Chelsea's BIG BEN: Benoît Badiashile player analysis
Benoît Ntambue Badiashile Mukinayi Baya, or Benwa Bad-ee-ah-sheel has been signed by Chelsea on a 7.5 year deal.
Not Benoit Badiasheeley nor any possible estranged cousins whose surname sports announcers would show creativity with the pronounciation.
This is a Badiashile-centred perspective covering his journey to Chelsea:
French talent pathway: Limoges, Malhesherbes, Monaco
Not Monacoasting: season to season at the Academy
iNvErTeD cEnTrE bAcK
Monacoasting: club in shambles post-Ligue 1 title
Mainstay in the rollercoaster: one consistent feature at LCB
Niko Kovac’s innovative 343 / 442
Badiashile in the “missing piece of the puzzle” role
Video room: comprehensive playing style breakdown
Data Room: Badiashile through the numbers
Why was he still stranded at Monaco then???
Chelsea FC: Guaranteed surprise nobody expected (
crossany word)
Ever heard of amortization?
Player amortization ↑
Long contract makes sense for amortization purposes, and to prevent the inevitable arm-wrestling between club/player in year 2 and 3 of common 4 year deals. But you’ve know everything about that already.
You will still read about it here and there.
Paris c’est pas la France, monsieur.
Bit of general background on French football, specifically France. First thought associated usually is "Paris" and... it's not quite off the mark.
France is a hyper centralised country, more than people imagine.
England as a benchmark:
Density maps courtesy of the excellent @researchremora
The Paris area represents 18% of French population.
Football-wise, 60-70% of current professional French footballers originate from the Paris area.
See also, 29 Parisians players represented a National team at the #WC2022
Okay, so what about the 30-40% of pro footballers *not* originating from Paris?
Like Benoît Badiashile, born in Limoges in 2001: population 133k (≈ Oxford), who moved shortly after to Malesherbes (~8.000 souls), south west of Paris.
(80km away from Paris and that’s the Argentinian pampa, nothing like London extending forever.
Spent one season in FC Limoges, then played 8 seasons for SC Malesherbes between 7-15 (first team in 8th tier)
Gingercastle Excellence Centre
It’s obviously not actually called “Gingercastle”. But could be.
France's talent pathway: players can't play for a club further than 50km (30 miles) from home before the age of 16.
16 "Pôle Espoirs" (including Guadeloupe & Réunion) are the Federation's boarding schools / excellence centre: 5 sessions/week, a total of 480 players still play for their club on weekends.
The key stake is to merge academic schedules and training (that occurs in the day), unlike amateur clubs who train into evenings (which forces into chosing one or the other).
Players spend 3 seasons in "Pôle Espoir" from age 12 to 15, are talent ID or pass a exam and tests to qualify.
U13-U14-U15 categories work by calendar birth year - different to England.
Hence the amount of players born in January-February-March (Relative age effect is still a very strong component in football, france and elsewhere).
Players from “pole espoir” can be signed exclusively by professionnal French clubs (not overseas) and then join ahead of U16 season.
60% of players find a pro club, 40% go back to grasroots football.
The “empty diagonal”
Châtauroux’s Pole Espoir is a bit peculiar in the sense that it’s a bit in the middle of nowhere, football-wise (and in general). Gathers players from several regions/areas.
There’s no half decent persistent club right in the middle of the map: sometimes it’s Angers, Le Mans, Tours, or even Limoges and Angoulême half a century ago.
Bet Angoulême fans taunt rival fans in the tune of “Premier Tour de la Coupe d’Europe des Villes de Foire*, vous ne chanterez jamais ça” in French 4th tier in between two bankupcy 20-year predictable “passage of the comet” cycles
Keep in mind French clubs don’t even pay rent for council owned stadiums they play in so where the bankrupcy could possibly be coming from is a mystery. 4-digit cash enveloppes for Sunday league players? maybe.
Limoges FC (where Badiashile spent one season), apart from the Fairs Cup thing Angoulême has and Limoges don’t, experience the same cycle every 20 years. What could possibly go wrong in budgeting a French Cup 6th round, spending accordingly when you crash out in the 1st round? They’ve been told to start over in 8th or 9th tier.
Pole Espoir players sometimes play locally in Chateauroux (former US Army military base camp), whose local professional club Berrichonne is a rare mainstay in Ligue 2 (2nd tier) since the 1970s
But their best talent like Gilles Sunu, get inevitably poached by big clubs, in that case Arsenal in 2007 (for 2.5 million still) before even reaching the first team.
No wonder players don’t play for the local club especially in the middle of the “diagonale du vide”.
Hence, AS Monaco.
*:Fairs Cup 1st Round, 1970-71 which Leeds won, the same year Chelsea won the Cup’s Winners Cup
Badiashile(s)
Benoît Badiashile's older brother Loïc (1998), goalkeeper, came throuh Chateauroux’s Pole Espoir (2011-13) before joining AS Monaco in 2013; which probably facilitated the decision making regarding his sibling’s path when he joined the Pole Espoir in 2014.
Loïc turned professionnal at Monaco, spent most of his career a backup GK, but started a dozen games with his brother for Monaco B (let alone when he was on the bench for Monaco’s first team).
All Pole Espoirs work well, but Châteauroux's has had quite a few success stories steming from the way it is run & football philosophy.
