Players who impressed me in the Euros.

 It’s not a good month for any ‘Monday Musing’ consumers who dislike football stats. If you couldn’t sit through the video I posted the other week, there’s little chance of your putting up with this article either. I’ve been experiencing a bit of a creative block recently (I haven’t been bothered to think of fresh ideas for my blog) so I’m back on the shoulders of WhoScored.com again. To make matters even worse, I’ll be writing about the Euros - yes, the thing that ended a few months ago - so really, I’ll be worried if you can justify spending your time on reading this article. With that said, in case you’ve failed to already gather what this article is all about (‘Players who impressed me in the Euros’) I should clarify that, what will hopefully follow is a discussion of 4 players who deserve big money moves after stand-out performances in the summer’s tournament (obviously though, I personally believe that no club should sign a man off tournament form alone, but for the sake of relevancy, I’m giving this piece a transfer twist.) I apologise for the wordiness of the previous sentence - at risk of rambling any further, let’s just get into it shall we.

I think I’ll work from back to front (in terms of positions on a pitch) in this article. Whilst I could’ve easily chosen four attackers for discussion - the classic Ballon d’Or, only goal scorers are good, trap - I genuinely found myself more interested by Europe’s midfielders and defenders over the course of Euro 2021, and accordingly, I’ll be kicking things off with a left back here. Vitaliy Mykolenko caught my eye in Ukraine’s Quarter-final tie vs. England, as he faced up against Jadon Sancho, who was making his long anticipated tournament debut for Southgate’s men (I think). Mykolenko dampened the nation’s squib on that night, with an imperious performance worthy of denying Sancho the dream debut he would’ve wanted - and yes, admittedly, his team ultimately got drubbed, but still, his individual efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The 22 year-old looked assured and unflapped in dealing with Man United’s new £70 million man, making tackle after tackle, and generally denying any route down Ukraine’s left for England - indeed, he made the most tackles of anyone in that match (5), the most interceptions too (4), and the joint most blocks as well (2). This level of defensive dominance was consistent with his overall tournament performance, as he led u23 Euro players for tackles per game (with 2.8), and for interceptions per game too (with 2), having played 4 matches. It must be noted also that no one dribbled past him more than once per game in the Euros, and his best matches on paper came against England and the Netherlands (based on his average rating in these games) so he was hardly a flat-track bully/fraud during his time in the tournament. Perhaps his European experience with Dynamo Kyiv helped him in these bigger games. Although his offensive output leaves a little to be desired - he’s no Trent Alexander-Arnold yet (he was a leader in Ukraine’s squad for crosses per game, though) - I think that Euro 2020 provided a brilliant showcase for Mykolenko’s defensive excellence. Given his age - and, thus, his capacity for improvement - it seems inevitable that Mykolenko will be picked off from Kyiv by a larger European team (I don’t even think he’d be that expensive); he’s certainly earned it after his peerless showing in Euro 2020. 

I’ve got my order a bit confused already. You see, I should’ve started things off with the centre-back I have written down, but I’ve only just remembered that he actually features in my plans, and I can’t be bothered re-organising what I’ve already got, so, for now, I’ll be disposing of my own rules. Hopefully you’ll be sufficiently impressed by what I have to say about Chris Mepham - the man in question - to justify the unnecessarily garrulous introduction I’ve given him. If you’re a really keen fan of my postings, you’ll know that I’ve mentioned the Welshman before: he cropped up in my podcast on the ‘Team of the Euro 2021 Group stage’, as someone who exceeded all expectations at the start of the tournament. Well, the fact that I’m bringing him up again should tell you that his brilliance was sustained beyond the Group Stage (although his team only had one knockout game). I watched Wales for most of their time in the tournament, and I thought that they looked really solid at the back - they even succeeded in frustrating Italy (for the most part) who, as we all know, went on to win the whole thing. Obviously, the Welsh suffered a humiliating collapse against Denmark, but this was totally unrepresentative of their general tournament performance. Robert Page (the national manager) deployed Mepham next to Rodon in the heart of his defence, and honestly, either of the two young men could’ve featured in this article. They both passed the eye test, generally exceeding what I thought either was capable of. In the end, it came down to Mepham’s slightly more impressive stats for the place in my post. 

The Bournemouth defender played only 3 games in the Euros, but - my word - did he make the most of his short time. Indeed, the defensive numbers he managed to rack up for Wales stand strong in comparison with those of his more high-profile competitors: according to FBRef.com, he was best in the whole tournament for % of dribblers faced that he tackled; he also made the most blocks per game of anyone who featured in Euro 2020, and was 12th overall for clearances per game too (with 5). On top of all of this, he won as many aerial duels per game as Ronaldo (over the course of the tournament) and he was top in the Welsh squad for tackles and interceptions per game as well. I’d like to remind you here that this is a man who plays in the Championship - surely the hard evidence suggests that he is deserving of a step up. It’s not even the case that he’s a battering ram at the back, for he had 70% long pass accuracy in the tournament (having attempted 25+ long passes) and 100% medium pass accuracy (having attempted 40+ of these too), which is really impressive. He seems, then, to have all the proper characteristics of a premium modern centre-half: excellent distribution, dominance in the air & on the ground, and comfort on the ball (he took no poor touches in any of his games, according to FBRef). It’s worth mentioning that he had a solid season for Bournemouth last season too (who made the playoffs), so there’s a lot of data for potential buyers to consult (as well as his Euros performance). It seems a shame to have someone of Mepham’s obvious quality buried in the Championship, when he’s clearly capable of mixing it with the best. He thrived in the Euros and would probably do so in the Premier League too (and he’s only 23).

