The French corner [non WHU]

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Misko
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The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

I have been considering opening such a topic for a while, but it felt a bit weird, something like talking about English cuisine on a French food forum. Anyway, as I was requested on the Summer transfer thread to name the players I find suited for the Premier League, I guess it would be easier to read if I seperate it from the countinuous stream of posts there. After all, it is not directly WHU-related. Anyway, I also had in mind to talk about other interesting (well, at least imo) topics about French football. It may catch the attention of some of you without polluting other threads. We'll see how it goes.


I drew a list yesterday of the goalkeepers I found capable to bring something to Premier League teams. I just copy-paste it here for clarity.

- Alban Lafont (Nantes, 23yo, 6'4) : probably the hottest prospect as a keeper. Tall, with an impressive wingspan, he is a very dynamic and capable of incredible saves. He commands the box all right and is efficient in clearing crosses and set pieces. He also is good at penalty saving (3/7 this year). His distribution skills are weak, though, and he has to improve his decision making against fast counter attacks. With the ageing French internationals, he might be the future of French selection, even if I am not sure at all he could develop as a world class player.

- Predrag Rajkovic (Reims, 26yo, 6'3) : Serbian international, very dependable keeper. He has no exceptional strengths but no significant weaknesses as well. He plays in a defensive minded team, which likes to sit low on the pitch. He excels in such conditions, he doesn't give any easy goal. Valued at €9m on transfermarkt, a very good value for money, I reckon.

- Matz Sels (Strasbourg, 30yo, 6'2) : the player is definitely not a "sexy" one, but Strasbourg is very happy to count on him. His main asset is the distirbution, he really adds something to the offensive power of the team. He of course can do the goalkeeping work well, I wouldn't mention him otherwise. One weakness that might be highly problematic in the English game, I find him average on crosses, but he luckily is well protected by his defense.



Now, let's talk about defenders, and left backs first :

- Caio Henrique (Monaco, 24yo, 5'10) : Brazilian with a Spanish passport, former Atlético player. He blossomed in Monaco as a very offensive minded LB. He is not physically spectacular, just average height, speed, stamina. He is also not the toughest defender at all, relying on anticipation and positionning more than direct challenges. But he is by far the most dangerous LB when attacking. Skillful with a nice vision, his footwork is nice and his left foot is lethal. Crosses, long balls, direct passes and set pieces, you name it, he can kill you any way possible. He can play in the midfield as well, sometimes as an CAM. I guess he is more suited to the continental game, but something tells me he would thrive in a team like Man City. He is set to leave Monaco this summer or the next one for a truckload of money.

- Juan Bernat (PSG, 29yo, 5'9) : Normally, as I am not here to give obvious names, I should not mention PSG players. But Bernat is a bit forgotten on the bench whereas he is a very good full back, imo. It seems he is on a £150m a week, which is ludicrous, but this is PSG style. I guess he would consider a move to a decent PRL team with a 4 or 5 years long contract, even with reduced wages. He is a bit of the epitome of the Spanish full back, quick, running forward as soon as possible with a highlyu accurate passing game. He can bring the danger all right and is a superb team player, always looking for the unmarked man. He is defesinvely OK, with a good fighting spirit and the occasional impressive sliding tackle. He can find it difficult to deal with lightning quick wingers and he is weak in the air. He's still an experienced quality player who could be a nice asset to an ambitious team (I'd take him in our squad any time is possible)

- Adrien Truffert (Rennes, 20yo, 5'7) : Rennes is one of the finest academy in the country, and Truffert is one of their last hot prospect. He impressed everyone at the beginning of last season, with explosive performances on the left side, fast counters, neat crosses and powerful shots. He rapidly showed some limits in the consistency, struggling against the more structured teams who quickly learned how to contain the danger he brought. So, after his 2 first pro seasons, he started 41 games, getting 4 goals and 5 assists. He has to develop for a more tactical approach of the game, but he is pure TNT on open plays, with superior offensive skills.

