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Ok so I'm going to explain my Takefusa Kubo take now. Buckle in.
Takefusa Kubo is an attacking player. No matter how you slice it. His role going forward is likely as a RW/RM in whatever side he plays in. What is the primary avenue we evaluate players in this role through? Goal contributions. Here he is compared to other teens/recent teens
That's pretty weak, quite frankly. Really weak. But, to be fair, he gets fewer touches in a Mallorca side that is one of the worst in La Liga. So when we adjust for that, how does he do?
Still not well. You may think I'm still being unfair. He doesn't just get fewer touches, he gets fewer touches in advanced positions, you might say. Ok, so I adjust for that.
Now he's doing worse than Ed Camavinga, ballwinning extraordinaire. While there are complications, basically there's way to twist the data to show Take contributing directly to goal scoring. But, just to be exhaustive, I'll select metrics where he performs well.
When we adjust for how often they're touching the ball in relevant situations, Kubo still isn't really a standout in terms of shot creation. He's a better ball carrier, but, if we're playing the context game, he often gets the ball in transition for Mallorca...
Which makes progressive carrying distinctly easier (there's greater space to exploit in transition). All this ball carrying is also at a cost: he doesn't do a lot of creative passing and he turns over the ball constantly...
If you think this is all forgivable given the fact that he's so involved in anything and everything Mallorca create in terms of chances, consider this: he's 6th at the club in xGBuildup per 90 minutes for qualified players.
And before you say, 'Use your eyes.' I have seen Kubo play quite a bit. I also enjoy football. He's really fun to watch. Dribbling is aesthetically pleasing, ik. But it has limited utility in the scheme of things. He has the occasional pass in him, but he also has tunnel vision
In conclusion: Do I think Takefusa Kubo is a bad footballer? No. Do I think he's a bad prospect? Absolutely not. Do I think he's anywhere near ready to play meaningful minutes for Real Madrid? It's a no from me everyday of the week, and twice on Sunday. He's just too raw.