Notably, players aren't trained in one specific position but experience all roles.
Some other French centres do things slightly differently re: playing style with a bigger focus on player roles, it shows when they play each other several times a year; with scouts in attendance.
Former famous alumni: Florian Thauvin, Morgan Sanson, Abdou Diallo.
AS Monaco is known for scouting and signing players from "Région Centre" (which by the way is not even in the actual *center*)
Abdou Diallo (1996): Monaco, Mainz, BVB, PSG and France U21 captain
Ibrahima Diallo (1999): Monaco, Brest, Southampton
Sofiane Diop (2000): Monaco, Nice
Enzo Millot (2002): Monaco, Stuttgart, always good for France age groups
V.Germain (1990): ex-OM
Frédéric Bulot (1990): ex-Charlton Athletic
Point is: this is cause for aknowledging what an excellent, textbook talent pathway Badiashile's trajectory has been to get to Monaco.
That’s slightly different from Parisian born players who get the spotlight and experience stardom much sooner (think: Hatem Ben Arfa, Anthony Martial, Kylian Mbappé; obviously with mixed results at the end of the road).
And obviously, a much more linear career/talent path than say, many who featured for France in the World Cup 2022 Final.
They who needed breaking windows to get in (Giroud, Griezmann, Y. Fofana, Kolo Muani) after being discarded every step of the way until they reached an age where Badiashile already had 100 top flight appearances to his name, whilst they were finally considered at pro level (what didn’t turn out that bad for everyone involved) after playing regional or lower league football (or going abroad).
Not Monacoasting
Season 2016-17 (U16): National U17 Playoff Finals
Badiashile joined Monaco as U16 in 2016/17
Reached the Final of the U17 National playoffs (six 14-team groups) in his first season.
Monaco lost 3-0 to an impressive PSG team featuring Arthur Zagré (now Monaco, Utrecht), Claudio Gomes (Man. City, Barnsley), Timothy Weah (LOSC, USMNT), Yacine Adli (Milan).
Monaco featured Florian Biancone (Nottingham Forest), Khéphren Thuram (Nice)
Featuring that far into the tournament as a first year isn’t an easy feat to achieve.
Season 2017-18 (U17): iNvErTeD cEnTrE bAcK
As U17 in 2017/18, Badiashile was featuring predominantly for the U19 National team - which is usually how French pro clubs run player development with their best prospects.
As opposed to amateur clubs (broadly half the 14-team seeds) who play second year players (U19, some U18), and stacked academies (Strasbourg; whose 1st team, B team, U19 and U17 always rank well in fiercely competive eastern seeds).
These very different match-ups (going from super direct teams on village pitches, to academies who all local supremacy bragging rights or the scalp of a pro academy) explain why France can “produce” so many first team ready players every season in Ligue 2 (and sometimes in Ligue 1 with even more scrutiny like Badiashile).
Monaco missed out on U19 Playoffs (3rd out of 14), and was knocked out in round of 16 of UEFA Youth League to Tottenham on pens, with Badiashile missing a glorious chance after a horrendous bounce in front of him.
↓ Player amortization
That Spurs team was hardly a world beater, with only Oliver Skipp (and Brandon Austin who’s still backup GK at Spurs) still around at that level. Nothing to do with the Marcus Edwards, Tanganga, Jaden Brown (and Skipp, Eyoma) talent laden team from previous editions.
Because he was probably the better player of the two central defenders (both left footed), Benoît Badiashile was playing RCB and Julien Serrano LCB. (Transfermarkt wrongly logged the CB pairing).
What didn’t look to cause him much trouble for yet another psychic interception and drive with the ball + masked pass.
(Apologies for the accidental Kehlani soundtrack for the screen capture)
Badiashile ended season with 3 games for B team (4th tier)
Season 2018-19 (U18)
Badiashile started the 2018-19 season with Monaco’s B team in N2, playing 8 of the first 10 games.
French B team squads belong to the pyramid, and play in
4th tier (National 2 - 4 groups of 16 teams) - Monaco’s
5th tier (National 3 - 13 groups of 14 teams)
6th tier (Regional 1 - some pro clubs manage that exploit. OM at one point)
National 2 has pretty much only semi-pro players, on full time contracts (not professionals). The conundrum is that it’s too easy for professional players, and probably a bit too difficult to stay up with U18-U19 players only.
Hence the continuous discussions considering the state of French B teams
scrapping the B teams (Monaco are at that stage). Clubs can’t cut it completely, they’re technically required to have a 2nd team. So the unheard (by most) 3rd team, at Regional 1 level gets the spotlight once in a while (PSG scraped the 4th tier reserves, still had a team in 6th tier)
staffing B teams like the first team to try to turn future Regional 1 academy products into racehorses (why not, but that requires sharing the cone collecting process for everyone to pull their weight)
Sometimes it involves football players (they play football, so they’re footballers?) finding themselves joining the club in big mega first team transfers packages (but the agent is happy).
And or then get bored about the costly midweek friendlies and making a U-turn, asking the Federation skip the queue and get back into National levels they left two years before because competition isn’t actually that bad.
Quite the anthology of well thought powerpoints and projects circumeventing key stakes. Which goes along the line of: try working like every foreign club does with French players they sign, and turning them into the players they are once they go abroad. That would reduce the discrepancy mentioned later.