- Melvin Bard (Nice, 21yo, 5'7) : I am rather suprised to mention him here. He is from OL Academy, but I always considered him as a potential midtable player. Nice recruited him last summer for €3m which revealed to be a good bargain. He quickly established himself as a starter, pushing Hassane Kamara away of the team wheras he was one of the good surprises of last season. I would have mentioned this one here last summer if I had to do that kind of list (he ended up in Watford, being quite average I think, things change fast). He is as down to earth as Truffert is explosive. He is a defender first, showing great abilities in duels. The physical wingers have hard time dictating their law to him. He seems very strong mentally, never letting himself being beaten. On the attacking side, he is quite ordinary, going forward when needed, with a nice passing ability. He managed 2 goals and 2 assists in 33 games, which is not bad at all. I would consider him as the most sensible signing possible for a Premier League team looking for a young LB to grow as a consistent starter for the coming years.


To be continued. I'll be right back.



Full list visible here : viewtopic.php?p=6261106#p6261106
Last edited by Misko on Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:00 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Burnley Hammer »

My first thought is... there's a lot of very short left-backs in France! :)
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

Burnley Hammer wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 9:36 am My first thought is... there's a lot of very short left-backs in France! :)
I think the standards are different. 5'7 or 5'8 are heights that are not deemed as short for full backs, though obviously in the lower range.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by YorksHammer »

Bard sounds like he'd be the one I, personally, would be most interested in of the group there - we need that defensive strength.

Thanks, Misko! Looking forward to hearing more of this sort of thing from you, too. Ligue 1 (and Ligue 2) shopping has often seemed to served Premier League clubs, including ourselves, well in the past.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by SiamHammer »

Great thread. I've actually been quite impressed with Hassane Kamara when I've seen him play this season for Watford
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Burnley Hammer »

I think Caio Henrique would fit my proposed 3-5-2 system very nicely.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by iLoveLasagne »

Matz Sels. Thought I had heard of him before. Played a few times for Newcastle.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Albie Beck »

Thanks Misko - and Bard for one does sound quite interesting...
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

Albie Beck wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 2:30 pm Thanks Misko - and Bard for one does sound quite interesting...
I really didn't expect him at this level. I never saw anything special in him before. But he did very well for Nice. To be confirmed.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

Ok, let's switch sides and have a look at the RBs. For some reason, it's been years that I find it hard to spot special talent in that position, not only in the French League but anywhere in the football world (well, Hakimi is one major exception). Well, of course, I don't look so closely at it, but I'm globaly underwhelmed by the players I can see playing there. Here is the selection I would make, but please note that I hardly can rate any as a great potential.

- Zeki Celik (Lille, 25yo, 5'9) : This is one solid FB, very disciplined defensively, reliable with the ball, tireless, remarkably consistent. He'll never be a superstar but never will let the team down. He is capable of sending dangerous crosses in the box from deep. He is mostly one of the most cleaver on the pitch player of a hard working Lille team.

- Ruben Aguilar (Monaco, 29yo, 5'6) : French international, he is a tough warrior on the pitch. He is never far away if things get messy, he definitely falls into the hothead category. But he gives a hell of a hard time to his opponents, nothing is easy with him. Discipline can be an issue, as you could easily imagine. But he has great qualities : he's quick, good with and off the ball, he has very consistent offensive stats for such a warrior. He is the archetype of the player you love in your team and love to hate when he plays against you. He also is able to play in the midfield and sometimes as a CB in a back 3 despite being very short!

- Vanderson (Monaco, 21yo, 5'9) : Another nebulous signing by Monaco (they sign numerous young players, you never really know how they end up there). He is still just a prospect, but he proved himself a key player in the amazing run of Monaco in the last part of the season. He played RB as much as RM, but he sure has primarily defensive skills: powerful and pacey, he is a brilliant tackler. He showed nice Brazilian footwork and made some nice rides along the sideline. He is not decisive in the last 20 yards yet, but I have no doubt it will come. He reminds me a bit of Maicon, for those who remember him. I think he is solely Brazilian, which could make a move in the Premier League a bit complicated (I don't know how it stands now for the work permits). However, I think he is the next big thing for Monaco and his value will increase drastically next year which will make him unaffordable to most of the teams.

