alexanderbarker.bsky.social
Alex Barker
@theathleticfc
👍
Personal account only!
Email for Enquiries 🚨 [email protected]
1,330 posts
5,027 followers
214 following
Active Commenter
comment in response to
post
None! Hahaha. Maybe Baena tbf
comment in response to
post
Find out in a weeks time!
comment in response to
post
To end, I only say not beyond that £70m+ price quoted in the media, because I think what you're currently buying with Gittens, is potential.
There's a ton of it - but you may have to wait a couple of years until he becomes someone who is worth starting on a regular basis at an elite level.
comment in response to
post
Honestly, staying at Dortmund might be a good idea for him - if they can finally get their sh*t together.
comment in response to
post
I feel like a smart thing a club can do, is buy him for a not-£70m+ fee and send him on loan to a team where:
▪️He'll be a regular first-choice starter
▪️Under a *good* coach who can improve upon his weaknesses
comment in response to
post
The answer to that question will drive a clubs' decision on whether to sign him now or not.
Gittens is only 20, and there is a really, really good base to work with here.
But, I think there are very justifiable reasons why he isn't playing consistently at the moment under Niko Kovac.
comment in response to
post
Verdict 🧑⚖️
Gittens may well be one of Europe's better dribblers right now. But, how long are you willing to wait before he can start improving his crossing and shooting?
comment in response to
post
Anyway, in short, I think Gittens failure to consistently find a team mate in the box with his final pass is the most frustrating part of his game.
As a winger, it's probably the area in most need of development, especially as he doesn't make up for this with his shooting (yet).
comment in response to
post
This also applies to his passing, as I find it quite loose and even... sloppy?
I'm sure Dortmund fans can fill in here, but recently Gittens has failed to execute simple layoffs or passes inside, giving the ball away. Maybe that's just recency bias.
comment in response to
post
When crossing on his right foot, it's more down to technique than thinking.
Gittens' crossing accuracy is just wildly inconsistent, as I think most of the time he'll underhit his cross into the first man. But also, he'll sometimes drive it really hard, straight out for a goal kick.
comment in response to
post
Like we did with his dribbling, let's talk through a typical Gittens cross. Let's say, he's going on the outside of a defender:
1⃣Bursts past a defender
2⃣ Head down
3⃣ Aims a floater across the box
4⃣ Ends up in maybe a decent area, but not to anyone in particular
comment in response to
post
But, the biggest thing Gittens simply has to improve on is getting his head up before crossing.
In fact, Gittens' crossing and passing as a whole is probably his weakest area right now.
comment in response to
post
Gittens also has a habit of trying to dribble in areas he shouldn't. I'm talking around the halfway line in settled play, when losing the ball can result in a counter-attack. Or worse, in and around his own box after helping win back possession.
comment in response to
post
On the ball there are some areas to improve too, regarding his football brain.
Gittens tends to be quite slow at making decisions. He can receive the ball around the edge of the box and take two, three touches before he decides it's worth shooting - wasting a opportunity.
comment in response to
post
On a similar note, when he's tracking back and defending with alongside his FB (think tracking back as a WB), he doesn't get out quickly enough to close down crosses.
This is something I noted on a few occasions, suggesting a pattern.
comment in response to
post
Still, this doesn't change the fact that Gittens lacks intensity with his pressing.
I find he slows down too early, and given his speed, it's a bit disappointing how easy he makes it for opponents to play through his pressures.
comment in response to
post
This latter point is one, again, that is most likely not his fault. Sahin's Dortmund were bad at pressing, full stop. Sorry to all five of the Dortmund fans reading who want Sahin back offended by my consistent critique.
comment in response to
post
🔸Start making more runs in behind again. Has done so in last couple of games as a sub, but not as many as he was earlier in the season imo
🔸Improve GREATLY on his intensity with pressing/defending.
comment in response to
post
But still, there's so much Gittens must improve on, such as:
🔸Supporting his team mates more often when, say, he passes them the ball on the overlap, rather than just sit back and not provide an option
comment in response to
post
Now, let me be absolutely clear: I'm not calling Gittens dumb.
I think his lack of consistently good decisions with + without the ball is most likely down to having Edin Terzic and then Nuri Sahin as his manager. Sahin, in particular, created a abject Dortmund side without the ball.
comment in response to
post
Negatives 🔴
Okay, let's start with the weakness that I think is the easiest to improve: Gittens match intelligence.
comment in response to
post
Still, with that power already there, it feels like this is a skill that can be improved. I'd say that Gittens has quite a high ceiling in front of goal, he's just starting from close to the floor.
comment in response to
post
Firstly, Gittens can get great power on his right foot, and doesn't need much room/backlift.
