Tag: Kieran Trippier

What will the incredibly gifted Bruno Guimarães bring to St James’ Park?

What will the incredibly gifted Bruno Guimarães bring to St James’ Park?

Newcastle United have officially signed Brazilian international midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Lyon for £40million. Guimarães, 24, completed a medical in Brazil on Friday ahead of signing a contract at St James’ Park until 2026.

The Geordie club agreed a package of £33.3m plus around £6.5m in add-ons with French club Lyon to make the midfielder their third signing this January, following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.

The midfielder will play for Brazil on Wednesday and will not be able to travel to the UK to meet his new team-mates and head coach Eddie Howe until Thursday at the earliest.

A player blessed with incredible footballing artistry, tactical understanding, and a tenacious edge that has recently had him lauded as one of the most complete central midfielders on the continent.

Bruno Guimarães holds all the attributes needed to spearhead Newcastle’s exciting era under their new Saudi ownership and their push for Premier League survival.

Guimarães moved to Lyon from Brazilian outfit Club Athletico Paranaense in January 2020 and went on to play 295 minutes in their run to the Champions League semi-finals, as the French club famously beat Italian champions Juventus and then English champions Man City before being knocked out by eventual winners Bayern Munich in the last four.

Since then, the 24-year-old midfielder has proven key figure for the French outfit producing some stunning individual displays in midfield, and alerting top clubs around Europe to his incredible gifts and abilities.

Clubs like Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester United have all been reportedly interested in the Brazilian services in recent years, but its Newcastle United who have swamped in and claimed arguably their most impressive signing over the last decade.

The Brazilian has recently been described as an “all-court midfielder, giving Newcastle a bit of everything they lack in the middle… almost a ‘No.6-plus'”. Guimarães’ heatmap during his time in France illustrates he is a defensive midfielder by trade, one tasked in recycling possession, breaking up opposition attacks and screening in front of his back four, but his abilities transcend all of those traits. He’s also a footballer blessed with the attributes, skill and uniqueness to venture forward whenever the opportunities arises with such unerring grace.

As evidenced in the stat below, Guimarães utilizes possession of the ball adeptly, finding his teammates in more dangerous areas as well as passing the ball smartly out of tight positions, so Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will hope he has found the perfect solution to Newcastle’s ball-retention problems.

Bruno Guimarães is not solely seen as a player who can aid Newcastle’s push for survival – although that is of course, the pressing concern – but the club have also the aim of making the Brazilian central and pivotal to their long-term project in making Newcastle United one of the most feared teams in the Premier League once again. Guimarães is the midfielder around whom the club want to build their ambitious plans.

No doubt about it, Newcastle’s starting XI will be considerably improved by the addition of a box-to-box type player who can break up play, link up with teammates, carry possession and, crucially when the going gets tough, help maintain it to relieve pressure. Newcastle’s ball retention issues have been evident all season, but Guimarães’ composure, craft and vision will begin to address that in abundance.

This season for Lyon, Guimarães has primarily operated as a double-pivot midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 alongside Maxence Caqueret which allows fluidity, control of possession through two players blessed in the art of keeping Lyon’s play flowing from deep areas. Guimarães suits various setups including Howe’s 4-3-3 preference, either as the deep-lying player in the no.6 role, or a free-roaming box-to-box player. As shown throughout this campaign, Guimarães has a versatile skill set on the ball.

Per FBref, his 87.2 touches per 90 puts him in the top 10 percent of midfielders in Ligue 1. Lyon favour a possession-heavy style as seen through their average possession 58.3% compared to Newcastle’s 38.5% – the Premier League’s lowest possession tally. However, possessing a player who likes to have the ball at his feet, Newcastle’s possession stats should grow considerably which means they won’t have to rely on just counter-attacks to score but also through fluid possession-style football.

Bruno Guimarães simply does not give the ball away. He’s completed 92.6% of his short passes for Lyon this season highlighting his incredible knack of setting the tempo for Lyon through quick neat and decisive passes.

