Following on from my profiling of Birmingham City's squad (https://twitter.com/JacksonHuxley/status/1267467833170112512?s=20), and what looks to be potentially happening in the summer, I have attempted to identify some youth players across Europe, due to their lack of emerging talent coming through the system, should Bellingham and Pederson leave.
In an attempt to weight leagues based on their quality, I looked at every club from across Europe and their ELO rating. An ELO rating is a score of quality, and a pretty accurate one, however what it fails to identify is the comparison of teams/leagues style and intensity. I used this as the only available resource and a good indicator into teams quality. The graph below visualises the relative quality of teams across Europe, the higher the score, the higher the quality of team. The first column is the Championship, which shows a tight distribution of quality across the league. whereas, for example, The distribution of quality in the Croatian league shows that there is one dominant club and 2 very weak teams. Each point represents a team. Every cluster (each colour) represents a quality standard, therefore there are 6 quality standards across Europe. Birmingham, represented by the red line, fall within the fourth cluster (green), similar to the championship average.
To approach this 'trusted youth' analysis, i used the ELO graph to direct my scouting. I looked at every team within the blue cluster, to find every u19 player that has been given first team minutes. I used the blue cluster as this represents a quality level below Birmingham and therefore these players still offer quality, and using this cluster will also help finding players affordable and that offer good value for a club like Blues. This ticks of Quality and Value of the 3 core principals. Now to find Compatibility.
This filtering chucked up a range of players of different positions and ages, that had been given 1st team minutes. The graph below shows every player and their club that was filtered into the analysis.
I decided to zoom in on the Polish Ekstraklasa, as that league has teams that trust youth players more often that the others (7 players). The Bulgarian league also had many players, however I opted to focus on Poland as, in their ELO ratings, the leagues quality is distributed similarly to the championship, therefore performance is more relative and potentially may offer more skill sets that are better transferable to England.
The selection of players in the Ekstraklasa that have been trusted with first team minutes, are as shown below. The reason I wanted to look at players who have been trusted to play minutes is because this shows that top professional and educate coaches, have thought about and agreed to play such a young player in such a game. This is a great indicator, in my opinion, for players who have potential to step to higher levels, because these players, being so young, being afforded such opportunity means that they must have impressed enough people to warrant and deeper look.
Firstly, a look at...
Marcel Wedrychowski
Pogon Szczecin
18 years old (2002)
Has played 91 minutes for Pogon this season, playing in both the cup and the league. In both games he played out wide in a 4-2-3-1, looking comfortable on both sides.
Very fast and extremely quick when accelerating. This serves him well as he likes to commit a man before releasing the ball and looking to receive a through ball with a short burst of pace. Again, this acceleration helps when he applies pressure when out of possession. Presses very intensely but occasionally his positioning in the press is poor.
Very good 1v1 attacker and he always opts to beat a man before releasing. Sometimes decisions could be better or quicker, when crossing or passing. Always wants the ball and is always looking to receive. When he does receive out wide he's very good at driving into space, however when receiving in central areas he is too closed and loses the ball often.
Looks to be very technically gifted, lacking a little strength and robustness on the ball, but his speed and 1v1 dominance definitely give him a great platform to grow as a player, especially with more experience.
Dawid Kocyla
Wisla Plock
17 y-o (2002)
Been trusted with 282 minutes in the league this season, playing centre forward or off the right. A tall and physical player and a willing defender given the low block style of Plock. He is very strong when shielding the ball and good in the air when directing passes and flick ons.
Poor control and first touch in general and wasteful with passes, unless hes given a lot of time. Not technically effective enough for the Championship.
Gets into the box well when team is attacking, and does make good quick decisions in the box, just lacks the ability to pull it off.
Michal Rakoczy
Cracovia Krakow
18 y-o (2002)
The attacking midfielder has played over 250 league minutes and 130 cup minutes this season. A very versatile player, sharing his minutes as a striker, central midfielder and wide midfielder.
Very sharp and quick and plays very well under pressure and off one touch.
Needs to be more concise with his passing in the final third, and create more chances to be considered as a key attacker. However, i believe with is skill set and his physical profile (quick, small and strong), he could be best used as a right midfielder in a 4, as he is a brilliant defender, when pressuring opponents and reading the ball (defensive positioning). He has the pace and ability to play under pressure which could be utilized in transition.
