In football, the players performance often depends closely on their manager and their connection with the coach.
There are many examples of bad player-manager relationships, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is one of them.
Being unable to build a connection with Jose Mourinho and Unai Emery and failing to meet their expectations pushed his career to the edge, and he fell into the trap of losing his passion for football.
Luckily for him, what looked like another forced move away from a club that didn’t want him turned into a story of rebirth and falling back in love with the game.
His arrival at Roma under Paulo Fonsecas tactics was a fresh start for him and a huge boost for the team.
He scored nine goals and assisted eight more in 21 Serie A games.
He is the teams leading goal contributor and has become a crucial part of Fonseca’s strategy.
This scout report will use tactical analysis to explain why Mkhitaryan is so important in Roma’s current set-up and how he contributes to their title hopes.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan Position In Paulo Fonseca Tactics
As per the Armenian’s words, he was missing the most freedom after his spells with Manchester United and Arsenal.
He admitted that he found it under Fonseca, which unlocked his creativity and flair.
The Portugueses clear attacking approach allowed Mkhitaryan to focus more on his strengths in attack rather than being forced into constant defensive contributions.
The 31-year-old flourished in his favoured attacking-midfield position, perfectly fitting the manager’s 3-4-2-1/3-4-3 formation.
The team rely on different ball-progression strategies depending on the opposition and the press intensity.
They don’t always rely on the same players for their build-up from the back and use movement and player rotations there.
Depending on their tactics of the day, they would either push higher and employ a highly positioned defence, trying to control the ball closer to the opposition half or stay deeper, trying to bypass the opposition press with rotations.
They focus on a lot of movement on and off the ball in the oppositions half and rely on smart positioning and strong decision-making to create as many chances in front of the goal as possible.
That’s why Mkhitaryan had more freedom and support to contribute to the attacking actions using his positioning, control and decision-making.
He could be seen in the centre attacking midfield or in the wide areas, supporting his teammates with simple passes, through balls, crosses, and even by simply creating space for them by dragging players out of position.
His spatial awareness helps him exploit
