Lyle Foster smashed headlines when he signed for AS Monaco from African giants Orlando Pirates this winter break at the age of 18, a sign of the young striker’s undeniable potential.
At 17, Foster had already recorded his name in the history books of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates as the club’s youngest ever goalscorer. He also snatched the U20 Cosafa Championship Golden Boot award this year, scoring five goals in as many games on the continental stage.
It is now, under the tutelage of David Bechkoura, that Lyle Foster will look to announce himself to the football world. This tactical analysis uses statistics to look at what makes Foster such an exciting prospect for AS Monaco.
Height, strength and intelligence
His ability to hold off physical defenders was among his brightest assets in his first season at 17. This will give him the confidence that he can compete physically in Ligue 1 when he gets promoted. Standing at 1.85m, Foster is taller than the average height of Monaco’s front line of 1.82m.
The images below show that he has the speed, strength and intelligence needed in Ligue 1 in a team that boasts Radamel Falcao and former Manchester City man Stevan Jovetic.
Foster’s angled run from the first to the last image shows a run and finish of technical beauty. He attacks the left full-back before scoring a low shot into the bottom corner.
Attacking the left full-backs right foot is a clever way to unbalance the player. This is because players who use both feet are a rarity. It is also not a tactical trend to use inverted full-backs in the French game. Foster here capitalises, demonstrating his intelligence. His positioning wide on the right allows him the chance at an angled run at goal, from which he is able to finish on his favoured right foot.
Fo
