the ball over in attack. Hence Grealish
2- make a tactical foul in attack
3- make a tactical foul in midfield. F E R N A N D I N H O
4 – #50 needs to take one for the team and cynically bring him down
Some more build up from the back catastrophe, with Fernando turning like Guardiola in the 1990s thinking the “6 dropping off” won’t be picked up by Celtic Glasgow.
Another: “don’t put a fork in a powersocket” themed wine and DesTop tasting party, with Sagna and Tosin hung out to dry once again
ending up with a first time shot against a hapless, (but slghtly flat footed Tosin)
And this is the thing, right, that has got exhilarated tacticos wasting a considerable amount of bandwidth. “Poor structure” “large distances”
Thinking “large distances” are the reason the team can’t “keep the ball”
No: because the team isn’t keeping the ball, then defenders put themselves in “safety mode” because they have eyes in front of their face (not back).
It’s relatively easier (and more effective judging how zealot academy coaches succesfully took away creativity and 2+ touches of the game) to keep carriers in front, than runners in behind
Pep Guardiola’s team getting played off the park in front of a full house.
One of these assertions is true, the other is not.
And a Coca-Cola defensive set up to try to win the game in the last 20 minutes.
The point is: of course, defenders are gonna take a step back and “stretch distances”, with Tosin (53) covering proceedings
An ill-timed Pellegrini-style attempt at the offside trap let Mackay-Stevens run through
So yes, Manchester City had a lot of CBs to play, replace those already signed etc…
Stones, Pablo Mari (that Arteta brought over to play instead of Saliba at Arsenal) joined in summer 2016
but Tosin was thanked for his efforts against Celtic and sent back to the U21s and didn’t appear again that season.
2017-2018
Aymeric Laporte, more sulky than silky left foot joined in Summer 2017, who ended up getting under Deschamps’ skin enough to finally decide to play for Spain instead.
Guardiola gave two starts to Tosin Adarabioyo, one in the Champions League for yet another humbling and a 2-1 defeat, being carved through all game long
Hung out to dry, but still going through the tackle empty handed
Larger frame = more difficunt to aim for the top corner, but at Champions League level that’s still a top corner goal by Bernard
So, bleach or carlsberg?
High line, no press, bad idea Josep
no matter the amount of savants or charlatans, clip the ball between last man and goalie is still the best way to create a goalscoring chance in football.
2v2, decoy run across; what do you do?
Damage mitigation, float between the two
Tosin got another start in the League Cup quarter finals at Leicester City, playing against his (former team) mate Ihenacho and a peak Jamie Vardy.
Got an early chance on a corner, fluffed away.
Tosin and Man City getting done by a bog standard Puel-ball up-back through, which is the one situation that probably warrants making a foul (not often a yellow) than see Bravo giving the ball straight away (not good to stop goals or pass the ball)
2018-2019: BOING BOING at West Bromwich Albion
Tosin got an impressive debut (full) senior season at 21 for West Brom.
A season-long loan he was probably ready for the season before, mind.
Interestingly enough, Tosin played a dozen games at right back under Darren Moore
A chance on a corner, reacting aptly. And the assist for Harvey Barnes’ goal
Football; a funny old game, where in November 2018 Ipswich lose to visitors WBA
Featuring; right back Tosin Adarabioyo against… central midfielder Trevoh Chalobah, getting in shooting position
Tosin would create a late scare by allowing Ipswich a late consolation with a fluffed first touch; which is an opportunity for the keen watcher to keep in mind that players make mistakes, especially young defenders (let alone out of position).
The most important thing isn’t to look for faultless defenders, but create the environment to priorize players who’ll handle these “mistakes” as best as they can to go again.
Because once they’re out there, positive communication from the dugout can be an occasional boost in confidence but really; players are on their own in the arena.
Had a fairly sound performance against the livewire Dan James at Swansea (3/5 tackles, 2 blocks, 3 interceptions)
An cute line breaker from right back against Brentford (when the video starts)
Pelting a long throw against Aston Villa, in what was a rought afternoon against Yannick Bolasie
Guys, they have a rookie CB at right back, pump the ball at the far post
Getting in the way of McGoldrick, and preventing a proper leap and header at the back post
A roundabout at Rotherham, beter than the one in Swindon I suppose.
Beaten by a long ball, which is the one challenging thing young defenders might struggle for that… for the simple reason that closed loop academy systems where they only play against budget possessionball teams, doesn’t maximise the occurence on one of the basic Football League plays.
Who dat? Josh Acheampong
Are they growing on trees? No, they *are* the trees
These two comparable (not identical) plays show the difference between Tosin (age 21) and Acheampong (age 18). As a matter of benchmark, you’d expect most good 6ft5 CBs at 21 to be somewhere about where Tosin is, which is getting beaten by the odd senior diagonal long ball.
This isn’t “bad” vs “decent”, this is “standard” vs “excellent”
Josh Acheampong is the biggest RB / CB prospect at Chelsea since Reece James, with Livramento and Lamptey having broke through about in between.
Back to Tosin Adarabioyo, on a season-long loan at WBA in 2018-19.
West Bromwich Albion overturned their 2-1 defeat, but lost on penalty shoot out one of the most thrilling Play Off Semi Finals in decades against arch rivals Aston Villa.
Tosin Adarabioyo came on after 82 minutes, and battled against a 21 year old… Tammy Abraham who was RATTLING Bartley and Hegazy.