He tops the ranking in Ligue 1 for passes completed in the opposition half and sits joint-top with Marseille’s Dimitri Payet for passes completed in the final third. The ability to find defence-splitting passes is illustrated by his high number of completed passes and chances created, while Guimaraes’ fouls won, and touches statistics show there are few more effective carriers of the ball than the Brazilian currently playing in France.

If you need any evidence of his metronomic abilities on the ball, you only need to check out his assist for Lucas Paqueta in the game against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. Receiving possession, playing through PSG’s press, then advancing with the ball at his feet before caressing a delightful through over-the-top pass for his fellow Brazilian Paqueta to put Lyon in front.

Players like Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser will be delighted at the rate and quality in which Guimarães finds his teammates with similar passes.

This season for Lyon he sits in the top percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top-five leagues for his abilities on the ball alone. For progressive passes (7.91 per90 mins) he ranks in the top two percent of midfielders on the content, and for progressive carries (8.7 per90 mins) he ranks in the top 3 percent which is simply incredible, but a strong proof that Newcastle have not only signed a player who could help them gain survival this season, but a player who could quite simply transform their whole game under Eddie Howe.

Also, Guimarães averages 1.81 key passes and 8.23 final third passes per 90 this season meaning he is incredibly adept at unlocking opposition defences with such fine regularity, something Newcastle have desperately lacked for a number of years since they possessed the qualities of French midfielder Yohan Cabaye under Alan Pardew. Remember him?

Given Guimarães’ excellent range of passing, he could complement or replace Jonjo Shelvey, Newcastle’s deep-lying playmaker who holds exquisite distribution like his new teammate but lacks the mobility, and tenaciousness when carrying possession. This season, no player in Ligue 1 has completed more progressive passes than Guimarães or passes into the final third.

Whilst also possessing the knack of playing key passes, the Brazilian also enjoys carrying the ball in order to evade opposition pressure or carry his team up the pitch. As evidenced above, his 8.7 progressive carries per 90 – carries that move the ball towards the opponent’s goal at least five yards or into the penalty area – place him among the top five per cent for midfielders in Ligue 1 and in Europe. He successfully completes 1.21 dribbles per 90, which is impressive for a defensive midfield player, he also averages 1.54 dribbles past an opposition player, and 2.53 carries into the final third proving he’d fit right at home in the Premier League due to his all-action and creative style.

Defensively, Guimarães is also extremely active and effective. His combative qualities have been right up there with the best in Ligue 1 this season, where he ranks fourth for duels won, seventh for tackles, and is joint-sixth for possession won in the middle third. His tackles + interceptions value per 90 reads at 5.11 which is again, an incredible reading. Guimarães ranks 25th for possession won back in the attacking third, an impressive additional quality for a defence-minded midfielder which speaks volumes for his ability to press all over the pitch.

As per FBref, his 423 pressures in Ligue 1 this season is the third-best in the league highlighting his all-encompassing style. Guimarães isn’t just a samba-style creator on the ball, but he’s warrior and a combative player off it too justifying his tag as one of the most complete midfield players on the continent. The stats highlighted throughout this piece tells its own story.

When you combine Guimaraes’ attacking and defensive qualities it’s clear Newcastle have identified a midfielder with genuine box-to-box qualities, a rare find at the best of times, let alone during a notoriously difficult January window which could be the difference between Premier League safety and relegation.

When you possess a footballer as good as Bruno Guimarães, beating relegation is a sure bet but its what comes after that the Newcastle owners will be hoping this particular investment will lead them through in not only building for the future but also attracting footballers with similar qualities and standing as Bruno Guimarães.

The exciting future the Brazilian has been promised on Tyneside may yet become a reality.

