Amadou ONANA: WHAT'S MY GAME
What's my name? What's my name? The gigantic Belgian fry. But can he pass the ball?
This newsletter will be a focus on Amadou Onana: What’s my game.
There’s a weird area, at the intersection between the players everyone has watched enough times to (supposedly) know inside out; and the ones that exist in the football twitter metaverse who get hyped based on a couple of bar charts.
Amadou Onana is currently in the middle, more precisely in the uncananany valley that has everyone knowing his name (okay no more) but without holding a firm opinion on his actual level, after having seen his name pop up here and there in recent years.
Amadou Onana.
“His passing metrics are low, could he play for a possession based team”
some rando on twitter dot com
So let’s look into it, from a scouting perspective. Without quoting a single number
Unlike in say the Bellegarde article; combining traditional and statistical scouting.
The idea is to go from the skill / ability to handle the actions, that is then projected into what an other team would require.
In other words: systems make players look better than they are (that is the point of dynamic organisations).
But very few Premier League teams in recent memory (on paper, not speaking about the Norwichs or Huddersfields) have been playing all over the park like Frank Lampard’s and Sean Dyche’s Everton.
Individuals being put on show to handle some absolutely wild Barclays open break counters both ways, with varying degree of success.
Couldn’t dream of a bigger truther stage to identify which hedghehogs can cross the highway unscathed.
In terms of format, this will be video footage that is then broken down.
Stillframe are just reference to the play being commented
Progression
Space coverage
Tackling
Aerial Dominance
Polyvalence
PROGRESSION
That masked pass is quite good from intention to execution, the shoulders deceives Felix into chasing the shadow.
Also, the location to hit the pass with the bone whilst keeping the pass on the floor is not easy to master (but is the way Kroos, Lampard, Ballack…) all used to smash passes. The power of a placed shot, but without lifting off.
Reaches the receiver quickly, and shows a level of ball mastery suggesting the player can do it again. Conclusion : this dude can pass.
It takes both confidence in his own ability (to make up ground) and vision to let the ball roll across. Excellent ball mastery affords it, but especially if it’s complemented with the burst of power Onana displays.
The lack of shoulder drop is deceiving, and the ball is well hit to zip on the floor.
This is the kind of pass attacking midfielders thrive on, Sterling or Mount.
An uncannily similar play to the previous one, Onana is ready to get challenged nevertheless (the back arm for balance, or cushon the opponent.
Passing the ball is also about recognizing when you cant, and delay until the window opens to connect with a team mate
This pass is exactly the “grey area” that causes friction between midfielders (or defenders) and attackers between the lines.
It’s about aligning
what the passer sees, and feels like playing (which is *his* affordance)
what the receiver perceives as being a playable option in a playable space
There’s always some bad faith involved, “you didn’t see me or didn’t dare to pass” vs “you didn’t find separation properly”.
If anything, bold base midfielders are key to take a chances on these passes to go the extra yard
I’d invite anyone to look into Gibson and “affordances”, and this spefic domain of learning theory. There’s more to learn there and to be applied to sports and football, than buy coaching e-books with description of goals with arrows and dots.
Gibson, J. J. (1966). The senses considered as perceptual systems.
Gibson, J. J. (1950). The perception of the visual world.
In practical terms: what do players see and perceive, and how can be improved and them empowered to find solutions by themselves. That’s football.
This one is a sharp series of shifts to open up a new picture and play a give and go with Iwobi.
Top level isn’t a story of “can player A do skill A”
It’s very much a story of “does player A does skill A well, but also skill B”
A dozen extra pass for a couple of points of % success will be worthless against a wall of players, that’s just running the clock down until someone makes something happen.
There’s stepover wide play 1v1 dribbles, and there’s also midfield dribbles.
Which Makélélé, Mikel, Matic were excellent at (or Kovacic more recently) despite being mostly lacking of pace or genuine wingers’ turn of pace.
And Onana does really well there, he’s not actively taking people on, he’s changing the picture by shifting and baiting opponents before releasing
One of the best ways to avoid assists ending in the “robbed assist” category, is to not look at the direction of the pass and generally execute passes quicker than a 1997 Toshiba Satellite 210CS opens Netscape Navigator.
A point that has been covered extensively in the Youssouf Fofanarticle is the use of masked passes in counter attacks.
Driving diagonally is what allows Onana to flat foot the defenders and split them with a through pass.
It requires thinking ahead and a good enough ball mastery (on top of not being afraid that quicker players would get in front).
