Player development is one of the key areas in football. It is a long-term investment which can bring youth players from the academies to the first team, already in possession of the necessary attributes that fit the club’s philosophy. The club can later profit from transfer fees and closes the circle as the process starts over again every year. Certain sides establish such a strong system that they can build the whole team around academy graduates, finding a balance between youth and experience.
In this data analysis, we dive into the world of FC Nordsjaelland and analyse one of their bright prospect, Magnus Kofod Andersen. The article aims to create a general data-based player profile on him. While we give an estimate on how Andersen’s career could progress, it is a purely analytical approach and might not be accurate. It will feature numerous player comparisons and new methods to determine the young stars future potential and how he could reach it.
Background
When someone says Nordsjaelland, a well-informed football fan could refer to tricky set-piece variations or the club’s humanitarian partnership with the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. Among these bits, Wild Tigers’ own academy is often forgotten but it plays an equal part in their success. After the foundation in 2003, the club aimed to develop their profile as a regional team. A network of more than 60 local football clubs from the surrounding area was created to recruit young talents in the region and give them playing time.
Andersen is one of the finest results of the continuous effort of FC Nordsjaelland to discover and develop youngsters. He joined at the age of 10 and practically has spent half of his life in the team. His first-team debut came in 2017 and by 2018, he became the captain and has been wearing the armband ever since. This should tell a lot about his mature character as there is something romantic about young captains in modern football (Steven Gerrard of Liverpool or Fernando Torres of Atletico Madrid are just a couple of examples).
Basic scout report
In this bite-size section, we will focus on his passing range, vision and decision-making. At first glance, one could have a feeling that he is like a quarterback in an NFL team. When he has enough time on the ball, he won’t hesitate to pick out the option which would be the most beneficial for the attacking development. This might seem obvious but many elite coaches prefer their midfielders to play the ball safe and risk-free to the closest option. In the case of Andersen, he will mainly focus on deep runs, shifts in the defensive line and will try to exploit it.
This results in fewer passes in general since he always tries to dictate the tempo with vertical balls and more inaccuracies as well. This is basically a high-risk, high-reward approach that Nordsjaelland also favour. His vision and passing technique make it easy for him to send through balls in any range while he is trusted to make the best decisions.
Profiling
Andersen is listed as a central midfielder with a defensive secondary role. We can try and profile him based on his last two seasons. Dividing the roles in the centre for three parts (ball-winning midfielder, deep-lying playmaker and attacking midfielder) can help us with the appropriate statistics. Taking all central midfielders from the top five leagues makes sure that we get a true grip on Andersen’s playing style. Ball-winning midfielders engage in numerous defensive duels over the game and traditionally intercept many through balls. Playmakers lead the team from the back, often dropping between the centre-backs, therefore we rarely see them in an advanced position. Progressive passes and runs per 90 could be good indicators of a more withdrawn player. Finally, advanced playmakers usually arrive in the box late and have the most chances to shoot compared to the previous two groups.
