Does more things than running around, mind. So does Moussa.

This season, I liked Charlton U21s who are somewhere at the top end of the Professional Development League ; the Category 2 Academies’ U21 league.

Last season I liked Millwall U21s so I followed their games from a closer angle.

Some sides play a Shirt #1-11 generic 442 (because that’s what the Football League is also about) with less talent on show.

Some others like Charlton are more creative

Quick check on the GF / GA columns evidence the box office entertainment value most of these games carry.

Charlton have been scoring 6 goals everytime I’ve watched them, see how teams concede like 1.3 goal per game at the bare minimum.

I think I’m yet to see a 0-0 with over a hundred games attended live at Academy level.

Chris Lock’s side play some forward thinking football, platforming some London talent (and from abroad) in a 5-3-2 shape that distorts and packs the box with rotations and runs from deep.

One of them is Ibrahim Fullah (IF) who’s been featuring as a central midfielder and wingback.

See also: for talented left footed CM / attackers

JRB is right footed, but all action dribbling CM, foul magnet channel runner.

More attackers (and left back) but they’re good as well

Charlton Athletic ?

They’ve won four U18 Professional Development League (Category 2) in a row.

Also reached the U17 Premier League Cup final ; in which I suppose Fullah and Mwamba are still eligible, but now nailed starters for the U21s.

I also remember coming across that video, about a decade ago now. Damn.

Both players starring in the Champions League for Aston Villa and Atalanta as of 2025

Credit photo above: Ian Randall

At first sight, you’d imagine Ibrahim Fullah as the typical big city box to box keen to get on the ball and change the picture

(I now know first hand the Paris and London talent pools which are not a world apart).

The thing that strikes me however, is how relentless (and good) he is at closing down repeatedly in midfield – without making too many fouls:

Defensive “mechanisms” have three layers

Strikers shutting down half the pitch
Midfielders closing down to set the pressing trap
Defenders winning the ball / intercepting in the trap created above

Fullah fares well in the second stage of the process

Decelerating (after sprinting at the player) – before the players’ first touch (and not after – also known as “the Cucurella stance” )

Ready to hunt the ball carrier with a sharp change of direction

Cheap turnover by Chelsea loanee Zak Sturge… but not unforced.

In attack, Fullah’s lofted passes before assists are great to set up team mates.

But of course, the main thing is how outrageous his goal catalogue has been.

I saw him hit the top corner vs Birmingham City for a last minute equalizer which was a good base to start, then figured out he’d do that on a monthly basis or so.

Games are played at Princes’ Park in Dartford, where I’d argue the first row is lower than the pitch ; you wouldn’t land a McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III plane in war time on that pitch.

Sometimes at Charlton’s Training Ground (where I proudly squander a tenner per month to contribute to “Valley Gold” and access to Academy games).

Every club has a different scheme, sometimes behind closed doors, sometimes £5, sometimes free, sometimes some kind of membership, sometimes at the local Non League club, sometimes at the main stadium.

Multi million industry relies on scribbled game sheets, losely translated on screens and printed game sheets. Henry Rylah becomes RyleN, Ibrahim Fullah becomes Fuller or like at Cardiff ; Ibrihim.

If you decide to do tea-leave reading on spreadsheets, be careful that the same player doesn’t actually exist through aggregates of his own name being butchered on the way.

Not my style to spit in the soup (or is it) but then again I watch a fair few live games, and sometimes sit next to people logging raw data for various providers (stats, betting etc…)

The heart can see things the eyes can’t see said Le Petit Prince.

But sometimes the eyes do see them anyhow and the person doesn’t say the same thing in the telephone.

Just a caveat to keep in mind when it comes to retro engineering conclusions based on event data like if you watched the game ; always fundamental to sit down every now and then, run through film with event data on the side and throw a wild guess at the % of data actually being logged in correctly in the first place.

Or secondly, how much information we can gain by actually watching the games that’s not captured in the data ; which is where knowing the fundamentals of coaching/training comes into play

Closing down movement
Movement before receiving
Passes before assists
Finishing highlight reel

And benchmarking with Moussa (2003) who I coached at U19 National level between 2019 and 2021 ; one of the most all round (and talented) midfielders I’ve coached.

Moussa made his debut for HHC Hardenberg last month in the Netherlands.

A few years after being Man of the Match against the French U19 Champion (and Youth League) SCO Angers in a resounding 4-0 win away from home

And also keeping current Ligue 1 best passer quiet as a 16 year old CM / DM / CB.

Some original live footage and from the game at Cardiff early on this season.

Striker pairing; Patrick Casey (10) and Micah Mbick (9)

Closing down movement

This one to set the table ; this is what IF does on a regular basis

You can find players who close down reactively and go through people.

Which involves sprinting

Ability to decelerate is equally important, most players at professional level can change gear but the real difference is who can decelerate effectively

All in all, an explosive action which require strength and ability to recover between plays.

