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A look at Houssem Aouar& #39;s qualities and what makes him so good.
A thread
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A thread
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After another stellar season for Lyon, Aouar has once again been linked with a move away from Lyon. With Lyon missing out on European Football, it& #39;s more likely that Aouar could leave them this window, with Arsenal & Man City interested.
In this thread I will analyse:
- his position/role
- attributes that Aouar possesses/his strengths
- where he needs to improve
- how he compares to other top players in his position.
- his position/role
- attributes that Aouar possesses/his strengths
- where he needs to improve
- how he compares to other top players in his position.
Position/Role
Aouar plays as an LCM in Lyon& #39;s 352, although at times he& #39;s also been deployed as a left winger, but he wasn& #39;t much impactful in this position. He also a versatile player and can be a good backup for other positions as well.
Aouar generally plays as a Mezalla ( #8)
Aouar plays as an LCM in Lyon& #39;s 352, although at times he& #39;s also been deployed as a left winger, but he wasn& #39;t much impactful in this position. He also a versatile player and can be a good backup for other positions as well.
Aouar generally plays as a Mezalla ( #8)
Attributes
One of Aouar& #39;s biggest strength is his two footedness. Playing with both his feet helps him tremendously in tight spaces & in 1v1. Two footed players always have an advantage when it comes to take ons, as the defenders can only close one direction, but...
One of Aouar& #39;s biggest strength is his two footedness. Playing with both his feet helps him tremendously in tight spaces & in 1v1. Two footed players always have an advantage when it comes to take ons, as the defenders can only close one direction, but...
they can take the other one and beat their man with ease. Having no weak foot helps Aouar in tight spaces where he can easily escape.
Press resistance
This is one of the most impressive attribute in his skill set. All top teams now play with a high press, players who can resist pressing, soak up the pressure and release the ball are a big asset. This skill of Aouar is mainly down to his intelligence...
This is one of the most impressive attribute in his skill set. All top teams now play with a high press, players who can resist pressing, soak up the pressure and release the ball are a big asset. This skill of Aouar is mainly down to his intelligence...
and his calm and composed nature. Being press resistant means that Aouar is naturally perfect for teams which build out from the back. No wonder why Arteta & Guardiola are big fans. Here he received the ball under pressure from 6 players and still played it out the FB he& #39;s facing
Aouar doesn& #39;t shy away from having the ball. He takes the most touches in the Lyon side (excluding DEF) and is the 2nd most common (1stDenayer) pass target for Lyon. He can be often seen to be dropping deep to help his teammates build our from the back. (on the ball in pictureshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬇️" title="Pfeil nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach unten">
" title="Aouar doesn& #39;t shy away from having the ball. He takes the most touches in the Lyon side (excluding DEF) and is the 2nd most common (1stDenayer) pass target for Lyon. He can be often seen to be dropping deep to help his teammates build our from the back. (on the ball in pictureshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬇️" title="Pfeil nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach unten">">
" title="Aouar doesn& #39;t shy away from having the ball. He takes the most touches in the Lyon side (excluding DEF) and is the 2nd most common (1stDenayer) pass target for Lyon. He can be often seen to be dropping deep to help his teammates build our from the back. (on the ball in pictureshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬇️" title="Pfeil nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach unten">">
Ball carrier
Aouar two footedness also means he is a very efficient ball carrier. Whether in tight spaces or transition (turning defence into attack) Aouar is a very solid dribbler. Aouar ranks 6th in progressive distance carried in the Ligue 1. He completes 3 dribbles p90 (63%)
Aouar two footedness also means he is a very efficient ball carrier. Whether in tight spaces or transition (turning defence into attack) Aouar is a very solid dribbler. Aouar ranks 6th in progressive distance carried in the Ligue 1. He completes 3 dribbles p90 (63%)
Aouar& #39;s ability to receive the ball on a half turn/back to the goal under pressure is very underrated. He comfortably beats his next man & progresses with the ball. One of the reasons for this is his body posture while receiving the pass.
Being short(5& #39;9"), Aouar possesses a low centre of gravity which aids him while dribbling. He has good ball control and excellent technique meaning it& #39;s difficult to get the ball off him. He& #39;s dispossessed twice p90.
Understanding Space
Here you can see how he has opened his body and positioned himself to take his first touch into the space. (1st 2 pictures)
In the second case, you can see how he opens his wide to play it into space, keeping it narrow would also make it difficult to control.
Here you can see how he has opened his body and positioned himself to take his first touch into the space. (1st 2 pictures)
In the second case, you can see how he opens his wide to play it into space, keeping it narrow would also make it difficult to control.
The reason for his press resistance his his understanding of space & first touch as well. He once again opens his body and knows that he has two options, but the red space would trigger an immediate press, so he chooses the blue area and beats the press easily again.
In both the above examples, it should be noted that IF he didn& #39;t have a good first touch he would need a second touch to direct the ball into space which would make it easier to lose the ball as the opponents are breathing down his neck.
Leadership
he never shies away from taking responsibility. He& #39;s Lyon& #39;s vice captain at such a young age & one of the leaders in the dressing room.
Big game Player
His stats show this too. He has 5 G/A in 8 starts in the champions league against the likes of JUV, MCI & RB Leipzig.
he never shies away from taking responsibility. He& #39;s Lyon& #39;s vice captain at such a young age & one of the leaders in the dressing room.
Big game Player
His stats show this too. He has 5 G/A in 8 starts in the champions league against the likes of JUV, MCI & RB Leipzig.
Improvements
His G/A stats are very low & they don& #39;t reflect how he plays. But not much should be looked into it, as he& #39;s not much of a goalscoring midfielder. His playmaking numbers are pretty decent. Although if he played in a top team these numbers would improve automatically.
His G/A stats are very low & they don& #39;t reflect how he plays. But not much should be looked into it, as he& #39;s not much of a goalscoring midfielder. His playmaking numbers are pretty decent. Although if he played in a top team these numbers would improve automatically.
Should be noted that Aouar averages 3 touches in the opposite box p90, and 2 shots with 0.78 on target per 90.
Work rate
It can be seen at times that Aouar is not imposing himself/not giving his 100%. He can be seen going into defensive duels half heartedly and here even after dispossessing the opponent he doesn& #39;t follow up to win the ball.
It can be seen at times that Aouar is not imposing himself/not giving his 100%. He can be seen going into defensive duels half heartedly and here even after dispossessing the opponent he doesn& #39;t follow up to win the ball.
Defensive Contribution
Although more attack minded, #8 now need to attack and defend as well, but Aouar& #39;s defensive numbers are very low, not even close to Lyon& #39;s highest. We can see he has a low percentile ranking in his defensive actions as opposed to other attacking stats.
Although more attack minded, #8 now need to attack and defend as well, but Aouar& #39;s defensive numbers are very low, not even close to Lyon& #39;s highest. We can see he has a low percentile ranking in his defensive actions as opposed to other attacking stats.