Badiashile was already showing great promise, including his telekinetic ability to connect with virtually every set piece delivery played across the penalty box.
Badiashile also captained the first three games of the Youth League 2019 against Atletico, Dortmund and Brugge.
Former Chelsea defender Jonathan Panzo joined Monaco (Michael Emenalo was Monaco’s Sporting Director) and formed a CB partership with Badiashile.
Guess who played at RCB once again considering both are left footed?
Yes, that is correct, Benoît Badiashile did.
When players are said to “not being able to play anywhere else than their designed tailor made position” (say, a LCB position for a team holding out for oxygen and conceding 17 shots to Leicester City), I really hate to break the mood but that usually means that the player isn’t really good in the first place.
The same applies to the echo chamber that left footed centre backs can’t play at right centre back.
It’s a matter of habit, but guess what, good players are usually skilfull and intelligent enough to adapt.
Rüdiger’s left foot is shocking, he is also the reigning Emperor of Toe Pokes.
And yet signed a mega money deal for Real Madrid at 29.
Badiashile was doing Badiashile things, regardless if he was featuring at LCB or RCB. His trademark switch was already there.
Being situationally inside the pitch for a dominant team wasn’t something he wasn’t comfortable with either, playing as iNvErTeD cEnTrE bAcK.
One too keep in mind for the inevitable “can Levi Colwill and Benoît Badiashile play together in a back four or a back three”
Preliminary results being that as they’re both currently good, the answer is yes.
Monacoasting
AS Monaco experienced some kind of hangover from their 2017 Ligue 1 title, and runner-up season in 2018.
With the departures of Mbappé, Lemar, Fabinho, Moutinho, Bakayoko, Bernardo.
With central defensive pairing Glick-Jemerson's form falling down a cliff, the 2018-19 season ended up being a unmitigated disaster if not for narrowly avoiding the drop (17th).
Monaco started the 2018/19 season with Jardim, replaced him with Henry in october, then Jardim was back at the helm in January after a 1-5 home defeat to Strasbourg in Henry’s final game.
Henry fast tracked Badiashile in Ligue 1 at 17 against PSG then away at Atletico.
Badiashile started 20 Ligue 1 games (16 in a row between November 2018 and March 2019, completing the full 90 at the exception of a 0-3 at Monaco when he went off for striker Moussa Sylla after 53’, down one man and 0-2 on the score)
He also started the final two Group Stage Champions League games at Atletico and vs Dortmund.
Turned 18 in March 2019 and finished the season starting 2 of the final 10.
Back in 2007/08, PSG was battling relegation in Ligue 1 (16th). Yes.
Paul Le Guen (3x French Champion with Lyon) gave the armband to a 17 year old Mamadou Sakho in Valenciennes (photo) who eventually played for France & Liverpool.
Starting at 17 at CB in the top flight can't be overstated nor written off simply because the team is struggling.
It is always possible to go to extreme lengths to justify Arsenal loaning Saliba out for two and a half years, to go from 7th when Emery left, to 16th with Arteta.
But at one point, it is also possible to consider that these players can actually improve the teams they play in and subsequenty release some of the pressure the whole club is taking on the shin.
Sometimes, the pressure and expectations are a burden to handle, but that’s also the making of football players when they can find resources and deliver in a struggling team.
Badiashile, a generally unfazed player on the pitch, assuredly won’t face another unexpected relegation battle with his team anytime soon, but if anything, will probably handle it even better than he already did as a debutant.
None of it is ideal in many aspects, but the next game matters too, especially when “projects” go up in smoke.
Mainstay in the rollercoaster
2019-2020 (U19): Curtail that season
2019/20 was a peculiar season curtailed after 28 games and Monaco 9th.
Badiashile cemented his place under Jardim, mostly in a back 3 with Maripan+Glik but also 4231 until December when Jardim was once again asked to pack his bags (didn’t the first time, that’s why Monaco re-hired him, because he was still living nearby and kept bumping into club folk).
Monaco have made an habit of replacing managers in the winter break.
Incoming coach Robert Moreno didn’t rely on Badiashile*
So did Monaco who replaced him with Niko Kovač in July.
*: unlike on that high press 442 he wrote e-books on, that shipped in 13 goals in his first 4 games and two clean sheets in his entire tenure at Monaco.
2020-2021 (U20): “The missing piece of the puzzle”
2020-21 for Monaco had 2 phases under Niko Kovač
An underwhelming year 2020 in the first part of the season: W8 D3 L6, in 8th
A sensational 2021 with 16 / 21 wins, 48 goals scored (2.28 goals/game) playing high octane football.
One standout game was Monaco’s demolition of FC Lorient 2-5 in January 2021.
Ligue 1 is shit at advertising. Sill came out with “La Ligue des Talents” somehow. Which is a good illustration at being absolutely horseshit at promoting a product that still delivers tomatoes all around the calendar (no self inflicted shortage).
Thing is, that league system has to be the one with the biggest quality discrepancy between players that would play for top club whithin 18 months, playing against or alongside players that would barely get scouted in a 4th division game (apart from looking like top flight players if you tried the actual experiment. Or browse through French Cup match sheets every season).
Three centre bačks? Niko Kovač.
