Having nurtured many young French talents including Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez, Benjamin Mendy and Dimitri Payet, Le Havre are famed in footballing circles for producing fine young footballers. The Normandy club take great pride in their academy, especially when those players make the club a tidy profit – such as the €10 million Le Havre received this year for 19-year-old Rafik Guitane from Stade Rennes.
The young starlet has greatly impressed with his performances for Le Havre in France’s second division, Ligue 2, where he contributed 2 goals and 2 assists in 18 games for Le club doyen during the 2017/18 season. Now the teenager will get his chance to shine in Ligue 1 at the same club a certain Ousmane Dembele made his name. We take a look at what makes the French U19 international special and why Rennes were willing to pay such a hefty fee for a teenager with so little experience.
Roaming Playmaker
A number 10 can have many different roles but what the best of them can always do is exploit space between the lines of an opposition’s defence and midfield. The term ‘free role’ is often given to an attacking midfielder who is charged with finding gaps in the opponent’s defensive structure, able to go where he wishes to make an impact on the game. But the word ‘free’ suggests that the player has no restrictions which is not the case, the opposition’s positioning will determine what area’s the ‘roaming playmaker’ can be effective in, as will the player’s attributes. Awareness is key to this role and is something Rafik Guitane has in abundance.
Guitane is being closely marked in his typical #10 position, just ahead of his own midfield. Knowing this he drops deep to collect the ball from his centre-back as there aren’t many options available to him. Doing this Guitane knows he has created space behind him and needs to exploit it quickly before the midfield can recover or the defence can push up.
If the opposition’s defence is deep and compact than there is little space to play between the lines and a different approach is needed. This is where a playmaker’s passing range is tested most, unlocking a tight defence through deception and timing.
Second Striker
If a team can get the ball into dangerous areas without the need of a figurative number 10 to drop deep and create then that same player has licence to become a second striker. This is where the timing of late runs can catch defenders unaware and Guitane has the timing and finishing ability to take advantage of such opportunities.