How Newcastle could line-up against Everton on February 8

Diogo Dalot may be Rangnick’s go-to man and that’s bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Diogo Dalot may be Rangnick’s go-to man and that’s bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The tide is certainly changing at Manchester United. The road forward is looking much more optimistic and clearer after the debacle that had been their final weeks under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

In just a couple weeks since Ralf Rangnick’s interim appointment, the uncertainty and doubts that swept through Old Trafford has been completely wiped away. The small changes and progression may be difficult to pinpoint from the outside looking in but, certainly the German tactician and revolutionary has already made quite a drastic impact within the United camp.

Finally the club possess a leader who can imprint a vision, philosophy and an intriguing style of play that has been somewhat lost on the red side of Manchester, while the blue half continues to capture the imagination of every football fan in the country, even those in support of United.

Despite their impressive third and second placed finishes under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there was still the feeling that Manchester United were missing that telling ingredient that immediately would catapult them to the same levels as their rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

Well, those inside the Theatre of Dreams for Ralf Rangnick’s maiden match as Manchester United’s new interim manager were treated to a number of novel sights, especially on the tactical side. 

For starters, United played in a 4-2-2-2 shape. They pressed from the front and saw a different side to Fred, the much-maligned chaos merchant who scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

More significantly, it was the sight an attack-minded full back marauding up the right wing, putting in piercing crosses into the box as well as providing a ruthless threat on that flank for the whole game.

Under Solskjaer, that sight had simply gone amiss, with the Norwegian favouring the more defensive Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the position. Against Palace, Rangnick opted for Diogo Dalot instead and the transformation, balance and enthusiasm in United’s attacking play was stark.

As shown in Dalot’s individual stats against Palace, the Portuguese full-back proved a constant menace down that right-flank. For some 90 minutes, United fans thought they’d seen a reincarnation of the Old Trafford legend and former player Gary Neville.

Dalot as well as a rejuvenated Alex Telles, was pivotal to the way Manchester United played in Rangnick’s first match. Primarily, his role was to offer width and an outlet in a system that is otherwise narrow forcing play through the middle of the pitch. 

The Portuguese international was given a lot of space to stride into with out-an-out wingers Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho tucked inside, and offering threat in the half-space.

On top of this, Dalot proved a stunning supply line, passing the ball into the opposition penalty box five times, more than any other player on the pitch. He also made nine successful long passes, six ball recoveries and two successful crosses, putting in the sort of performance Rangnick cries out for from his full backs.

Manchester United’s performance had Rangnick’s fingerprints all over it, and it was quite considering he had a day’s worth of training to get stuck into his new job. The German has been hired to impose a new style of play a team that has been lacking such cutting edge front-foot football for a long-while and the full back position could be where we see the greatest changes between the Solskjaer-era and the new regime.

And this spells bad news for £50 million man Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

While there is no doubting the 24-year-old’s ability and defensive style as one of the best one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, he is supremely limited in his attacking output.

Wan-Bissaka has tried to adapt his natural game, but it’s clear that anything beyond the halfway line pushes him outside of his comfort zone. At times, he’s looked clueless, somewhat awkward and lacking in any real urgency when attacking in the final third areas.

That was the case in United’s latest game under Rangnick, their 1-1 draw against Young Boys in their final UEFA Champions League group stage bow. Diogo Dalot, who was rested for the game will have watched his English teammate’s performance and not feel threatened one bit.

Wan-Bissaka, who came in after missing the Arsenal game with a hand injury and after being dropped for the Crystal Palace match, had an evening to forget. The right-back unfortunately failed his audition in front of his new manager.

He received a bang to the face, another knock to his wrist and left the pitch on a stretcher after clattering into the advertising hoardings as he raced for the ball on the slippery surface in second-half stoppage time. It was a sorry sight for a player who has impressed on occasion, but doesn’t seem the reliable outlet United have needed and are crying out for when attacking down that right-flank.

Under Solskjaer, Wan-Bissaka’s limitations were masked somewhat due to the presence of a wide attacker, whether that be Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho or someone else, ahead of him on the right side. Simply stopping opponents from getting in behind often proved enough for the former Crystal Palace man.