The season’s subplot was how to fit Maripan, Disasi, Badiashile at centre back, Ben Yedder & Volland upfront
Niko Kovač's formula was relying on elite physical conditioning x drilled pressing in a very compact 442.
Lots of circuits repeated at super high intensity (akin to what Jürgen Klopp does at Liverpool). Both seek to maximise their attackers and bring the ball upfield at pace, so that’s fine.
The right mix of intense small sided games (with set mannequins discernable in the background for what is possibly the next steps of the session)
Another milestone was to win 0-2 a Parc des Princes in one of the most dominant performances from a visiting team at Paris Saint Germain in years.
Disasi & Badiashile flanking Maripan, wide men Henrique & Aguilar jumping on specific players
Tchouameni & Y.Fofana dominating midfield
Diop roaming (he’s a budget Samir Nasri, even that sounds harsh),
Wissam Ben Yedder poaching in the box, not a winger, not a 10.
Volland running like a workhorse upfront (and scoring goals)
Monaco was lopsided and always managed to get the best of the 442 (most compact shape in Europe in 2021) with the 352 features (wing backs and 3 to handle the full width at the back)
WBY, Fofana-Tchouaméni and Maripan would be the spine, and everyone else reacting to situations accordingly. World class coaching.
On the left screen, Badiashile’s role appears quite demanding to be able to track a channel runner like Moïse Kean. Guess what, he fared just fine all season
Which is why it’s always useful to refer to the echo chamber slippery slope: “tailored role for my player” → your player might not be very good in the first place.
Missing piece of the puzzle. Give me a fucking break.
“YES BENWA”
Kovač's Monaco in 2020-21 would then spread out in possession in 3241 with lots of technical ability and presence in the box.
Badiashile threads the needle with his trademark smashed pass (doesn’t need spamming 30 tweets to make his point), then sustains pressure on PSG by bending another one round the corner in the build up of the opening goal.
Kovač's 20-21 Monaco mostly looked 442-ish, but with that lopsided feature.
(but telephone number systems don’t matter, movement and animation do)
On that play, Badiashile MaNiPuLaTeS tHe pReSs, then fills in down the left. #YESBENWA
When right fullback Sidibé tucked in in a 3 (an all action fullback whose knee is shot resulting from rushing back to get in the French NT in 2018).
This, or Cesar Azpilicueta having racked up 600+ professional games might explain why managers found a new role for them in 3-ish at the back set-ups.
None cost £62 million is the point I’m trying to articulate here.
Badiashile's area of intervention covered the entire left flank in both halves.
Not getting dribbled past 7 times in a single Premier League game in whatever “snuffing counters” might be as a process.
It’s tremendously important to make the distinction between the process and its actual execution.
If anything, the Gennaro Gattuso framework of analysis is a good benchmark.
CTRL+C CTRL+B
Needle threading and build up contribution at ASSE & PSG in 2021:
The thing with Benoît Badiashile is how absurdly consistent he is at repeating the same range of actions over and over again
His distribution is like clock work, technical execution is immaculate.
The ability to hit zipped passes with the laces without flying off the ground (or bobbling) is a hard skill to master. This is the tool to “pop” needle passes.
Champions League De Zerbxit
Monaco failed to qualify for 2021-22 CL group stage vs Roberto De Zerbi’s impressive Shakhtar side, amid tensions between Kovač & hierarchy who criticized:
- lack of fitness (L’Equipe report)
It is correct to state that Monaco was woefully off the mark behind two teams in all of Europe, with only the 3rd biggest sprinting distance covered.
- Tchouaméni Fofana Badiashile Disasi "failing to make the step" (L’Equipe)
Tchouaméni was that “20 million dud from Bordeaux” (according to savant opinions), Fofana was a decent ball winner who was playing Regional Paris League and poached by Strasbourg, Badiashile was that “error prone lanky CB”, and Disasi was a solid Ligue 1 defender who had to justify his big money move from Reims.
And yet they all turned full French internationals thanks to the empowerment and improvement they showed during their time in Kovac’s Monaco.
They were never matching the previous description (quality was always obvious for whoever was willing to make his own mind)
Breaking in the most talent-laden National Team roster in the world wasn’t an easy feat.
With Monaco 6th, 4 points from 3rd, Kovač was dismissed in December 2021.
Which probably had more to do with:
failing to turn Wyscout signings good (Boadu, Diatta, Nübel...) and play them over "his" guys (Diop, Volland).
Sofiane Diop was initially discarded in AS Monaco’s humongous loan army the club wanted to shrink when Kovač was appointed, and didn’t seem to have a future, until Kovač brought him into the first team and got some electric Samir Nasri displays out of him.
Spoiler: Monaco then hired Diatta’s former manager, and none of the players mentioned deliver to the standard Monaco can reasonably expect from.
not using the costly sport science gadgets.
AS Monaco was only the 3rd best team in Europe in terms of sprinting distance in 2021/22.
It couldn’t possibly be about Niko Kovac’s assistant and inner staff being responsible for training load management (doing a decent job, apparently) mostly with an empirical approach that made most of the (costly) “sport science tracksuit army” slightly redundant.
Still playing teams off the park where it mattered, ie: on the pitch.
