10 July 2019, League of Ireland club Bohemians are playing host to Chelsea as part of The Blues pre-season campaign.
The game itself ends up being a non-occasion, it finishes a respectable 1-1.
In truth, its mainly about the newly appointed coach, Frank Lampard, giving some academy players a runout and of course, Bohs have enjoyed the opportunity to welcome Premier League opposition to Dalymount Park.
A slightly apprehensive looking 14 year old is introduced to the game as Bohs make a substitution in the 67th minute.
Within seconds of entering the fray, the nervousness lifts and its clear that this kid is born to be a footballer.
He appears so confident, wanting no, demanding the ball in fact.
He looks to run at the Chelsea defence constantly.
He showcases intricate passes, cute little flicks around the corner to a teammate and a desire to battle for every ball.
Yes, its friendly and yes this is a teenager making his first team debut, and undoubtedly the adrenaline has taken over.
The talent though is undeniable.
Since that summers evening in the Irish capital, Lampard’s managerial career at Chelsea followed the path we all expected which ended with his rather predictable dismissal.
The somewhat worried looking 14 year old though, well, he has gone on to bigger and better things.
He made less than a handful of first-team appearances for Bohemians before Premier League club Brighton came calling.
Additionally, he’s now made his international debut and is regularly touted as the one who can carry the Republic of Ireland’s number 9 shirt for years to come.
So, who was that 14-year-old kid? Well, that was Evan Ferguson.
Now 18 years old and making a name for himself in English footballs top flight.
The Irish starlet decided to sign for Brighton’s academy in 2021 after opting to join the south coast club rather than Merseyside giants Liverpool.
Ferguson caught the eye of the Brighton hierarchy whilst playing for both the under-18s and under-23s.
After being carefully introduced to first-team football under Graham Potter, it is under current manager Roberto De Zerbi that the Irish forward has begun to thrive.
When any talented youngster breaks on the scene, clubs across the continent are sitting up and taking notice of this gem from the Emerald Isle.
Super-rich Newcastle United are the latest club linked with a recent scouting mission to Brighton.
It is thought Ferguson was the reason for said mission.
With the 18-year-old likely to become the subject of a bidding war in the summer and Brighton desperate to tie him to a long-term deal, here at Total Football Analysis, we thought that there is no better time to conduct an in-depth tactical analysis of Evan Ferguson’s all-round game.
This tactical analysis will take the form of a scout report where we will put the ‘four corner model’ to good use, in order for us to analyse the Irish international’s physical profile, technical abilities, tactical proficiencies and psychological tendencies.
We will also provide an analysis of how Ferguson fits into Brighton’s tactics and examine what clubs could be vying for his signature at the end of the season.
What does the data say?
For us to get a general overview of Ferguson’s style of play, the best place to begin this scout report is to look at what the numbers tell us.
Data can help us paint a picture of the way a player behaves in the game and the areas in which they excel as well as where they require improvement.
Of course, it is all subj
