In the second instalment of a look around EFL League one’s under 23 starlets, this week focuses on MK Dons full-back Callum Brittain. With 31 appearances this season, Brittain has been an important part of a side that has seen a managerial change halfway through the season, putting in consistent performances to catch the eye of onlookers. Brittain has especially benefitted from Russel Martins change to a 4-1-2-1-2 system deployed at Mk Dons with the young defender being given the licence to get involved more in an attacking capacity.
With Brittain’s contract up at the end of the current season, and yet to sign a new deal, there is likely to be interest from higher within the football pyramid. Brittain will at some stage look to follow in the footsteps of other Mk Dons academy graduates such as Dele Alli and Brandon Galloway with moves to the EPL with Tottenham Hotspur and Everton respectively. However, under Martin, there is renewed hope that his young side can look to progress from consolidation in EFL League One towards an outside playoff position, which may encourage Brittain to sign on.
In this scout report, we will take a close look analysis at what has caught the eye around Brittain and how he fits within Martin’s tactics at MK Dons.
Brittain’s Role
Martin has used a 4-1-2-1-2 since taking over in November 2019, moving away from the five at the back system operated under Paul Tisdale. Brittain operates at the right full-back position, with the licence to get forward and provide width, operating on a different line to the right side of the central midfield two, operated on a number of occasions by Louis Thompson.
In possession, as mentioned Brittain will look to provide the width, high up the pitch to stretch the opponents backline. If the right-sided central midfielder does look to drift into the wide channel, this can open the half-space to penetrate either with a pass into the final third. Or, through dribbling to provide crosses for the central two strikers, which is a concept we will come on to later. Brittain’s passing stats are certainly impressive, a concept we will go into more depth later. However, with 33.45 short/medium passes per 90 with a success of 86.9%, shows Brittain is certainly buying into the style Martin is looking to implement.
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