2022 onwards: missing piece of the puzzle is missing
Badiashile was the consistent presence with Maripan (94) or Disasi (98) rotating alongside him in Monaco’s defence.
Badiashile got injured vs Real Sociedad in the Europa League, and was sidelined from mid November to mid December 2021.
Was rushed back in early January, but an injury setback sidelined him for January-February 2022
New coach + training regime + improvised mid season physical preparation meant that the team was being put through their paces (“the squad I inherited was unfit” is the cheapest and most frequent excuse from incoming managers, happens at every level every year, only the wording changes).
It is right that when the new manager’s approach is litteraly the same as the previous one (442, pressing, intensity, running), it is a slippery slope to navigate or justify from a corporate communication standpoint as to what the new guy will do that will revolutionize the approach.
However, Badiashile's return in March 2022 coincided with the start of Monaco's winning run that got them back in 3rd place for the second consecutive year.
Formed a strong and complementary partnership with Axel Disasi.
2022-23: Narrowly missing out on the World Cup Squad
In 2022-23, Monaco showed inconsistency to stay in the top 3 (5th midway through the season, and now out of Europe and 15pts from top in 4th).
Badiashile started every game but two in Ligue 1 and EL (missing 3 through injury)
Much was made of collapse vs OM (2-1 up at 82, losing 2-3 at 90+8), as what was deemed the "late exam" for the remaining World Cup Squad spot, in competition with Axel Disasi (more the John Terry type, an absolute unit).
Disasi being teased by Tchouaméni and Badiashile for his sweet tooth
But Deschamps favoured the right footed Disasi as right back cover, as we figured out that Koundé and Pavard would be some degree off the mark (why call them up then) and Disasi actually deputized allright at right back.
France’s absolutely disastrous lack of depth at fullback might be on the wrong side of the fine line between: “play the best unicorns knocking at door upfront” and an actual nation-wide player development program.
Something akin to England’s where there’s like 15 reliable options for of every taste and playing style even when the 3 or 4 nailed NT fullbacks are out injured (Tyrick Mitchell, Rico Henry, Matt Targett, Luke Thomas, Brandon Williams, or even Lewis Hall or Omar Richards. Not sure some will even get more than 10 caps but they’re fairly reliable players already).
France is de ple ted at LB and RB.
Where the fuck are all the players the Mbappés, Dembélés had to dribble in telephone booths to become that good? Because guess what, world class dribblers don’t happen in a vacuum or by dribbling plastic cones (when they’re not under touch restrictions lockdown in training)
You don’t teach a player to dribble (the ceiling might be Bukayo Saka who’s a formidable player otherwise). But you can teach a defender how to become one (albeit defensive demons do also exist in self organised practice, albeit often older than the dribblers mentioned).
The outcome of the conveyor belt is a good indication of who actually works, and who trains players that are good.
The one genuinely engineered left back via an actual player development pathway is Lucas Digne (French Academy, NT since U17). But he’s also 29 years old, and most others on the list are more like glorified squad players (“left footer? perfect”) than players that had to wipe the concurrence away to get where they are.
I suppose Benoît Badiashile could deputy at left back on the odd occasion, because he’s good, à la Dan Burn. But that doesn’t appear to be the best idea in the playbook, because apart from everything he does well, crosses, runs in behind etc… are not something he does (or has been doing so far).
Wide centre back accountable for the full width? He’s the guy
Masquerading as a LB/WB as a result of a disastrous squad planning?
Maybe give it a miss
Video Room
Defensive footwork
Badiashile’s footwork to jockey (the small defensive steps on the toes) complements his reading of the game to stay one step ahead.
Defensive curriculum includes: ball covered/ball not covered (terminology might differ). In case the ball carrier isn’t closed down, pre-emptively backtrack not to be caught in behind. Difference between proactive defending (BB) and reactive defending. Reading the game, staying ahead
Exposed so backtracks, it’s the spinning motion that’s impressive, there’s no loss of balance or movement delay
It’s not a given to have central defenders adopting a lateral posture (one foot in front, one foot behind). Most are naturally tempted to take an nap flat footed when play unfolds. Badiashile holds the line better than Bobby Kimball and turns without ever ball watching
Being able to turn, change direction seamlessly is definitely not a given at 21, when 1.94 (6ft4) which is probably near or above the threeshold of “being tall” in football. Badiashile’s genuinely immense.
Of course, there’s the two rare mistakes he does all the time (even his mistakes are consistent), when reaching for the ball with an aerial first touch (in which he sometimes fails to make contact with) with the striker closing from in to out . And sometimes getting cheaply dispossessed at the T intersection between the box and the goal-line.
Which is the very small sample I suppose the savant experts relied on to conclude he’s an “error prone drunk baby giraffe”. That he’s not.
Hit the channels!
Another PL specificity: dealing with everything thrown down the line in the channels
Lots of CBs are useless beyond width of the box (they go to ground, fouls because they lack dynamism). Badiashile is not one of them.
Probably not a left back for all that (more than on a one-off), but good/mobile enough for the idea to come around every once in a while (which is a good sign).
Being “nasty” is probably not what defines Badiashile’s game.
However, there’s still a range of things defenders can do to put strikers off balance, especially with well timed arm shoves when the striker thinks he can lean on the stronger defender (and forgets about his own balance).
