Going to the top domestically is a huge achievement for every side all over the world no matter their stature - but an even more difficult thing to do is stay there.
One of the things Celtic always need to keep an eye on is the fact that recruitment is a huge part of staying on top of the Scottish Premiership. Being ahead of your competitors and building a squad that can challenge in various areas is of vital importance.
In that light, it’s also important to look at markets that have quality but are also cost-efficient. We have seen that with Giorgos Giakoumakis, who was recruited from a side that were relegated from the Eredivisie but still was the top scorer in the league. The value of the player in terms of fees might not have been a lot but his quality was proven in that particular season.
Since we are already talking about Greek heroes and whatnot, let’s focus on a specific role in that very country.
In this scouting piece, we will look at three quality defensive midfielders that have played in the Greek Super League in the 2021-2022 season. As spoken about before, the defensive midfielder needs to be great on the ball for Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic and therefore we will focus mainly on the attacking profile of said players to illustrate how defensive midfielders can add to the attack in different ways with their passing.
August Erlingmark (Atromitos)
In the image above you can see the general pizza plot of August Erlingmark of Atromitos in the 2021-2022 season. At first glance, this isn’t impressive at all - the 24-year-old scored in the very low percentiles for most data metrics. What is interesting, though, is his high percentile ranking in goal contributions. He is 89th in the goals scored per 90 metric and 76th in the assists per 90 metric.
How does he come into the position to give assists? In the images below, we will have a closer look at that.
In the first image, you can see Erlingmark getting ready to receive a pass in the central areas of the middle third. While he is ready to receive the ball, he also scans forward in order to see any runs or free team-mates in order to continue the attack.
As soon as Erlingmark gets the ball, he takes a touch or two, waits for the runners and then executes his pass to the runners going into the penalty area.
His way of breaking the lines with passing is a quality way of dealing with defences all over Scotland and in Europe.
Andreas Bouchalakis (Olympiakos)
Overall, 29-year-old Andreas Bouchalakis scores high in most metrics but what really stands out is his metrics for passing. He scores above the 90th percentile for passes to the final third per 90, passes to the penalty area per 90 and through passes per 90.
From which position does he release those through balls? Let's take a look.
Above, you can see Boucholakis giving a through ball from a counter-attack. To do that, a player needs to be in the right position to spot runners. Because it’s a counter-attack, he needs to first run to the position with pace and hold off any defensive players of the opposition.
Having done that, he needs the vision to spot the runner, the composure to give the technically good pass and the ability to give enough weight on the pass to make it a dangerous attack. Boucholakis has all of that.
Georgios Kanellopoulos (Asteras Tripolis)
Georgios Kanellopoulos is more of an all-rounder but what is interesting is that he is more confident on the ball and scored best in possession metrics. He scores high on crosses (81st percentile rank) and key passes (90th percentile rank).
How does the 22-year-old use his positioning going forward to provide crosses for his attackers? In the images below, we will have a closer look at that.
Kanellopoulos tends to leave his initial position for a defensive midfielder role and drifts into the half-space to provide his crosses. In doing so, he still gives room for the winger running down the line but also forces the defender to either mark him or the winger – leaving extra space for another player.
This way of asking questions of the defensive side gives Kanellopoulos the opportunity to spot movement in the box and put a cross into that specific area – creating danger in the process.
Conclusions
In the end, scouting is only one part of the story. Most people can spot a player making a good action or having a good game, but that’s not all it’s about.
There is also whether the player in question will fit in with Celtic’s squad, ideals and philosophy. Additionally, there must remain a cognisance of the recruitment ideals that Celtic have and not only about recognising a 'good player'.
There are impressive players in the Greek Super League and if the GBE regulations are positive, it’s an interesting market for the club to keep an eye on in the not-so-distant future.
Note: The data and video used are from WyScout and were collected on September 27 2022. All players have played at least 90 minutes and are under 30 years of age. This will have its effect, as many qualitative players are over 30
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