Scott Allan 2019/20 – scout report

Scott Allan’s football career has been very tremulous, to say the least, since his promotion to the first-team squad at Dundee United where his youth career was developed. He has been signed by five different clubs and has been loaned out eight times in a period of just 10 years. Allan had his first taste of senior football in 2010 when he was loaned from Dundee United out second division side Forfar Athletic, before returning to Dundee United where he impressed at the start of the 2011/12 in the Scottish Premiership, sparking interest from the Premier League.

West Brom signed the midfielder in 2012 but he failed to make an appearance for the Premier League side and after loan spells with Portsmouth, Milton Keynes Dons, and Birmingham City, he was released at the end of the 2013/2014 season. Allan then returned back to Scottish football, signing with Hibernian, and after a good season for the Edinburgh club, Celtic signed him. He struggled once more to get into the side where he was loaned out a further three times before Hibernian resigned him at the start of the 2019/20 season.

This season Allan has settled well in the Hibernian team, playing his best football and being an important cog in Jack Ross’ midfield. In this tactical analysis in the form of a scout report, we will examine how Scott Allan has become a key player for Hibernian. The report will also outline key attributes that make the 28-year-old a creative spark in the attacking midfield position this season.

Passing ability 

Scott Allan has been deployed in an advanced central position just behind the striker(s) as an attacking midfielder in either a 4-2-3-1 or more commonly of late a 3-4-1-2 formation. The midfielders task is to play in between the lines and look to receive the ball and create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. He certainly achieves this as he has fantastic vision and has an exquisite passing ability.

Allan attempts 35.06 passes per game, with a 72% pass accuracy rate. His accuracy may be below the average for a midfielder in the league but that is because he plays more risker passes,; he is always looking to play incisive passes into dangerous positions for his teammates and so in his attempt, his passes are more likely to be cut out. The Hibs midfielder is never deterred from playing these types of passes and has the ability to punish disorganisation in an oppositions defensive structure if it arises.

The 28-year-old has all the attributes for an extremely effective playmaker as he has great awareness of space to receive the ball, great vision to spot teammates in dangerous positions and has the range and weight on the ball to execute a defence-splitting pass. This is evident in the move below against Aberdeen where Hibernian win the ball back and Allan creates a good angle to receive it in acres of space.

Before receiving the ball, Allan scans over his shoulder checking where the opposition players are but also the positioning of any teammates on the left-wing. Recognising he has space and time, while also realising there are no teammates in an advanced position on the left, he smartly dribbles over to the right where there are more Hibs players. Out in space on the right-wing is Martin Boyle who makes a run from his wide position into the right half-space.

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