We wish Thomas Tuchel to lose every game of tiddlywinks, uno and tic-tac-toe forever.
More evidence of Tosin’s registability, diligently applying basic positional play principles such as standing there and pointing.
2019-20: Blackburn Rovers
The season after, Tosin was loaned at Blackburn under talent developper and thoroughly good guy Tony Mowbray whom the entire football world obviously sends their best wishes
Tosin’s defending on the second goal reflects with the 1 PAdj Blocks, he’s not so much a blocky defender (Badiashile isn’t either).
On the subject of heading, and Tony Mowbray’s praise for Adarabioyo’s shift after a his performance vs Sheffield Wednesday
with that Cuellar vs Van der Sar looping header as cherry on the cake
Overview
Tosin has a steady professional career. One season as a nailed on starter, which is the promotion season. Otherwise, playing half or two thirds of the games and over 30 games since 2019
His metrics seem steady
His guaranteed floor of performance is known, and fairly good.
I’m not sure he’s got a much higher ceiling than we see now.
Certainly not Wesley Fofana’s, or Badiashile; both let down by the set backs to the horrible leg breaker he suffered for Leicester, and sometimes overthinking bad performances. Tosin gets you that consistent 6.5 – 7.5 performance window.
SkySports reported in October that Tosin had surgery at the start of 23-24 after playing through pain.
Footballers aren’t cars, you send to the garage to replace a missing piece.
Surgeries have a very high rate of success as such, but can have consequences such as a slight loss of proprioception. Players usually think carefully about sitting out from games, but also consider all options including complete medical check ups (to identify a possible muscular inbalance), diet and work with individual mitigation protocols (usually revolving around stretching).
There’s a case for non-oprerative treatment (for hamstring, groin injuries) that takes longer to heal (but naturally), with no loss of proprioception. There’s generally a strong case for operative treatment (including for those who chose to not go for it initially).
This subject deserves a better acknowledgement than claiming anyone forces or refuses surgery, that’s simply not how it works.
There’s a reason it takes 8 years to become a doctor or surgeon, and that you end up knowing less about injuries the more you dig into about it. It depends.
Tosin had a quad tear at Blackburn that disrupted the start of his Blackburn loan. An unfortunate timing, but 28 days all included suggest it was a grade I or II, which is fairly straightforward (and probably avoidable too).
Tosin has often been playing with various compression shorts since his two WBA and Blackburn injuries in 2019.
Whilst this isn’t a recipe to *avoid* injuries as such; specifically designed shorts that wear tightly to the body helps to support the muscles and ligaments, and limit to a very slight extent some unwanted movement that can increase the injury risk.
The one he wears vs Werner is assuredly one of these. The same type Lampard wore for the second part of his career
Placebo effect maybe, but football injuries (what is even an injury) are complex and players have emotions, including (self) confidence. Especially athletes who run fast for a while when they get back from an injury.
My Adarabioyopinion
Tosin is a good player, and I appreciate his seriousness sprinkled with frowned insatisfaction when required, which is one of the things I saw at Fulham in his debut season. He’s not accepting the situation as it (was)
One of the players that gives you what you expect, rarely hits 8 or 9/10s but also rarely has the 4/10 stinker for a reason other than facing a pumped up Didier Drogba.
Tosin can match up with any type of striker:
Quick in behind
Strong back to goal
Strong in the air
Dribbler in the channel
Can pass short and long, can carry, has a bit of a goal about him.
Football is a weak link game, make sure you find reliable and well prepared individuals, rounded as players to focus on things that actually matter.
Your Hazard will be kicked from pillar to post, might be more or less inspired or triple teamed. These are the situations that you need to focus, brainstorm and regulate in real time.
Not wonder if your humorous undersize LCB might be better hidden in a crowd, making everyone else look bad.
Tosin is a good barometer in terms of what he can or can’t do, depending on the situation the game generates. If he looks good, you have a good set-up. If he, of all people, looks to struggle; there’s probably structural parameters to adress.
He’s a driven individual who doesn’t duck his responsibilities, wears the armband for several teams, takes set pieces in important shoot-outs
He’s the standard of what you’d expect top end academies like Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea to produce. The thing is, however, and it’s not a shade.
Tomori, Chalobah probably have an edge.
And Josh Acheampong impresses me already more, than Trevoh Chalobah at the same age who I took a fair amount of convincing and watching to get fully sold on.
Unless you assume you’ve got unlimited resources (and the title is never really the goal), there’s questions about the resource allocation.
Tosin is a free agent, but why Disasi, why losing Chalobah
Chalobah > Tosin > Disasi
Fofana is theoretically the biggest “talent”, and Badiashile stands somewhere ahead of Tosin in a good day, but has his bad days too.
Will a club sign a 29 year old Tosin Adarabioyo in 3 years for 30 million?
Akin to West Ham getting Kurt Zouma?
When Eddie Howe takes over from Lopetegui?
Not a transfer I’m gonna be mad at, keeping the slight hope to have the plan scrapped off, get José Mourinho and the olympic flag of
Onana Olise Osimhen tOsin and LafOnt
to make 85pts
Bonus:
As we learn the talkative Tosin Adarabioyo probably has a very carefully updated birthday diary, and wishes his mates greetings on their day. Also likes to have an opinion, which makes him relatable.
A few AI-powered Giraffes, in the theme of “From Fulham to Chelsea” or “How to Compete in Baclays Premier League”
Sébastien Chapuis 