Defensive decision-making
Badiashile's decision making when to step up or backtrack screening passes is definitely going to be tested in England
Controlled aggression. The way he slows down is very impressive
The chaotic, organic transitional nature of the English game (regardless of grand plans) exposes CB a lot, and they need to be able to defend into big spaces in crisis situations.
Which is about finding the fine balance between going after the ball carrier like a matchday stewart would tackle a pitch invader, getting in the book whithin the half hour (only the second thing is rare in the Premier League), and backtracking into his own net in a Very Very Discernable way to statpad one’s “dribbled past” statistic.
You wouldn’t get a better read of the situation with a psychic.
That has nothing to do with luck or gambling however, but reading the closing down angle of Disasi that forces Mbappé to play one direction (try going round of Disasi, come back tomorrow).
The interception is perfectly read, just as is the valued “interception x pass”.Defending crisis situations is about screening passes, and channeling play to time the intervention. The Z movement is a way to gain space without ever being flat footed (makes it harder to turn, easier to get nutmegged). Right or left leg is a choice, at the service of a succesful tackle
Reading the game is also about taking a head start to forwards, and getting the leg in front first. Shieds the ball so that he can drag it with his left.
The timing of the shove is perfect. Arms are already set inside the player’s personal space to cushion the player (player meets the arm, no foul. Arm meets player, foul).
An experienced striker wouldn’t show “flat” without having one arm on the player, and controlling the ball with the farthest foot. Or wouldn’t let the ball bounce and get it first, then that would be a foul.
Without rebound= attacker has the head start.
Rebound= defending player has the head startHips/bum take hits, but defenders can sustain it (more than dead legs). Critically important to plant the right foot so that the hip mechanically impacts the player. Plant the pivot too far, and that’s your dead leg stamp exactly when the quadri is streched. Cold ice please.
The trademark diagonal
The way Badiashile smashes diagonals is pleasing and makes it much more efficient than most players who throw fresh snowballs which only get the receiver absolutely clattered where it drops.
A feature Reece James will probably enjoy a lot.
Menace on set pieces
Badiashile's combination of height (1.94, 6ft4), jump, timing, reading and bravery makes him an absolute menace on set pieces due to an uncanny ability to read the drop point and get underneath.
Core strength helps him to head it clear even backtracking.
smarterscout ratings (0-99 scale) have him at:
89 on open play headers
66 on set pieces headers
Data Room
Badiashile not only passes the eye test on match footage, but looks good on data as well.
@smarterscout rates him too (see the FAQ for the exact definitions)
Badiashile fares well in terms of defensive quality and quantity (his benchmark is with Monaco’s superb 20/21 team, his 21/22 was a bit like 19/20. Monaco sailing by sight which isn’t ideal for continuity)
The aerial ratings are consistently strong.
Badiashile’s reading (recovering a moving ball) put him with 96-93-67 ratings.
Recovering a moving ball: regain possession by intercepting, saving, smothering, or otherwise picking up the ball (per minute out of possession)
Badiashile’s skillset in duels is good, albeit slightly academical (which is very fine too) which is why he’s sometimes “turned over” between the lines.
Someone like Disasi (albeit also thougtful, not just a brawn no brains CB) sometimes litteraly goes through opponents to force them to play backwards, or making big fouls to make sure the play doesn’t progress any further.
That’s possibly why Badiashile’s “disrupting” ratings aren’t as high
Disrupting opposition moves: attempt to break up an opposition move by tackling or fouling a player, or by clearing, punching, blocking, or kicking the ball out of bounds (per minute out of possession)
Also, most of the meaningful defensive work occurs off the ball (footwork, positioning) that only the eye test can “compute”. More on that.
There would be an easy route to draw conclusions to explain why his “dribbling” rating trebled at the same time as his “passing toward goal” shrunk three times in the past three years, and notably on the small current sample for Chelsea.
But sometimes obvious explanations are the best.
Chelsea so far struggle to create connexions between defenders and midfielders in possession; relying on ambitious needle passes (or carrying the ball to change the picture).
AI-generated passmap
Quick look at Badiashile's very tidy Monaco pass map using @mclachbot
Backs up the idea of a consistent distributor who does specific progressive things fairly well and often enough to make a difference for his team.
Some nice spaghetti clusters
Guaranteed surprise nobody expected (cross any word)
BB = Brawn and Brains:
Badiashile has fit seamlessly into the Chelsea team, because every piece of evidence from his consistent outings in France (not just for half a season, but more than 4 years), pointed in the direction of a swift adaptation.
The result that Badiashile missed out on the CL squad is disappointing, of course. But on the other hand, the thinking behind it makes sense. The opportunity to sign him (could’ve happened in the summer or earlier, mind) has to be applauded for being taken. And when having to chose, pack the available squad spots with attackers. I do not hold a gripe with that. If not for *him* I’d have thought it’s not very smart to put him and not Mudryk (of course, having now seen Mudryk’s outings, please don’t tease me)
RLC can deputy as RWB, or even as a middle CB. Otherwise I woudn’t put my money on him scoring a goal. Mudryk has to pull his weight (goalscoring-wise)
Badiashile might not be the “nastiest” of defenders that could possibly be outwitted by a battering ram like Mitrovic or Michael Antonio being on one.