It’s even gotten to a point where much of Manchester United’s opponents aren’t as worried or tested when Wan-Bissaka attacks down the right-flank. When Solskjaer’s team had the ball, they were almost forced to go down the side they felt weakest as a result of Wan-Bissaka’s frailties as an attacking full-back.

It’s also a position where United have fallen well behind their main rivals: Chelsea possess the qualities of Reece James, Manchester City have Joao Cancelo and Kyle Waker, while Liverpool possess the extraordinary creative abilities of Trent-Alexander-Arnold. It was simply no secret when Solskjaer was reportedly interested in the services of Atletico Madrid and England full-back Kieran Trippier last summer to provide the club with a much more complete and well-rounded full-back.

A failed move in which United had to make do with what they had.

Rangnick has a strong reputation for honing the skills of young players but the 24-year-old put in another ponderous and nervy display against Young Boys.

Wan-Bissaka, who was sent off in the reverse fixture back in September, failed to find a team-mate with any of his two crosses, did not play a single key pass and made the majority of his touches in deep areas.

His performance was the polar-opposite to the one Dalot put in at Old Trafford at the weekend, with the Portugal international showing he can excel in Rangnick’s preferred 4-2-2-2 formation.

With Rangnick at the helm, though, Manchester United will certainly need more dynamism from their full backs on both flanks. For Luke Shaw and Alex Telles, this won’t be much of a problem with both possessing the propensity to provide that telling impact in the final third.

Dalot, who’s attacking play has somewhat gone unnoticed at Old Trafford will add plenty to United’s new and reformed attacking play. The 22-year-old proved himself as a reliable option on loan at AC Milan last season and even forced his way into Portugal’s squad for Euro 2020.

So far in a matter of weeks, the 22-year-old has proven he isn’t out of his depth at this level.

For Wan Bissaka, the doubts still remain whether he can cut it at the elite level.

Wan-Bissaka has his qualities, of that there is no question. If humanity ever needs a sliding tackle or a vital block to save the world, then Wan-Bissaka’s the man. When it comes to one-versus-one defending, he is arguably the best in the country.

However, there are still facets of his defending that needs work, at times he too often drifts off when defending crosses from the opposite flank, and he hasn’t nailed down yet exactly when to press or hold his ground in a whatever shape United’s defence is taking, something Rangnick will be poised to help him solve.

Solskjaer and his coaching staff just did not have the qualities and skills to iron out the kinks in Wan-Bissaka’s game, but as we have seen already, Rangnick can spot a flaw and take the necessary steps to rectify it, he’s spent his whole career shaping young talents.

Certainly, Dalot has weaknesses in his defending too. Though, once Rangnick has United controlling games the way he wants, Dalot may not be tasked in fulfilling defensive duties as much as he has been previously.

In the attacking sense, Dalot is averaging an impressive 2.33 passes per 90 into the opposition box. Joao Cancelo is on 2.55; Trent Alexander-Arnold is averaging 2.76; Reece James’ average per 90 is 2.35. Wan-Bissaka’s stands at 0.69. He has attempted nine passes into the box in 13 starts this season; Dalot trails by two in just two starts and four substitute appearances, the differences where it matters most in attack are very clear.

The Portuguese international has also recorded 2.31 shot-creating actions per 90, while Wan-Bissaka sits at 1.62. Also Dalot averages more passes into the final third, more progressive passes, more passes into the penalty as well as crosses, exactly what an attacking full-back needs in his role. Dalot’s qualities supersede Wan-Bissaka’s in every sense of the role.

That’s one of the many reasons why Rangnick will continue to call on Dalot, as Manchester United’s permanent attacking full-back for now. Wan-Bissaka will almost certainly be given a chance to prove himself to Rangnick between now and the end of the season, but the pressure for him to improve his game really is on.

If the former Palace man doesn’t adapt his style, if he doesn’t absorb the exciting ideas and methods of his new boss, he may find his United career at serious risk.