Sander Berge

Sander Berge
Image from: freelargeimages.com

Sander Gard Bolin Berge



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Current Club: Sheffield United.

Previous Clubs: KRC Genk, Valerenga, Asker.

Loan Clubs: N/A.





International: Norway 24caps 1goal.

Trophies Won: Belgian League 2018/19. Belgian Super Cup 2019/20.





Berge is a surprisingly mobile midfielder, surprising because at 6ft 4" tall players are not normally able to get around as well as he can. Though his size can often make him look a bit cumbersome in comparison to those around him, he does have quick, nimble feet.



In his first season for the Blades, he was able to use his mobility in a right-sided central midfield role, where the emphasis was on overloading the wings, so he was often making runs out wide when they were on the ball. Once they lost it, he had to get back in to the centre of the pitch, so it involved covering a lot of ground. Unusually for a player of his bulk, he seemed fully capable of managing it.



Before arriving, and more recently for Sheff Utd, he was more of a deep-lying holding midfielder, who sat deep and protected the defence. So it was interesting to see that he does possess the ability to do more, though his inexperience in the final third did often let him down.



What it did suggest is that he would probably be better suited to a more box-to-box role than simply holding. In fact, I remain unconvinced he is that good as a deep-lying player. He is not the best reader of the game, though that can come with experience, and will often be chasing a play he should have been ahead of.



But the main weakness is his playmaking, where he lacks the vision and range of passing to play a deep-lying playmaker role and make his lack of defensive solidity less of an issue. Berge lacks the ability to break up play like Ndidi, for example, but is not really an better on the ball to make up for it.



Due to his mobility, workrate and strength, he still makes a very decent holding midfielder, with his height being useful on setpieces. It just does not feel like it makes the most out of his ability to drive forward with the ball.



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Requested by - Ed002 & Deependra