If I could distil my experience of Euro 2020 into one player, I’d be left with Xaver Schlager. He was someone I had my eye on prior to the tournament beginning, and indeed, I made sure to watch all of his games once things got under way. The central midfielder missed only 20 minutes of Austria’s time in Euro 2021, reflecting his crucial importance to the way his side operated. He seemed to be involved with play at every turn - both on and off the ball - and he helped Franco Foda’s men to stand-up against big-hitters like Holland and Italy. Schlager was only 23 when the tournament started, but he dealt with it like a seasoned international pro: there was a certain confidence to his style, an assurance in every decision he made (not to mention the fact that he was moved around the pitch quite a bit by his manager, which would’ve been rather unsettling). He primarily played in the middle of the park - normally as the more dynamic half of a double pivot - in which position he thrived as the engine of his team. What I found most eye catching about him was the way that he dealt with formidable opponents: he went toe-to-toe with Frenkie De Jong of the Netherlands, for example, in what I perceived as a generation-defining battle; he also held his own against an Italian midfield containing Barella and Verratti, making more tackles & dribbles combined than anyone else in that knockout match. This latter stat really captures the profile of the blonde Austrian - he’s a busy bustler of a central midfielder who’ll do bits of everything (tackling, shooting, passing, etc.) I love this type of player. His overall tournament statistics make for delightful reading: as per FBRef.com, Schlager was 2nd best for both dribbles and pressures per game amongst the Austrians; furthermore, only 2 of his compatriots bettered him for key passes per game, and he was narrowly edged into fourth place for shots per game in this database too. The real bobble in the man-bun - though - is the fact that Schlager was fourth overall among Euro 2020 players for tackles per game, with 3.5. 

Essentially then, Xaver Schlager is strikingly good at everything - and where better to have such a player than right in the middle of the pitch. His stats vindicate the impression I got from watching him. 

I’ve already set my heart on Xaver as the replacement for Wijnaldum at Liverpool; hopefully Wolfsburg will let him go for a packet of crisps and a selfie with John W Henry (as that’s all that LFC will bring to the negotiating table) I live in hope.

 

Although it might not seem like it, I’ve tried hard to suppress my inner football-hipster throughout this article. Well, that ends here. My final choice of player is so poncey, and… sickly, that I recommend an instant departure from the website for any reader who has made it to this point in the post (it’s for your own good). Let me set the scene. Pre-tournament, Napoli’s Eljif Elmas was tipped by multiple sources as the man to watch in Group C of the Euros. The long-haired, playmaking, North Macedonian was, frankly, football hipster crack. Well, I arrive today with the intention to out-hipster the hipster’s choice. I found that Elmas had a disappointing summer, whereas, his teammate - Enis Bardhi - was totally captivating. Perhaps the latter benefitted from the Elmas-shaped umbrella above his head at the start of the tournament, which totally absorbed all pressure and expectation. Bardhi - who is an established player in his own right (of some quality as well, I should add) - was allowed to do his thing without bearing the gravity of expectation that normally weighs down upon the better players in a smaller country (in this instance, a smaller country making their Euros debut!). This does seem a little unfair to me, as he’s excelled in a top European League (representing Levante in Spain) for years, automatically taking him to the top 1% of Macedonian professionals. He should be on the radar! 

Alas, I suppose this line of thought is irrelevant really - the fact is, he wasn’t as fancied as Pandev or Elmas, and I’m here to tell you what importance this had. Bardhi (who is 26) demonstrated his credentials as a classy operator during his time in the Euros. He stood head and shoulders above his compatriots as someone with clear creative pedigree. The North Macedonians had hardly any of the ball in the tournament (comparatively) but Bardhi still managed to make his mark: he made about 2 key passes per game (placing him in the tournament top 30 for this stat); he also managed approximately 2 successful dribbles per 90 (placing him in the overall top 15), and, with 5 successful long passes per game too, Bardhi earned himself a name as one of the tournament’s most accurate outfielders (top 10 to be exact.) These stats reflect the influence he had from his deeper position on the pitch: he dictated play for his side with measured passes, and (completing more than a tackle per game) broke things up when necessary too. He was steadily involved for North Macedonia, offering a vital turn of quality whenever they got him on the ball.

Essentially then, In this instance, I think that an international tournament performance actually has been really instructive - Bardhi has proven his mettle as someone who can get stuck in and take responsibility, to add to what he’s already demonstrated for Levante over many years (brilliant flair and creativity.) He’s a versatile creative midfield type who I can see at a team like Wolves (Europa League standard at least); and, as he’s theoretically coming into his prime right now, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t make his way into a higher echelon of the European scene soon enough.

I can’t think of much else to say now. The transfer intrigue in this post will melt like ice in a soft drink you’ve not quite finished yet, unless I upload my thoughts before deadline day - who cares about these players if they don’t get the big-money moves they deserve this summer? What’s the use in singing someone's praises if they fail to get a chance at the right level? Being subtly impressive at the Euros is all well and good - and I’ve enjoyed writing about such a phenomenon - but really, I’ll feel a bit disappointed if nothing comes for the four men I’ve discussed here. With all that said, then, I’ll make haste to finish this article. The 31st looms, as does the fact that I haven’t completed my ‘Appropriate Signings’ video either. Ah well, one thing at a time. Oh, before I go: I read one of my own things on my phone the other day, which was eye opening. For, you see, I normally do all the necessary editing on my computer, which means that I write everything with the laptop-format in mind. It seems to be the case that my things are harder to read on mobiles, due - in no small part - to the massive paragraphs I insist upon. What I’m trying to say is, I hope that you haven’t ever been put-off my writing by your phone experience. I apologise if you have.

Thanks very much for reading this article - I sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed it!

Please tweet me your thoughts, @Torpaldo.