That is an eye pleasing pass, as a former (still is but he’s not playing no more) Deco aficionado I’ve got a lot of time for outside of the boot trivela passes, with the laces going through the ball like that
One thing Onana does well is playing first time passes on the turn, which is a valuable skill to not let opponents set their pressing.
There’s no expense of extra steps either, being directly available for a return pass and on the move.
That requires a level of leg body strength to hit the ball hard enough
There’s a lot of midfielders who thrive in small spaces, some on bigger distances.
It’s really rare to have both.
Onana does really well to problem solve Rodri's let’s say “juego de posicion” closing down (clatter the opponents in front of the ref to prevent the other team to play). That small dink and ballerina feet to spin is a nice creative way
Play could’ve gone on, but the referee called City’s antifootball tactical fouling on this one.
This one shows a level of confidence in the ball, to keep the ball in control with lucky bounces. Top players wouldn’t exactly explain why and how they did it, but this is something football-friendly players are able to do on a regular basis
Quick snapshot on that drag which is sharp, despite the body being quite far of the ball. That takes a long, strong leg and big foot to unlock that situation
This isn’t to say that tall players are necessarily more valuable.
Good players are good.
Good tall players will make a bigger difference doing things at their own scale.
As far as “turn of pace” goes, this is reminiscent of some of the Pogba’s carries from one corner flag to the other at Old Trafford.
Lavia just can’t catch up, via footwork, turn of pace or power on this play.
Matic was an incredible player, with a range of “escape dribbles” based on ball mastery and shoulder drops. He was very athletic in terms of amount of runs, but wasn’t necessarily powerful (had a massive stride) and was - still is - really slow in isolation.
Onana has some of Matic’s library of turns (bit different, as Onana likes a roll across, Matic liked to shift the ball a lot like a hockey player).
This ability to cut through any midfield in the league would make a massive difference, just as it would in Europe as well.
Onana doesn’t look like having Yaya Touré, Pogba’s consistent ability toproduce these carries three times per half (especially in terms of final pass, where say Caicedo or Lavia might be more composed at times).
But he definitely can on the occasion
SPACE COVERAGE
Making the pitch look small
Screen the channels
The first play is what you’d expect a good DM do to, especially for a (lower) mid-table team. Stoppers are hardly keen to get drawn to the channels (outside the box), and with fullback and winger double teaming; someone has to take care of the runner.
Onana turns the head at every touch, which would *almost* be too much but shows a tremendous willingness to do well and do what’s best
I find this decision making in a chaotic situation (lots of big words here, but that’s just football; ball is turned over, how do you behave. That’s the truth)
Two decisions would be dumb:
Get drawn to Guimaraes who’d side it to Longstaff
Show Guimaraes “outside” that would still be able to play Longstaff
Show Guimaraes his wrong side and invite him to shell a cross, where Everton are in numerical advantage
That’s right 1. and 2. would be dumb, and Onana does 3.
He’s not counting for how many players, but he knows that Godfrey, Keane, Pickford are expected to handle a deep cross properly because that’s what they do
Recovery pace
This sequence speaks for itself, how and why Everton found themselves wide open is a different question. Point is, Onana raised to the challenge by showing tremendous pace to salvage his team; with the cheek to not turn the ball over on recovery.
Top level footballers are all quick, even the Adrien Rabiot of this world.
Players hit 30km/h (19 mph) on demand. Onana looks to often get beyond that.
Which, for his height and stride, contributes to making the pitch look small.
Screening attackers
Keeping attackers in check is a mindset, it’s not role specific. It requires a level of focus.
Also, being able to identify to not dribble into dead ends is key.
Onana identifies that he’s going to be cornered 1v3 so deceives with the shoulders and play a sharp layoff. Un-noticeable, effective stuff.
Ubiquitous presence
The prerequisite to play dominant football relies on covering space.
Onana is quick and mobile, which allows him to nick the ball here
Get drawn there up wide right
But half a dozen seconds later, pop up effortlessly on the other side of the centre circle to play that first time interception-pass in slippers for Doucouré.
Preventive marking
There’s a tidbit on the different defensive schemes in the Lesley Ugochukwu article.
What Onana does here, is going at potential short receivers to force a long ball.
Because he can make up space, they were probably not about to receive the ball judging from what the carrier is looking at
And when the pressure forces the turnover, Onana is once again the first to pick it up due to his reading and explosivity
Double team
Onana isn’t just running diagonals for cardio, setting a double team at the edge of the box is what he does well here
One normal days of Barclays is what I ask
One massively important part of defending counters in Premier League (more players getting beyond the ball, shorter sequences) means that it tests players’ decision making in inbalance situations.