I think Rakoczy does have the attributes to potentially succeed in the championship, but only in a certain style and system.
Aleksander Buksa
Wisla Krakow
17 y-o (2003)
Has played 366 minutes in the league this season as Krakow's centre forward. A tall striker with a presence. He likes to show in between the lines for the ball and when the ball does arrive, he receives well and links play wellIn the middle and final thirds, he is very good at connecting with other when he finds the pockets to receive in. Although he does vary his movement, from dropping it to running in behind, he is far superior at being more of a focal point as he lacks the acceleration to stretch the pitch.
Out of possession he screened well and understood his role in the press, and overall his physical profile looks like one that would be suitable to cope in the championship.
To be effective in the league he would have to have the right players around him who will run beyond.
Overall i think that he has the potential to be an average championship player. He needs to show a sounder technical application in the game and make impacts in front of goal to be seriously considered.
Filip Marchwinski
Lech Poznan
18 y-o (2002)
Has shared his 450 minutes between cup and league, as an attacking outlet, either as a centre forward or second striker. His best position seems to be a withdrawn one, playing as a 10 or second striker. He looks very comfortable playing in the centre of the pitch. Makes very intelligent and well timed movements to receive or to create space. He has a great ability to stretch the line he's working on, whether it's the midfield or defensive line.
Defensive work rate is good, however he does get bypassed too easily too often. He is well built physically and is athletic.
Showed a great ability to play off one touch, especially playing a pass around the corner, to take a man out of the game. shows good ball control and has shown glimpses of great invention, and with more experience i would suggest he could play at championship level in the future.
Jakub Kaminski
Lech Poznan
17 y-o (2002)
Kaminski has been relied upon heavily this season, in a variety of positions, especially in the league, playing over 700 minutes.
his statistical profile (below, compared to wide attackers >450 minutes) shows that he is a competent defender, that competes and wins duels and can read the game. Having played right back on a few occasions, his defensive output backs the trust his manager has in him as a defensive asset.
A stand out player in the league for his ball retention and progression as a wide man. Often coming short to receive and playing forward efficiently and concisely. Kaminski is an excellent passer of the ball, however he doesn't offer the ability to move with the ball well.
He generates a lot of his exceptional xA p90 from his crossing, with excellent technique and ability to pick players out. His crossing variation is also key in finding his teammates. A lack of through ball played and dribbles attempted underlines his style that when likes to receive and offload quickly so that he can move to receive again higher up the pitch.
Kaminski is very much a link player and creator, rather than a player that operates in the finishing phase. He doesn't shoot often, with 2 thirds of his touches in the box, being pass attempts to try and set up his team mates.
He is an athletic and technically gifted player. Confident to recive and play. His game understanding is great, which is seen in his timing. Timing of pass, timing of movement or timing or his jump to press or intercept. His versatility could be key in the chances of him being recruited, and at 17 i think he possesses the technical ability to play in England.
Bartosz Bialek
Zaglebie Lubin
18 y-o (2001)
Played 900 league minutes this season as a centre forward for the 10th placed side, scoring 6 goals. A look at his statistical profile (below) shows that he is not the most aerially dominant, but he does win them where it matters, in the box. However he is a striker that has a more dynamic role and his pressing and defensive ability shows well.
Not too much to take out of a progression profile, as he is usually the highest player up the pitch. Typically a link player, playing short passes and bringing others into play.
As a creator Bialek, supplies line breaking passes, releasing his team mates effectively and precisely. Generates one of the best xA p90 in the league for all strikers.
His goal scoring has outweighed his xG, pointing towards good finishing ability (and a bit of luck). High shot volume with such good accuracy and conversion, without a lot of big chance opportunities, has helped him keep his place in the starting 11 through the season.
Overall, with his tall and slim profile, mixed with his ability to link play and also finish, i think with more experience he could become a great player. I do feel aware of some lacking in technical ability, and i am unsure if this may hold him back in England, however, should he continue to produce his goal scoring record and develop at the same rate, he definitely has potential.
I hope you enjoyed these scout reports, and the filtering used to find this select crop of players. Any feedback or acknowledgements on here or twitter (@Jacksonhuxley) would be greatly appreciated.
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