But after only three months, every experience so far against that type of forward ended up in these players trying once or two early on, and then waving the white flag to go some place else for the remainder of the game.
The epitome of modern defenders is being as much a “brains” than “brawn” central defender, whereas there used to require two players to have the whole skillset (the old fashioned sweeper passer, and stopper who couldn’t pass water)
Antonio had a bad day at the office, getting outwitted on interceptions, and somewhere between outmuscled and outwitted on duels back to goal by that 21 year old freshman Premier League CB (despite Antonio having made his bread and butter of clattering anyone on his way to the goal in England’s 4 divisions for a decade).
Wilfried Zaha also lost his nerve, and there’s very little chance it was due to Badishile’s trash talking efforts. No, Zaha just couldn’t find a way past him, even so doesn’t lack nor pace, size, or gamemanship to cause trouble.
Badiashile is indeed, immense.
Farmers League Tax
Badiashile has won 70% of the 5 aerials he attempts per game on average in England, which is possibly the aspect players based in France (playing vertical direct football, but not chaotic put it in the mixer stuff) can struggle with initially.
However, Wesley Fofana, Benoît Badiashile were instantly off the mark in the air in England because they were already standing out in Ligue 1.
Wesley Fofana in 2019-2020:
72% aerials won in Ligue 1 (6.4 attempted per game)
As a 19 years old (December 2000), playing relegation for a club whose fanbase is possibly the wildest one in the country after Marseille’s.
March 2023: Wow, I didn’t think that player would batter the shit out of PL strikers in the air.
Badiashile was winning 77% of his aerial duels in France, only behind OL’s Marcelo (83%) in 2021/22 and in front of his Monaco team mate Tchouaméni.
Even if you decide there’s a 10% Farmers League Tax
Going from 77% to 70%, and 70% to north of 60% all but guarantees the player will still* dominate in England
*:who used to play Football Manager and speaks three languages in case you didn’t know.
Crisis situation(s)
His decision making and defensive technique in crisis situations is excellent, just like it was in Ligue 1 for a young central defender.
Premier League games are notoriously known for open fast breaks, or individual actions that create moving pictures (more than chessball tap-tap games with players fixed in position who are not given license to dribble & play as they see.
In other words: actual Antifootball, I’m not losing hope on the penny dropping one day on what’s empowering and what is the best advertisment for e-sport - or watching anything but that self-indulgent shower of shite that bores players and football fans alike).
In case the defensive line is screened by a “it’s not his role to defend” (cheers, we wouldn’t have noticed if not being lectured about) type of midfielder going through the motions every time the team doesn’t have the ball, central defenders are “exposed”.
It is less about textbook theoretical defending (if not only for the technique), than ability to read, and adapt quickly to a changing picture.
As Ayew takes him on straight, Badiashile immediately makes the most of the situaton (it’s often understated how much impact the player not in possession can have, in assuming only the attacker can influence the situation just because he has the ball) in inviting him onto his left side which might also discourage him to slide it to Zaha.
Top attackers usually attack directly at an angle before the defender sets so they have full control from the start and can wrong foot the defender. And ultimately, changing direction to run at goal (instead of running at goal, changing direction and getting away from the direct route to goal).
Ayew is a disciplined player, not a dribble freak.
The agility to go from “should have got that” (J5), to straight textbook defensive footwork is impressive from BB:
Foot in front/behind, small dynamics close steps on toes, lowering the point of balance with shoulders over the ball, arms open to maintain balance.
Ayew takes ownership and changes direction, Badiashile’s spin is very good too to make sure he can powerfully push to make up ground.
Not every strong CB (muscular strength) is dynamic (speed + strength = power), and the other way round.The jockeying is excellent: at no point he plants the heel(s) on the floor (resulting or consequence of uncoordinated movement and poor balancing of body weight). Heels on floor is a big no-no (or time waster) to change direction, just like when running down the stairs).
Whoever gets the biggest frequence of touches and steps (think, Messi, Robben ideally getting one touch every other step) gets the advantage.
In other words, attacker makes 5 steps (and or touches), defender 3.
Next step is defender on his arse because he tangles his own footwork to try to catch up, and ends up flat footed (weight leaning backwards, tipping over)
It’s rare when defenders can beat attackers at that game or stay level.
Bella-Kotchap (far right on the picture) is also one who excells at defensive jockeying (frequence, dynamism)
The positioning to defend the cross is spot on as well, most players spin in every direction but the right one (sprinting facing goal, switch off and stay rooted) and never push up when a cross is cleared.
Most CBs would end up ahead of the near post on the final cross, as a result of ball-watching (getting attracted the the football whilst it’s out of reach)
Badiashile doesn’t touch the ball, nor get any close to it on that play.
But every defensive posture, reading, positioning is spot on.
Nothing is logged as “defensive duel”.
Even computing this via numbers would be hard to model.
If that’s Zaha instead of Ayew, don’t show him outside but to his left.
That’s a reminder that defenders with lots of tangible actions accounted for in stats aren’t necessarily better, no matter what external scouting consultants might pitch when you’re looking at puzzle pieces.
Benchmarking defensive postures (good and less good) to go further.
Good wide centre-backs, what do they do?
The recent trend to consider “modern” football roles (as in: “happening currently” rather than innovative) being absolutely groundbreaking is pretty much new nonsense confiture in old pots.