What Onana does here is what you’d expect a PL-proven player to do, by delaying James. Not going at him, but screening Felix so that he’s forced to drop deeper.
Eventually gets it, but has a few yards to catch up (that give Everton a couple of seconds to re organise)
Making up ground when switching back on
On rare occasions Onana is caught ball watching, his ability to make up ground to recover allows to make up for the occasional concetration lapse.
Marshalling the back 4
Note: the clip is the first one of the next section’s video, “TACKLING”
Onana’s presence is dissuasive and doesn’t invite Chilwell to play the ball back inside
Onana shows a degree of tactical nous that should be standard, but often isn’t.
Sharing marking duties of the runner getting beyond (because Godfrey doesn’t have anyone in his zone) is good defensive behaviour.
Before being a game model specific instruction (Ramires or Hojbjerg tracking channel runners regardless under Mourinho, so that CBs never leave the box), this is first and foremost an universal good defensive behaviour.
Pass on marking duties and keep shape.
That kind of channel run by Havertz was a building block of Tuchel’s wide rotations, once the DM is pulled out of position then a new player can show up to create a triangle and release the free man.
The more the defensive structure doesn’t dismantles (which is what Onana contributes to), the harder it is to break down. Water is wet.
TACKLING
The most impressive aspect of Amadou Onana’s game is his tackling ability.
There’s no situation that causes him trouble, whether it’s centrally, down the channels, in the box
The combination of reading of the game, focus and tentacles makes him extremely effective.
Note: the first clip is a “SPACE COVERAGE” sequence.
That tackle is an absolute masterclass from a timing perspective, to get the ball and only the ball.
This isn’t necessarily a situation that teams should “invite” but having players who’re excellent in open space (Ramires used to be, just like Ngolo Kanté) is definitely one of the prerequisite in Premier League
There’s other leagues where being a good defender whithin a structure is good, but someone like Manuel Ugarte would’ve struggled much more than Onana does here.
Without delving too much into dating apps’ fetish for tall people and discarding anyone under 6ft3, one of the underconsidered aspects of having tall players (beyond “winning headers”) is the range of actions they can produce especially when it comes to tackling the ball or shielding it far from the opponent
That open field tackle on Wilson is eloquent too, not necessarly something that should be part of a good defensive set up (being bailed out by the cheat code tackler) with half the team out of position.
But definitely something that allows to play more expansively (= more risks taken and more attackers in final third) knowing there’s enough quality to sweep and provide defensive cover on counters.
Turn of pace in the box
This one is mightily impressive and will have any scout off his chair with casters.
Usually, attackers are more dynamic than defensive players, so slow down on purpose in order to turn pace so that defenders jam their own footwork.
Onana isn’t tricked, turns pace as well and still gets in front
Shall not pass
To the question whether it’s necessary, the answer might be no.
But football’s famously a sport about efficiency more than anything
Anyone who’s played the “slap my hand” game is familiar with that game.
This one is played with a football and two players.
Indecision and the leg snaps to nick the ball
It is often understated how much impact the defensive player can have, from the moment he smells a small lapse of hesitation
Intimidation
Backing the previous point, defenders can actually impact the duel (and not just go through and see what happens).
Good dribblers are expected to be successful two times out of three, which means there’s a margin to win one out of three or possibly two.
Onana’s consecutive shoulder drops (whilst keeping pace with Willock) squeeze onto Willock’s space, who eventually turns it over.
Contactless defending, when it actually works.
Ballerina footwork
Onana is agile and manages to keep track of Bernardo’s nimble movements and changes of direction.
Applying good enough pressure to force the turnover
Connect with Demaray Gray in the grey area between centre backs and fullbacks
Play ends with Pep Guardiola’s typical antifootball instructions, the usual “bumper cars” defending with no interest to challenge the ball whatsoever but still wave arms before the refs blows. But sure, the team with the most possesssion etc etc
AERIAL ABILITY
Amadou Onana obviously honours his own size (which isn’t always a granted for players who always won headers without jumping over the years) by winning a fair share of these.
That makes him an obvious target for:
Diagonal early crosses for flick ons
Dominate the air in midfield to settle in the opposition half with one header (as opposed to 24 passes to try to break through the first two waves of pressing then clipping it down the line, but it’s not direct play, it’s just indirectly running out of options - or quality)
Flick the ball on in the opposition half, the Drogba-Cech combination that’s the one teams can’t defend: you can’t press the goalkeeper volleying it
And an obvious menace on set pieces, evading defenders with double separation and winning another corner (the ball was deflected).
