When shaping any squad, the range of the profiles is important.
Totally different traits supply numerous options relying on the crew’s rules and the opponent on the day.
Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach, Thomas Frank, will adapt to the squad at his disposal. That’s why empowering the crew with lacking profiles is a step in the best path, because it offers the Danish head coach extra instruments.
Because the begin of the summer season switch window, Spurs have been all in favour of signing a winger and on July 8 they reached a switch settlement with West Ham for Mohammed Kudus price within the area of £55million ($75m).
Going for Kudus, 24, is an fascinating selection as a result of it gives flexibility and fills a profile hole in Tottenham’s squad. The scarcity of dribblers in Frank’s crew limits their attacking options, particularly with the dearth of a left-footed one.
Kudus completely suits the required profile, whereas having the ability to play in any place throughout the entrance line. The ahead’s talent set isn’t restricted to his dribbling, although, as his ball-carrying skill presents a menace on the transition and his motion contained in the penalty space places him in harmful goalscoring positions.
By way of Premier League dribblers, it’s inconceivable to disregard Kudus’ one-on-one prowess. “It’s one among my largest attributes,” he advised The Athletic final yr. “I play with a lot threat and attempt to create stuff within the recreation out of nothing.”
Final season, he tried the second-most take-ons per 90 minutes (7.2) within the Premier League, and had the second-highest profitable take-ons per recreation (3.2) amongst gamers with at the very least 75 makes an attempt.
One of many stand-out elements of Kudus’ dribbling is his skill to drive previous opponents in massive areas in addition to weave by way of them in tight areas, as seen on this instance from the 1-1 draw towards Everton in March.
Kudus is snug dribbling in any path, which makes him unpredictable and allows him to play in a number of attacking positions. His understanding of how you can use his physique as a protect between the opponent and the ball is one other side that makes him laborious to dispossess.
“My low centre of gravity additionally helps. I work so much on my decrease physique, so it’s actually laborious for me to get off the ball or be pushed away simply,” Kudus mentioned in an interview with the Premier League final yr.
The ahead’s low centre of gravity permits him to twist and switch sooner, which is vital to his success in one-on-one conditions.
On this instance, towards Tottenham in Could, Kudus dribbles contained in the pitch and places his physique between Wilson Odobert and the ball, earlier than shortly altering path to get previous Yves Bissouma and dashing previous Archie Grey to create a crossing angle.
Kudus is a multiple-touch dribbler, which helps him preserve the ball away from the opponents whereas ready for the best second to vary path or speed up into area to discover a passing angle.
On this instance, from the 3-1 victory towards Luton City in Could 2024, Kudus was in a one-versus-two state of affairs, however he managed to dribble previous Gabriel Osho and Alfie Doughty to help George Earthy.
Right here, West Ham’s ahead initially dribbles inside and his multiple-touch strategy wrong-foots Osho.
Kudus’ left-footed contact (slide 1) strikes the Luton defender contained in the pitch, and he shortly rolls the ball within the different path as Osho tries to stability himself, earlier than accelerating into area to play the cutback along with his proper foot.
Kudus’ dribbling model interprets properly to a higher-possession facet that faces deeper blocks as a result of he is ready to dribble in tight areas by utilizing his physique neatly, taking a number of touches to vary his path and accelerating in brief distances to create passing or capturing angles.
The final half is complemented by his skill to shoot or move along with his weaker foot, which makes him a menace no matter his place or path of dribble.
In greater areas and transitional conditions, Kudus is a menace on and off the ball as a result of his tempo and ball-carrying skill. “After I see area with the ball at my ft, I don’t care what’s in entrance of me. I’ve to go for it,” he advised The Athletic final yr.
Regardless of Kudus’ unattractive underlying attacking numbers — that are partly influenced by West Ham’s model — his off-ball motion in and across the penalty field is wise and it’s an space of his recreation that may be harnessed in a greater method.
On this instance, towards Brentford in November 2023, Kudus darts contained in the penalty space and assaults the area behind Vitaly Janelt to supply Mentioned Benrahma a crossing possibility in the direction of the again submit.
The Ghanaian solely manages to hit the submit along with his thigh, however Jarrod Bowen follows the ball and scores on the rebound.
In one other instance, towards Brighton & Hove Albion in April, Aaron Wan-Bissaka finds Bowen’s run behind the defence, whereas Mats Wieffer is maintaining a tally of Kudus down the left facet.
Kudus initially darts inside to supply Bowen a passing possibility…
… however then modifications his path and assaults the again submit to shock Wieffer.
Nevertheless, Bowen performs the move in response to Kudus’ earlier motion, and the Ghanaian alters his path as soon as once more to beat Wieffer who has dropped to defend the again submit.
Kudus’ good off-ball motion permits him to succeed in the ball first…
… and he side-foots it into the underside nook.
There’s scope for creating Kudus’ attacking output by way of targets and assists, which in principle ought to enhance in a extra attacking model of play.
His profile has the capability to be a goalscoring and inventive menace as a result of, most of the time, it’s the ultimate motion that fails him.
Kudus’ skill in one-versus-one conditions implies that isolating him towards a defender is one attacking possibility, however his dribbling is as useful in tight areas towards deeper blocks.
In the meantime, he’s efficient on the transition and has the potential to be a goalscoring menace contained in the penalty space.
Kudus is primarily a dribbler, however he presents greater than that. His profile is one which Tottenham don’t have in abundance and he’ll supply Frank extra attacking options towards several types of opponents.