- Malo Gusto (Lyon, 19yo, 5'9) : You saw him in action during the EL tie against OL. He is an offensive minded RB, better as RWB. He overtook Léo Dubois, a French international and this year captain as a starter at RB. He is physically dominant, powerful and super quick, the only player I saw able to follow M'Bappé for 30 yards at full speed. He started football late (ath the age of 10) and was intially trained as an attacker/winger. He kept from this a great ability in the last 30 yards, sending great crosses in the box. He delivered 4 assists in Ligue 1, all in the second part of the season when he got substential playing time. Defensively, his positioning improved a lot in a short time but remains questionable. His physical skills enable him to sort it right most of the times, but he is still error prone. He has an excellent mentality and I really think he has all the tools to make a consistant career for himself. I reckon that next year might be more difficult for him as he'll be the designated starter, with much more pressure and he still is a very young player. That will be a good test.

- Akim Zedadka (Clermont-Ferrand, 26yo, 5'8) : Algerian international, this is the perfect underdog. He discovered this year the top level in France with a fearless team that kept on attacking despite being the smallest budget by far. They secured quite early their spot in Ligue 1. Zedadka was one the key players for them, going tirelessly forward, crossing the ball from all kind of positions with great accuracy. He is no top defender, but he does the job alright, using his pace and anticipation to steal the ball and start quick fire counter attacks. He is out of contract this summer and I really think the team going for him would make a very smart move, given they intend to play accordingly to his qualities.

The two young PSG RBs, Pembélé (on loan to Bordeaux) and Dagba are also good players, but it is a bit hard to evaluate them as one played for a woeful team (Bordeaux) and the other one for a massively dominant one (PSG) this year.
Last edited by Misko on Tue May 24, 2022 3:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Vienna »

What about Nayef Aguerd?

Edit: I'll wait patiently for your CB picks.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Gsbgsb »

Thanks for these posts. I was reasonably impressed with Gusto, did not realise he was that young. I do not think RB is an immediate need for us but next summer might be different. Coufal will be older and Johnson, together with another youngster we have Ashby, will have had another year to show if they are the long term solutions.

Height is an issue in England because of the number of crosses, long passes etc. Teams will look to exploit a full back who is weak in the air if that is their best option. It is one of Cresswell’s biggest weaknesses. We use it ourselves with Antonio often looking to pull wide and either drag a CB out of position to leave space for others or target the full back. It is why a keeper “commanding his box” is as much a thing as being a shot stopper.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by badabing »

Thanks Misko

And you`re dead right about the stream of posts on the summer thread :rofl:
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

Vienna wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 2:49 pm What about Nayef Aguerd?

Edit: I'll wait patiently for your CB picks.
You will have to wait for tomorrow morning, I'm afraid. The CB section is actually a very dense one, I've just come to realise it.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

Well, when I started listing the CBs from the French league that could be of interest for the Premier League teams, I had just a few names in my mind, and I thought it would go fast. Actually, digging a bit up, I came to realise that there are a lot of good players worth mentioning. I will probably do it over several posts.
I'll start with 2 names that are familiar for WHU :

- Nayef Aguerd (Rennes, 26yo, 6'2) : I already gave my opinion about him on the Transfer thread. I find him a perfect match for WHU and Zouma. He is good in the air, very solid defensively, not giving away anything easy. But his main asset is his brilliant passing game. He really has a sweet left foot and a good vision, being a perfect launch base for lighnting quick counter attacks. Rennes scored 82 goals this year, that performance was also based on the quality of the build-up from the defensive line. He likes to play rather low, facing the game. In this context, he is incredibly hard to pass. I would be a bit concerned by his ability to turn, this is the way I saw him getting in trouble, even if he keeps his head cool, not giving any useless freekicks away. I didn't see Rennes vs Leicester, which was probably the best way to see him in a "Premier League" context. His career is on a very structured and progressive path : small club in Morocco > big club in Morocco > small club in France > top 7 club in France > top 7 club in England probably