POLYVALENCE
Amadou Onana is a “proper footballer”, he’s got a level of ability and game understanding that allows him to play any role
Onana faced Chelsea twice, at Stamford Bridge he was playing off the striker Jonathan David.
Finding space behind the midfielders as 10
Here’s him looking for space intelligently behind Kanté
Shielding the ball against Christensen (good ball mastery; foot farthest, leaning knees, arms for balance)
Albeit unsuccesful to overload Christensen; a risk worth taking due to Azpilicueta and Christensen being out of position if beaten
Situational 9
The peculiar Jonathan David scores goals, but also likes to drop off the front to connect. Onana was intelligently pinning the CBs and working “round the clock”
Which means that strikers need to always be on the opposite side of the imaginary cadran (which radius is half the distance they’re apart)
Practical coaching stuff here, not for £89 / month.
Making Amadou Onana a situational 9 to lay the ball off for Renato Sanches
This one against Thiago Silva isn’t too shabby
Getting the ball back
Onana also featured as double 6 in that game, alongside Xeka
Here’s him chasing his own turnover
And dispossessing none other than N’Golo Kanté with one of his ever impressive left leg tackles - usually players would tackle with the right leg (but would make a foul because the leg catches the player, or is deemed too high)
Screening the opposition’s deep midfielders
No long talk of attacking midfielders screening the 6 inside five minutes.
He just can, that’s it.
Separation on set pieces
Volleying an effort just wide after 14 minutes.
Leading the press
Football’s not played on a whiteboard with magnets.
Players must be able to actually perform what asked.
Jorginho detaching from the 433 for Chelsea to press 442 (and Kovacic jumping up) with Sarri was a disaster in waiting, bailed out for pace by Luiz or Rüdiger.
Onana sets Lille’s high press with two angled runs
Forcing the turnover for 38 year old front foot defender José Fonte.
Substitute centre back
On the return leg however, Onana came on at the hour mark in place of the injured left footed CB Sven Botman (now Newcastle).
His first involvement: you, play here, you, play here
Then listening to instructions from José Fonte
Not bothered to use his left foot to distribute first time as a makeshift LCB
Defensive footwork:
Immediately when the ball is turned over, Onana switches to defensive footwork,
Holding the line (like Toto)
And instructing to squeeze in immediately on the backpass
You’d expect the makeshift quick CB to be slacking behind, not the case.
MaNiPuLaTiNg tHe pReSS
Waiting the last moment to trick Ziyech’s pressing (in Z…)
Outside of the foot shift, separation created
Teasing Lukaku with an square carry
“Banana drag” to open up access to the centre
Squaring a blind pass to Angel Gomes who’s now space to attack, with Ziyech and Lukaku out of position
Keeping Lukaku in check
Cutting off Lukaku’s flick
Creating separation with two touches between notoriously not not powerful Lukaku and Loftus Cheek
Stepping up to close down Havertz
With Fonte tracking Lukaku’s run, Onana’s footwork makes sense to shut the door on a defence splitting pass
Forcing Lukaku to lay back
Have the arms half bent in two already in place, to “cushion” the striker (without pushing, player meets the arm.
Lukaku receives on left (farthest foot to Onana) but still needs core strength to not fold
Once the layoff is played, grab him for a short while (just before the referee might blow his whistle)
So that he can’t get any momentum (extremely annoying)
Gives Onana a better head start for the remainder of the play
A CASE FOR CHELSEA
Would Onana be a good fit for Chelsea?
I believe he would be.
What would Chelsea need? Enzo Fernandez is a unique player, reminiscent of Luka Modric in his ability to impact the game from anywhere.
He’s a mobile platform to create, that’s not tactico gibberish, Lampard was just the same. From any location on the pitch (central, out wide); both could clip a pass for Drogba, Ashley Cole, switch play etc…
Which means that the second midfielder in possession will have to marshall around (not whithin, we’ve had enough and so probably have Arsenal already) the centre circle.
In possession, it’s about offering a way back inside as well as being in the general location between the ball and the goal.
Every now and then, football clubs hire ideologues and are talked into adding a “pure ball playing regista”. It obviously often doesn’t work out.