Knocking people off the ball

Ibrahim Fullah rarely goes to ground, can snatch possession away from players

Setting up a trap, on toes

“please cut inside”

Getting in front with right arm, right leg and getting away with it

Arm Hip Leg

Square pass is a trigger

Prepare the left arm

Left arm in front

Arm, hip, leg in front

Create “pliers “ with his arms to prevent the opponent to use their arms, whilst resisting to pressure; the idea is to have the defender slow down and create a yard off the move

Covered extensively here:

Defender stops in their tracks

Despite pushing, but IF keeps his shoulders over the ball and uses his hip as counter weight

Yard of space created, defender gives up

“pressure resistant” players aren’t the ones who treat the ball like they’re playing with a boiling stuffed potato barefoot, but very much this.

Geett uuuuuup

Bumper cars:

Double up inside

Has to get behind the ball faster to be ready to defend against the player cutting inside

Sharp change of direction

Change of direction is sharp, usually you find players tangling their legs or going around a gigantic imaginary cone.

Closing down angle

One way to not end up level with the opponent is to protect the line between the ball and the goal (yellow) then close down forward.

The red angle can be an option, more for “double 10s” in 3421 because it’s gonna invite a long ball in the channel (that; against every half decent team can be trouble)

A similar theme a few minutes after

I’d say sometimes the benefit of a good closing down angle to snatch the ball from opponent’s feet can be under considered

2020-21 ; away at the best team in Western France FC Nantes on opening day off the back of a 4-week pre season under pandemic protocols, leading 0-1 for 70’ before taking two late goals.

Nevermind the counter attack (one of the Paris mavericks I signed), the closing down movement to win the ball into feet as a side midfielder in 532

The pressing trap was:

Striker ball side blocks the DM – Aristide was then called up for DR Congo U19
Striker ball far between the CBs – Noa is now the top scorer in National 2
So that the CBs gamble a diagonal pass ; with the midfielder ready to jump – probably top 5 most talented players I’ve coached, he’ll find his way back.

Disguise and technical ability to pop passes in the centre circle ; the equivalent of that game is a Cat 1 (Nantes) vs a Category 4 in U19 National League – with the club brand name and pull (Serhou Guirassy, Nordi Mukiele…), but limited contractual protection and training slots.

Gor Manvelyan (give and go and diagonal) played vs Chelsea in Conference League for NOAH a few months ago – was the league’s top scorer from attacking midfield with something like 19 goals in 2019-20.

Owen – the right back, was a find from U18 grassroots and his first game at Natjonal level. Won 7 tackles in the first half, and I thought they’d sign him at half time. Now plays in Ligue 2 (middle)

Left is Lohan Doucet, regular for Paris FC, the other Nantes midfielder playing the wall pass.

Closing down “U” to screen the goal

Good change of direction to close down forward

Retention under pressure

The “in possession” toolbag of closing down / out of possession is to retain under pressure (manage the balance, spin, change of direction)

Picking up second balls

Is never a granted

Whoever’s on the move first gets it

Washing machine

Football is a chain of events: one action depends on the one before.

You can’t look at players looking all nice and tidy when facing play, without looking at the architecture of what makes them end up there.

Is it separation movement? Is it winning second balls? Is it driving and getting past people?

Who’s winning that second ball?

A clean “half volley” pass to Enslin (I suppose)

Killing the ball just after the rebound, hit on the “tropic of cancer” so that it neither bounces (if below) or bobbles (“topped” hitting over it)

With shoulders over the ball and left leg next to the ball

Having seen IF a few times now, this is a “yeah that’s him” play.

Cruyff Turn, then diagonal pass round the corner for the other 8

Hit properly, a slight inch above the “equator” of the ball

So that it zips on the first part of the trajectory, and rolls on the latter part

Charlton’s rotations and getting hold of it

Charlton U21s play good football with lots of third man running, which involve layoffs, dumps and retaining back to goal to find the third man

How do you recognise “organic” third man play? players start and stop, look at each other to trigger rotations and find runners. Building block is 1-2 to find a 3rd but not everything is patterned with 1-2 being clipped for the Tooth Fairy to chase.

That’s good strength: planted right and soles on the ball with the left

Problem solving to use the right to avoid the 3’s leg is nice

Princes Park definitely a different kind of surface than where they usually train on.

Have you got some magic for us

These away games are a good education for players who’ll explore various decks of the football pyramid througout their career. How do you grind out results.

First by not being a blatant liability in your area: keep the game or the ball in front of you.

Secondly, by maximising opportunities where a gap opens and you find yourself facing play with time and space in front

Can you do it with momentum even, or against is more important than your “build up play” against a team with no intention to come out.

IF’s weight of pass with both feet is usually fairly good, often with swerve to go around defender and find gaps.

This is a very good delivery for Micah Mbick into space

Two footedness

Another standout feature, is two footedness which you don’t find so often with left footed players.

Ball down the line for Daniel Kanu vs Millwall

The pass is clean, and testifies of a good player development curriculum

Give and go

Midfielders who care not only about exchanging passes but enforcing tempo are valuable, it’s “give to get it back and make things happen

Some nice two footed exchanges vs Birmingham City

Connecting with the front line

Kaheim Dixon is relentless when it comes to making runs in behind ; his performance vs Millwall where he could also handle long balls against a senior backline evidence his value in all game states and types of defence.

