Davy Klaassen

Davy Klaassen
Image from: twitter

Davy Klaassen


Current Club: Werder Bremen.
Previous Clubs: Everton, Ajax.
Loan Clubs: N/A.


International: Netherlands 16 caps 4 goals.
Trophies Won: Eredivisie 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14. Netherlands Super Cup 2014. Netherlands Footballer of the Year 2016.


Klaassen was once a highly rated young player being compared to Xavi as a central midfielder, but made his name in the Ajax first team as an attacking midfielder playing behind a forward and pulling the strings from there. While it does not make full use of his passing range and vision to play further forward, also gives him less time on the ball to pick a pass, but it means that it avoids his weaknesses being exposed.

Those weaknesses are his defensive work, which is poor, partly because of his lack of stamina and fitness, which is probably the main reason he struggled to break into the Everton team. Klaassen is not terribly slow, but he can be terribly slow to get back at times, as he is usually trying to get his breath back, or so it seems. Stamina and fitness can be improved, but he needs to improve his desire and workrate as well, something I am sure will have been worked on while in English football.

He lacks any sign of an ability to head the ball at all, I have been watching a few games he played in over recent days, to write this profile, not once have I seen him attempt a header. So he might be a Tim Cahill with brilliant timing but I have not seen it. He does not even display the desire to get to an aerial ball, which suggests a lack of bravery.

It is on the ball he is at his best, he has excellent vision and passing range, though playing so high up he is looking for slid in through balls, mostly, which is a shame as his range of passing has so much more to it. If he could up his workrate, improve his fitness and he would be excellent dropped a little deeper using his full range of passing. Not a deep lying play maker, but in central midfield, running a game, that would be where I feel his positives would be most suited. However the negatives to his game completely ruin the chances of him being used there.


Requested by HugoEFC