- Duje Ćaleta-Car (Marseille, 25yo, 6'2) : (pronounced Chaleta-Tsar if you ask yourself) The profile is quite similar to Aguerd, so I think Moyes has a clear view about what he wants as a CB to pair with Zouma. However, I'm much less enthusiastic about this one. He is a brilliant passer as well but I find him less good defensively. He is massive and hard to move, but I find his positionning and defensive moves much less tidy. He is also error prone (see the one he made in the SF of ELC against Feyenoord) and blow and hot cold. He was recruited for big money over his undisputable potential, but he fails to fully express it 3 years later imho.




edit : I messed up with addition I made about the career of Aguerd, apologies for that
Last edited by Misko on Wed May 25, 2022 10:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Aztec Hammer »

That’s good to read. Thank you Misko.

I’ve seen the same with DCC. I think he’s a pretty rubbish defender with the more and more I’ve seen of him.

So it’s good to read that you have a similar opinion and see Aguerd as better.

It seems Aguerd is going to be the one we sign, so the more positive things I can read about him, the better.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

I will not comment on Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Badiashile nor Saliba. For different reasons, they are not available for English teams outside the Sky-6 ones (+ Newcastle), so I guess it wouldn't be of much interest here.

- Sven Botman (Lille, 22yo, 6'4) : The first time I heard his name and saw his face, I thought it was a joke, so tall, strong, emotionless he was. He definitely has something robotic in him. Good in the air, good positioning, immune to pressure... If you had to create the achetypal CB, you'd probably end up with a player like Botman. Of course, he is not perfect. I guess he lacks of that touch of magic to be truly among the best. I've never seen him doing more than what was expected from him, that twist that would make him a real game changer. Don't get me wrong, what he already does is more than enough.

- Guillermo Maripán (Monaco, 28yo, 6'3) : Another surprise from Monaco. This Peruvian player was totally unknown to most of the people and he quicly established himself as the cornerstone of Monaco's central defense. Playing in a back 3 as well as in a back 4, he is a very intelligent defender, covering space and not allowing any easy move to the opponents. You add on top of that the ability to be a serious threat on set pieces and a nice little touch with the ball, securing a nice 90% pass completion rate, with 80% for the long ones! As he is 28yo, his value will not skyrocket, but he is one depandable center half.

- Axel Disasi (Monaco, 24yo, 6'2) : The third element of the impressive Monaco's central defense, along with Badiashile and Maripan. He's probably the least exciting one, but he is still a good player, a bit more of the physical kind than Maripan. But he also compiles excellent passing records, so he is also a valuable ball player. When compared to his teammates, he is probably the weakest link. He has less composure, he commits more fouls and I saw him in distress facing the most technical strikers. Nonetheless, he is a good CB with a complete set of skills.


To be continued...
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by fjthegrey »

Misko dude.

A lot of Monaco defenders on your lists so far.

My suspicion is that they are being made to look better than they are because Tchouameni is their defensive midfielder. How good do you think he is? I've watched him play quite a few times now and I think he could become the best central midfielder in Europe.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by Misko »

You are probably right. On the other hand, Monaco buy a loooooooooot of players, so unavoidably, some turn out to be good or even very good.

This is the case of Tchouaméni. The guy is a monster. He has it all and I am pretty sure he will be a dominating player for years on, if no injury. Real Madrid seem to be close on the deal which is probably a very clever move from them in order to achieve their transition to a younger team. I can't undrstand why PSG didn't go all in for him as he is everything they lack of.
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Re: The French corner [non WHU]

Post by DublinDave »

Thanks Misko, great thread so far, great to have you aboard..!
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