His finishing is a work in progress (having joined from Jamaica last summer), but definitely gets involved enough to be seen by team mates.

You want players finding solutions on the pitch, from starting positions you help them to find with separation movement, or empower to reach via carries.

Carries into final third

I generally like the degree of composure off the carry to set up another player who might set up someone to shoot, that’s valuable.

Having watched too much lower league French football, and Uber Eats box to box tumbling on the ball and chasing their touch.

Wearing #2, presumably another instance of having started as WB then moving to central midfield after substitutuons in second half

Play the extra pass

IF regularly makes good decisions around the box to play the extra pass

Separation movement

Ibrahim Fullah has been deployed as a RWB in 2025, even being left footed.

C finds separation in the pass from A to B

Now 3-5 yards away from the oppoent with a problem to solve (which runner to pick) and Alan Mwamba (8) underlapping

Runs in behind – worth noting live, he’s relentless in terms of frequency therefore recovery time to go again

And separation movement to receive into feet

Possession recovered by Millwall’s Rafiq Lamptey

IF rgularly does of separation movements;

Double movement; fake into space to get into feet

Channel runs

Always worth considering the tradeoff, midfield “runners” aren’t usually good on the ball to pass and move ; and passers don’t make runs.

There’s no ceiling to good players however. Ramires, Declan Rice are good example of players who get respectively: goals and final third output, and a large number of channel runs (on top of receptions / carries)

Not going around the defender (who can push him wide) but actively taking him on

To attack his Achilles Heel, literally

Being taken down by the recovering defender coming wrong side

Drawing fouls

Making fouls is often the best way to stop him

Something IF does quite often, is to dart in the channels to make runs ; possibly why he’s also playing wingback at times, or the other way round.

With a strong base to not be put off balance when executing his pass

Wing back runs in behind:

Not exactly sure who was offside there but oh well

Finishing highlight reel

the first goal was a good way at the first time watching him, to know if he had any end product : with a 90+2 equalizer to 2-2 from 0-2 down.

The kind of goal you feel is gonna go in from the moment it leaves the foot

The second goal is interesting for the speed between the last before last touch and snap volley from Manu Wales’ cross

Relaxed ankle but firm enough to send it forward

The third goal in the video show quick thinking to attack the space.

Attacking play is about recognizing where the spaces open, Dixon (9) drags the CB out of position with a decoy run, Fullah has the edge over his CM counterpart so can run into the gap

wth the CB having realised too late he was leaving the line he was meant to protect (ball-goal)

These goal frames remind me early 2010s memories of U11 football where referees would occasionally call off these goals hitting the metal bar just inside.

Some of the finishes are outrageous, and coming off both feet

Moussa (2003) made his debut in Tweede Divisie for HHC Hardenberg early 2025

In October 2020 in French National U19 League, Moussa assisted from open play after a 20 yard carry + clipped pass when we beat the U19 champions 4-0 on their turf in 2020.

“Dominating the game in all aspects, especially in a perfectly drilled midfield … creating the clearest goalscoring chances against apathetic Angers side” “The talented Moussa C let defenders bite the dust – who had no other way to stop him than foul”

Empower players.

Three days after beating the U19 Champions 0-4 (and players talking about qualifying for the Youth League – the joy of being carefree).

We played away at Brest, which we also beat 0-3 with two goals inside 9 minutes.

🇬🇳 🇳🇱 Moussa winning the penalty by himself:

We set a U19 club record that day, 3 consecutive wins without conceding.

A feat that Oumar Solet, Nordi Mukiele, Serhou Guirassy did not achieve when they were playing for the same club’s U19s in the mid 2010s

French Youth Cup Semi final 2014: Guirassy far right outfielder.

Moussa (8) played 3 x 90′ Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday.

“Against a Laval team set out in “diamond midfield” (rare enough to be underlined a Academy level)”

Moussa incentivised to “crash the box” from left sided 8 in 3-5-2 ; similarly to Ibrahim Fullah

Right wing back Owen (who skins the fullback here) that I signed from Paris grassroots who never played at National level.

Now pro in Ligue 2. Put the ball in the box, and pack the box. Goal.

From left to right, top row to bottom row

Moussa for the U17s in 2019-20
Moussa starting as CCB in a back 3 to hold a 0-0 against Stade Rennais (who rested Camavinga, Ugochukwu and Rutter for the Youth League) but stopped Mathis Abline, Andy Diouf, Brandon Soppy and the others
Owen (defending) and Dembo (background) – two future professional right back, and international (Guinea) in the same U19 team in 2020-21 – you know how to find players or not
Moussa vs Le Mans, against the elements ; keeping a 1-0 for 90+18 minutes at 9v11 for a referee’s personal vendetta (affiliated to the next opponent, what a coincidence)
Dembo called up for Guinea (17) since 2023
Owen playing in Ligue 2, against Hacene (background) that I also coached in 2017-18 and covered in the James Bogere newsletter