Ali McCann 2019/20 – scout report

The 2019/20 campaign has been a very underwhelming one for St. Johnstone. The club has been very inconsistent, spending the majority of the first half of the season toiling around the foot of the table. Although, since the turn of the year they have seen an upturn in performances with the Perth club gaining a total of 18 points out of a possible 30 in the league – meaning that the Saints finished on a high before the season was ceased. The good form has lifted them out of regulation but that is the only thing Tommy Wright and the St. Johnstone faithful can clutch onto in a rather underwhelming season.

One thing the Saints can be optimistic about is the emergence of 20-year-old midfielder Ali McCann. Coming through the ranks at St. Johnstone, McCann got his first real taste of first-team action when he spent the second half of last season on loan with Stranraer. He put in impressive performances out on loan which saw him start this season’s opener against Celtic where he has kept his place in the starting line-up ever since for the Saints.

In his breakthrough season in the top flight, he has proved not just to be an exciting prospect but arguably one of the best young players in the league. In this tactical analysis in the form of a scout report, will examine how Ali McCann has become a key cog at the heart of St. Johnstone’s midfield. The report will also outline key attributes that make the 20-year-old excel amongst his counterparts in the midfield role.

Defensive capabilities

When analysing McCann’s performances in the league, what you notice is his high energy, work rate, stamina, and his controlled aggression  this makes him have the quality to excel when defending in midfield. Wright has utilised these qualities where the young midfielder has played just over 1/3 of his matches deployed in the defensive midfield position in the Saints 4-1-4-1 formation.

There is real merit to deploying him at this position as he has the physical attributes to compete in midfield to win the ball back for his side. This is evident as he competes in 9.29 defensive duels p/90 with a 62% success rate which is impressive and shows he has the ability to break down attacks and protect his defensive line at a high level. What makes the Saints midfielder so good defensively is his ability to almost hound the opposition, coupled with this, he is also tenacious in the tackle which makes it difficult for the opposition to get past him.

Below against Hearts, Manchester City loanee, Ryotaro Meshino is looking to dribble past McCann but the Saints midfielder forces the Hearts midfielder back.

Despite Meshino attempting to twist and turn to get away from the 20-year-old, he has the stamina and persistence to keep trying to get the ball off the midfielder before putting in a well-timed tackle to win the ball back, breaking down the attack.

Another area where McCann excels defensively is his ability to read the game and snuff out danger as he has 4.96 interceptions p/90 which is the most by any midfielder under 21 in the league. Its very impressive having such intelligent defensive positioning in midfield, which is an attribute you would associate with a more experienced player further down the line in their career.

The 20-year-ol