He does have a tendency for hitting his shots quite low, and also struggles to contain his power from range. Sometimes, he'll blow a shot miles off target.
comment in response to
post
Basically; Gittens could telegraph his shots less, and in general take them from better positions.
HOWEVER, I do think there are solid fundamentals here 👍
comment in response to
post
The result is that Gittens has an NPxG per shot of 0.07, which is pretty low. It's not horrendous; It's the same number as Nico Williams, but a bit higher than Jeremy Doku.
Noni Madueke for further comparison, sits on 0.11.
comment in response to
post
He also telegraphs his shots pretty clearly, which makes him quite easy to defend against. Defenders can get in the way by the time he takes his shot.
comment in response to
post
Think, using the inside of his right foot from the right side of the pitch, near the byline. As in, sidefooting it, across goal...from the byline.
What could you hope to achieve here?
comment in response to
post
The main critique of Gittens in front of goal is his shot selection. This is absolutely a problem, as while he doesn't take a huge amount of shots from range...the ones he does tend to be from REALLY far out.
On a similar note, Gittens is guilty of taking shots from impossible angles.
comment in response to
post
He may have scored 8 Bundesliga goals this season from a NpxG of 3.5 (lol), but there are plenty of issues. The reason it's in this section though, is that I'm not quite as pessimistic as others online.
comment in response to
post
The following isn't really a positive, but I felt mean putting it in the negative section (sorry).
Gittens shooting...
It's not great.
comment in response to
post
Still, like I said, Gittens is already a pretty good dribbler. If he can avoid major injuries, there's no reason to think he can't be one of the best in the world in future.
comment in response to
post
🔻Think he could use his body more to dupe defenders into thinking he'll go one way, before going the other. He tends to rely more on just quick footwork.
comment in response to
post
🔻Right-foot reliance. Think Gittens is getting too comfortable using his right foot to manipulate the ball, and that makes him a bit predictable, more inclined to cut inside.
comment in response to
post
Absolutely.
This is the positives section so we won't drone on too long here, but some areas to improve imo are:
comment in response to
post
Or in other words, being able to beat your man around 50% of the time, when you're already attempting 8 dribbles p90, is a pretty good number. ESPECIALLY for a 20-year-old.
But could it be better?
comment in response to
post
The result is a 47.5% success rate.
That may feel low, but it actually ranks in the 70th percentile on FBref.
comment in response to
post
3⃣ He'll throw in some hops and step overs, looking to unbalance the defender
4⃣ Then, generally, he cuts inside after luring the defender in close enough and bursting away from them...
...OR, he can use quick footwork to shift the ball right -> left -> right, usually bouncing it between his two feet
comment in response to
post
1⃣ He'll receive the ball with space between him and the defender (good intelligence shown to create separation on a consistent basis)
2⃣ He'll start creeping towards the defender, using his right foot to keep the ball with him
comment in response to
post
The best way to explain this is to talk you through a typical 1v1 situation with Gittens:
comment in response to
post
These tools alone are enough to be successful out wide, but what makes Gittens an elite 4+ dribbles-p90 winger is his control of the ball with both feet (albeit, mainly his stronger right foot).
comment in response to
post
▪️If he's being pulled back, he'll use his arm to beat the defender away
▪️ If he's going for a 50/50 about to be shoved, Gittens has great core strength. I can't remember seeing him get physically overwhelmed, and can actually remember him shoving opponents to the floor.
comment in response to
post
He can't be brought down or held back easily either. I think perhaps his biggest strength is his resistance to challenges 💪
comment in response to
post
The speed he can reach feels effortless too It's not like he struggles to change direction/slow down once he gets going at full tilt - he's a very agile player, capable of quickly making large changes of direction
comment in response to
post
Firstly, Gittens is absolutely rapid. One of the fastest accelerators I've watched this season. He's unique in that he's quick enough to escape being doubled up, provided there's space for him to knock the ball into. It signals just how efficient he could be out wide.
comment in response to
post
Positives 🟢
There's no better place to start than Gittens' dribbling. While there are definitely ways he can become a stronger threat 1v1, the foundation we're working with here is *excellent*.
comment in response to
post
This experience has definitely had some negative consequences that we'll touch on later, mainly in terms of Gittens' tactical maturity in my opinion.
Still, let's get into the positives! As there are still plenty of them!
comment in response to
post
Particularly this season under Nuri Sahin, where at various points he was becoming the saviour of this poor Dortmund side. I publicly called Sahin's Dortmund the worst (relatively speaking) side I've watched all season.