Jorginho, Eriksen have a 6-0 and 7-0 defeat to Manchester based clubs
Because Dennis Wise, John Obi Mikel, Michael Carrick had much more than a couple of showboating five yarders in their locker
Once the boat inevitabley tides over, of course the first reflex is to go “Up is Down” and go for the most proverbial, almost cliché, tough tackling midfielders who couldn’t pass an Excel spreadsheet on an USB stick (let alone the football).
Bring us your Palinhas, Tyler Adams, Cheikh Doucouré to steady the ship!!
And then inevitably send dog abuse to anyone who’s deemed warrant of it, because the team can’t break down a deep block twenty times a season
As mentioned previously, top level is not about “can A do A”
it’s about “can A do A and B” so that the combination of the 11 players on the pitch is more than the sum of it’s parts (when the other team doesn’t set up to get spanked on international coverage).
Win the ball back at a seemingly insane volume becase you chase your own turnovers? Congratulations, you’re PSV’s Ibrahim Sangaré.
Mauricio Pochettino likes a midfield composition with almost a “midfield libero” and a freer 8 (buy your tickets for the Gallagher at 8 rollercoaster, I don’t make the rules).
Players like Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama, Etienne Capoue, Eric Dier and also to an extent Moussa Sissoko (doing a bit of everything) or Danilo at PSG were Pochettino’s dominant keystone.
That’s his building box:
Lovren Fonte Wanyama Schneiderlin
Alderweireld Vermaelen Dier Dembélé
With the “sweeper” able to monitor huge areas, win headers and distribute properly with a knack for a tackle. Pochettino is good, doesn’t reinvent the wheel nor chokes as a result of his own footballing hubris.
Which means he bulds his teams to perform with player profiles that make sense; making it easy to foresee or second guess what he’d like.
Can Onana pass? The eye test gives a good cue in that regard; hence why I’ve decided to not include one single number in the entire article.
The tackling makes him an obvious candidate for the skillset Chelsea lack in midfield, and when adding up pace (that Matic did not have) or height (that Kanté did not have) the mix becomes very interesting.
Matic’s technical solutioning under pressure (lot of touches, masked passes, best left foot in the Premier League for a while) and Kanté’s superhuman activity are each different class to Onana’s.
Who franky fares really well as one of the most promising all rounders in the game right now.
It’s easy to forget that, being born in August 2001, Onana still hasn’t tuned 22 and has already toured half of Europe, outfielders positions on the pitch and positions on the league table.
The case for Amadou Onana is backed by his peculiar but stellar career rise having seen him prove his value to a team to an insane amount of positions, in some extremely diverse and challenging contexts. Hoffenheim, German second division with Hamburg, Champions League with Lille, one of the most open half decent team in the past decade in Premeir League in Everton.
Whilst always getting absolutely rave reviews from insiders in the game about his potential, and also attitude and work ethic
Raising to the challenge can only suggest he’s “proven” he can do it in a more structured team.
A Venn and hopefully not vain diagram:
The general energy stemming from this (regardless of availability and subsequent fee) is that Tchouaméni represents the middle ground between the other two options that are Onana and Caicedo.
Albeit the slowest of the three, Tchouaméni is a reliable presence able to cover huge areas and distribute it reliably.
Some of their skills overlap (including the very important trivela - outside of the boot passes).
Onana’s polyvalence and pace is exceptionnal, Tchouaméni’s reading is really impressive. Onana and Caicedo have a strong academy curriculum, and can pass the ball but there’s a strong team component impacting the outlook.
There might not be one thing Moisés Caicedo does so much better than what the other two do which is worth putting on the table (seeing the fees mentioned)
Out of this, one possible conclusion would be that in order to maximise Enzo Fernandez, leaning towards the options on the left might be more sensible ; which would also adress the height shortcomings Chelsea face (not just for headers)
Caicedo would offer variety because he has an eye for the pass before the assist, or get into final third.
However, would he get significant enough contribution in that regard whilst Chelsea would be more tempted to rely on 4231-ish to fit their merry band of position-fluid attackers (and matching Pochettino’s back four template) ?
Amadou Onana screams the 45 million transfer “bargain” that has Chelsea written all over.
which is the 2020s rate for who used to be the Florent Malouda 20 million ; Ramires 22 million of the 2000s ; Mata 26 million ; Alonso 23 million
All resounding successes.
This isn’t a poor pitch, Wesley Fofana or Benoît Badiashile are also two who were linked with Chelsea in tidbits of transfer rumours backpages in the years before their move.
And as reported by Football London, Chelsea made an approach for Amadou Onana in January.
On a side note, if he actually happens to sign, I might want to write a similar article to the BIG BEN one, with every season and role being played for his various teams.