Now, “look at that 3-2-5 structure” (just because the team plays Madame Tussaud’s waxworkball) is making a mockery (or does it) of dominant teams who’ve always more or less done that.
Chemtrail theories or tea leave reading but on tiktok or tactical threads, doesn’t make it more real because there’s buzzword and arrows.
Would that be a smokescreen not to discuss the actual execution of a role only a savant can figure out?
These are two plays with an uncanny resemblance exemplifying how a modern central defender (in a 4 with marauding fullbacks, or in a 3, or both situationally) needs to handle the whole flank.
One with Chelsea against Leeds in 2023
The same type of problem, and problem solving for Monaco in 2021
Without requiring the presence of a player obstructing the way between central defender and fullback, in and out of possession.
Granted the CB can pass and defend large spaces, and the fullback has expert timing and positioning to never be caught out of position.
Badiashile and Ben Chilwell, in instance, can do that.
If the missing piece of the puzzle can’t do any of these things, maybe it’s the wrong piece (or the wrong puzzle). Or the wrong man to assemble it. Or all 3.
Badiashile’s distribution is the most enjoyable part of his game, especially his trademark needle pass.
Some of his best plays so far are included in that YouTube video compilation (not mine).
If you had to ask for an AI-generated centreback (or simply the ideal radar), that wouldn’t be that far off Badiashile’s since he joined Chelsea0.
Radar courtesy of @mclachbot / @ChicagoDmitry
Fouls and progresive passes a bit meh?
Please provide a structure, movement and attackers keen on ball retention (at least in the central attacking spot) = more connexions, less turnovers.
And that will improve the entire process, Badiashile doing his bit so far.
Focused mindset and quiet leadership
Beyond the detailed analysis of his footballing ability, what makes Badiashile such an interesting signing is his mindset.
He's one of the most focused and commited players in the talent pool, thanks to a relentless work ethic.
A leader by example albeit not outspoken, hence he was trusted with captaincy even when younger than his team mates.
There’s the persona on the pitch, and the ability to act as a leader off the pitch.
Summer 2021, Badiashile (20) was mentoring newcomer Maghnes Akliouche, basically asking him to set his own rating after training sessions (and at the end of the clip, going at him asking how many times he gave the ball away)
Relentless thirst for newness
Football fans, clubs, observers are often vulnerable to their own relentless thirst for newness.
It's easy to forget Badiashile has 165 senior appearances and will only turn 22 on Sunday (26 March). 12 in 4th tier, and 10 in YL
He displays such a level of consistency and maturity that he seems to have been going on forever (5th senior season!).
Getting bored of seing the same faces (granted the games are actually being watched) shouldn’t be an opportunity to construct nonsensical narratives.
Other challengers for the French CB spots William Saliba, Axel Disasi haven’t played Group Stage Champions League games yet, Todibo played one.
"Why's he been stranded so long at Monaco then?"
I suppose clubs throwing £300k/w at a 31 yo on a 4 yr deal or others signing a 1.74 (5ft9) CB for £60m is part of the explanation.
Agent not WhatsApp'ing every sport desk to trade team leaks against transfer rumours being another
Needn't listening to experts suggesting he's "error prone", coming from folk who were unable to break the transfer scoop in their own country.
French football's nebula of opinion is generally a good litmus test, Badiashile's returns are good after reading the nonsense in the weeks before his transfer.
Chelsea spent the past 20 years without a left footed center back; with the exception of iconic transfer heroes Bogarde, Djilobodji and Malang Sarr (respectively: no minute at one point, one minute, possibly one minute too many)
The prospect of having a progressive passer at LCB (who can defend) is exciting. Colwill lurking too.
Ending with Badiashile’s progressive passmap at Monaci from earlier this season, courtesy of @mclachbot / @ChicagoDmitry
Equipe de France
A quick word on Badiashile's International career.
Early ID means he's been involved in every age group, and he’s currently captaining the U21 team that will play the Euros in June.
U16: (5)
U17: Euros 2018 (2) and 2019 (2)
U18: (2)
U19: Quali (5) + Euros 2019 (4), Euro 2020 (3), friendlies (6)
U21: Quali (4) + Euro 2021 (2), Quali 2023 (10) Captain
Senior: (2)
Not called up in March 2023 as the first key post World Cup list and after Varane’s retirement was a bit disappointing, and can’t only be put down to “focusing on the U21 Euros” in june. Possibly the lack of CL will eventually cost him, conjoncturally (because forward over a CB made sense, I believe)
Badiashile’s left footed (so are Presnel Kimpembe, Evan Ndicka, Castello Lukeba. Or Lenglet, Nsoki and Malang Sarr but yeah…)
Other defenders on that list are probably bigger nutcases than he is.
To what extent that was also a parameter under consideration we don’t know.
But we can imagine Badiashile’s definitely going to be part of the thinking in the future, because he’ll cement his spot for Chelsea (but only if Chelsea get back to you know, competing), like Saliba (about fucking time eh) and Upamecano and Kimpembe did already for top clubs.
Konaté will need to nail his spot for Liverpool, and Disasi / Todibo may have to think bigger and look for a Champions League club. Whoever gets there first will have some sort of a head start even if Deschamps (who’s good) has his soldiers.
