Aleksandar Vukotic 2019/20 – scout report

Aleksandar Vukotic is a 24-year-old centre-back for Waasland-Beveren. The club signed the player from FK Krupa, based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for €350,000, a club record fee at the time, highlighting that the Belgian club rated Vukotić highly. Since then, Vukotić has been highlighted as a standout performer in a recent data analysis piece comparing all centre-backs in the Belgium First Division A. The data analysis piece, written by Toni Bilandzic, outlined that the Serbian, Vukotić, is a commanding centre-back who demonstrated strong data-based performance in defensive and offensive based metrics, therefore, suggesting the centre-back for more detailed scouting. What makes this player even more interesting is the fact that he has produced such data in a Waasland-Beveren team who have recently been relegated. Yes, the team at the bottom of the league will naturally have a lot of defending to do, but the player also impressed in offensive metrics. Waasland-Berevens relegation adds further fuel to the fire that the club could sell one of their record signings. Interestingly, Celtic are reportedly interested in the player, further justifying this detailed look at the man who could be plying his trade in the Scottish Premier League next season.

This tactical analysis scout report will draw on previous data analysis,  generate new data insights and subjectively analyse in-game performance to appraise Vukotićs defensive and attacking contribution. From this, Vukotićs strengths and weaknesses can then be concluded and hopefully provide an in-depth insight into his ability, tactics which suit or contradict his style and discussion on the players future.

A towering centre-back

Vukotić is a towering centre-back. The player stands at 2.01m, which is 6ft 7in in imperial measurements. The player also weighs around 92kg, meaning overall, he is a tall, strong central defender. The player is left-footed, further enhancing his reputation, given left-footed centre-backs are a precious commodity in the modern game. The player is yet to play for the Serbian national team, but his performances and the fact that Waasland-Beveren have been relegated, have increased interest in the player. The good news for Waasland-Beveren is the fact that they tied Vukotić down to a long term contract, ending in 2023, shortly after signing the player, meaning any club interested will need to pay off his existing contract.

By taking a look at the data-based conclusion from Toni Bilandzic’s work, the statistics suggest that Vukotić performs well in defensive metrics in comparison to all centre-backs in Belgium with relevant minutes for comparison. Such comparisons included ex-Premier League centre backs, Vincent Kompany and Wesley Hoedt, along with many other fine Belgian league centre-backs. Specifically, the player is stated to excel in aerial duels, which is understandable due to his size. He is also exceptional at intercepting, blocking shots and recovering possession. Although, the downside for Vukotić is his number and success rate of defensive duels and a question mark on whether he can play swift football in a high pressure set up.

From the data analysis, a conclusive comparison of the frequent leaders in each metric was created, this can be seen below and provides further insight into the above comments.

Defensive ability

Whilst we know how Vukotić performs in league-wide data, we do not have any specific comparisons with his team-mates at Waasland-Beveren or in-game examples to provide more context to his suggested strengths and weaknesses or his utilisation in the Waasland-Beveren system.

Initially, it is worth pointing out that Waasland-Beveren utilised a 4-2-3-1 most often during the 2019/20 season, therefore, the team utilised a two centre-back system which has different responsibilities and tactics to a three-man system frequently used in Belgium. A two-man system also influences the data, as generally, the centre-back pair will be responsible for more defensive coverage and actions, compared to a three-man system which balances responsibilities and involvement three-ways.