Cercle Brugge have been one of the surprise sides in this years Belgian Pro League. Under former EFL manager Paul Clement, Cercle have improved considerably since last season, in part thanks to some smart signings. One of these was Franck Kanoute from Cosenza Calcio in the Italian second tier.
The 21-year-old Senegalese midfielder has been impressive in his seven games so far this season, filling a defensive midfield gap. This tactical analysis, in the form of a scout report, will look at the strengths and weaknesses of the young midfielder. The analysis will also look at how he operates within the tactics Clement deploys.
Ball-winning midfielder
When we look at the data for Cercle, especially over the last five matches, we see that it is Kanoute who has recovered the ball the most times, with 35 recoveries overall. The midfielder is averaging 9.06 recoveries per 90, putting him in the top 20 for the league. He is also averaging 4.34 counter-pressing recoveries per 90, which is similar to Marco Ilaimaharitra of Charleroi, who has a similar role to Kanoute in that he is the ball-winning midfielder for the side.
In the recoveries map below, we see that Kanoute is rarely having to commit to a slide tackle in order to win the ball back; in fact, we only see one on the graphic. Instead, he uses his positioning and ability to intercept the ball. This suggests he has a high level of footballing intelligence, while also being comfortable in defending all over the pitch. Most of his recoveries this season have come in the central third, an area that Cercle needed to improve on.
What aids Kanoute is his athleticism. Standing at 186cm tall, he has the body size, along with a good eye for danger and speed of thought to cover. We see this in the game against KAA Gent, where Kanoute, highlighted, is behind the attacking player, who has plenty of space to run into. Kanoute is clearly aware of the danger but is still some way off the player when the ball is played.
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