Atsu

{Profile Posted 20/06/13}







Personal



Date of Birth: - 10/01/1992

Height: - 1.72m

Position: - LM/RM

Contracted: - Yes. Porto. One year left on deal.

Build: - Strong build.

Injuries: - No major.

Estimated Market Value: - £3m

Linked with: - Liverpool, Swansea, Spurs









Physical



Strength- Very strong and is hard to shrug off the ball.

Power- Very very powerful once into his running. He is great at hurdling challenges, and holding defenders off

Jumping- Quite tall so can get high into the air.

Speed- Very, very fast.

Reaction- Good reaction e.g. he is very quick to react to opportunities to spin in behind.

Endurance- Good.

Body Movement- He is a very agile player, even though he is very strong. He can twist past players very well.

Work Rate- Decent. He will track abck sometimes especially if he has the chance to win the ball back. However, he wont track back every time.









Technical



First Touch- Poor touch. Often lets the ball go lose.

Weaker Foot- Decent weaker (right) foot. He does use it, to pass, shoot and cross, so he has confidence in it, but it isn't the best.

Passing- OK short passing. Will misplace too many simple passes. Long passing is poor.

Tackling- Decent for a winger. Will give fouls away, but has some ability in the tackle, which helps when he tracks back.

Heading- Poor.

Dribbling- Exceptional. Can beat players due to skills and strength, as well as his pace. However he will run into opposition player/dead ends. He can overrun the ball; however, and lose control.

Decision Making- Good decision making. He sometimes tries to do too much, but tends to pick the correct option, pass, cross etc, even if it isn't of the highest quality. He can shoot also when he should pass, and is poor from long range.

Finishing- Poor. Tends to scuff shots under pressure. Doesn't get much power on them. He misses too many easy chances.

Long Shots- Good from set pieces, but poor in play; he tends to scuff them under pressure.

Flair- Got a lot of flair. Runs at people, and tries to beat them. He is a very direct type of player, e.g. he tries to take players on, beat them, get further up the pitch and create chances.

Crossing- Poor. Tends to overhit crosses in play. However, he is good from set pieces.









Tactical



Attacking Corners- Takes corners. Generally good, accurate and into the danger area.

Defending Corners- Either marks (he is tall and strong) or is an option for the break.

Attacking Free Kicks- Takes free kicks. He has a good long shot and good crosses when not under pressure.

Defending Free Kicks- In the wall or an option for the break.









Psychological



Courage- He is not afraid to get stuck into challenges and throw his weight around as he is a very strong player.

Confidence- Very confident, even in his weaker foot.

Communication- Decent. He calls very well when he wants the ball in behind, but isn't great at other times.

Motivation- He is always determined to get forward and score/make chances.

Concentration- He scuffs a lot of shots and miss places short passes, so his concentration is poor.

Temperament- He is a very determined player.











Additional Comments





NOTE - Atsu likes to spin in behind the back 4 at every opportunity.

NOTE - He also likes to drop in a bit, get the ball, spin, and run at the back 4.





I was a bit surprised when everybody was angry when they heard Liverpool were actively trying to agree a deal for Atsu. At that point a couple of days back, I had never actively watched him. However, after trying to scout him as much as possible, I am still surprised that fans would be unhappy with Atsu for £3m. He is a very direct player, who runs at the opposition. However, he is very powerful and very strong, so isn't knocked off the ball easily. He is also very good with the dribble, so when he wants to get forward, he often achieves what he wants. However, although he is a very determined and aggressive player, his all round technical game is poor. He doesn't have a great touch, and is pretty shocking when finishing. But, I still feel he would offer a lot more to Liverpool than Assaidi, as an impact sub. He can come on, and run at tired opposition (he is super quick) and that will create chances. Although his finishing is poor, his decision making is good.

We also have to remember what a good coach Rodgers is (having improved almost every player in the squad in a year), so hopefully he can work on Atsu's game, if he comes in.









{A profile by Ed052}