Joao Carvalho

[optimistic_red]

Good to hear the players are actually being coached though

It was a 100% necessity, in this case. If someone hadn't started coaching the poor lad I'd have ended up with self-inflicted baldness, from pulling my hair out this season.

I've held back on these stats, until the mood became more positive, as I wanted fans behind the club, rather than squabbling over an individual, but our #10 is 8th, in this squad, when it comes to shots per game, behind Yates & Guédioura, amongst others.

A #10 should be top 5 in that stat, & certainly not behind deeper sitting midfielders & he's 9th in passing accuracy, another area he should be top 5.

In terms of actual number of passes he averages 32, which is 12th.

Of course a #10 isn't just about creativity, if you defend from the front, as all teams should, a #10 is also key to keeping the opposition locked in. Look at the game Monday night, Murphy & Yates shut down Huddlestone & because of that 60% of Derby's possession was with their defensive players, in their defensive third of the pitch, effectively neutering them.

Our #10 comes 16th in our squad when it comes to average tackles per game, 22nd when it comes to interceptions (Ryan Yates has already made more in total, in 20 games less), & Carvalho is 18th when it comes to blocking the ball.

He's also 3rd in our squad when it comes to being dispossessed, & 2nd when it comes to losing the ball through bad ball control.

Those stats are totally unacceptable for a #10, because they present the ball to the opposition far to often & provide no defensive line between the opposition & our deep lying midfielders, inviting pressure on to our team.

Essentially, when the opposition is in possession, we've been effectively playing with 10 men.

This should have been scouted before the player was signed & dealt with on the training ground in pre-season.

I don't blame the lad, he's 21, a stranger in a strange land, so he only knows what he knows, but our coaches let him down badly, at cost to this club.

Wow NG3, should we change your name to stato, very impressive.
Good post. Makes it easier to see why his pitch time has been limited of late.