Cardiff City will start the 2020-21 season as one of the favourites for promotion, after narrowly missing out of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking last term. Neil Harris oversaw a fantastic run in the second half of last season, as the Bluebirds picked up 40 points from Boxing Day onwards. City finished in fifth place, but they lost in the playoff semi-final to eventual promotion winners Fulham.
As he tries to evolve the squad in the transfer window, Harris has brought in striker Kieffer Moore and versatile right-sided player Jordi Osei-Tutu so far, with Osei-Tutu arriving on a season-long loan from Arsenal. The 21-year-old can play as a full-back, wing-back or winger, so adds flexibility on that side of the pitch.
This scout report will provide a tactical analysis on Osei-Tutu’s game, giving an insight into what he may be able to bring to the Welsh side.
Overview
The Reading academy product joined the Gunners in 2015. He’s yet to make his competitive debut for Arsenal, but he did spend all of last season on loan with German 2.Bundesliga side Vfl Bochum. After a difficult start to life in the Ruhr region, Osei-Tutu managed to establish himself as a key player in a side that overcame relegation fears to finish in eighth place.
He played a total of 1,417 minutes in the German second tier, spanning across 21 games. The youngster managed to chip in with a decent total of five goals, scored at a very impressive rate of 0.32 per 90 minutes. Osei-Tutu also registered two assists.
His heatmap shows his fantastic work rate and ability to get up and down the right line quickly. Osei-Tutu often pushed forward and played close to Bochum’s lone striker, as the club preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 system. Within these tactics, he played most often as the right-sided attacking midfielder. When he first joined Bochum, he played at right-back. However, Osei-Tutu was moved into a more advanced role after struggling in that position.
Data Analysis
The analysis will firstly look at Osei-Tutu’s performance data from last season. Although he played in a much more advanced role for Bochum, it’s thought that Arsenal see him as more of a full-back. He’s been given the number two shirt at Cardiff, and he’s played as a wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation during pre-season. Therefore, it seems likely that Osei-Tutu will play as a wing-back, at least initially. Below are some of his defensive metrics from last season. All stats are per 90 minutes unless it’s possession adjusted or a percentage.
