Maik Nawrocki's impressive Celtic competitive debut analysed

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There is a preconceived notion that the role of a Celtic central defender is an easy job.

Whether that be in terms of the opposition domestically or the lion’s share of possession that the club accumulate in the vast majority of games, this remains a popular idea for those outside the cut and thrust of the club.

This could not be any further from the truth, especially under the last two managers in Ange Postecoglou and now Brendan Rodgers. In what is now a widely accepted style of play, Celtic’s defenders are being instructed to play out from the back in order to start driving forward, as well as their defensive duties when the other team is in possession.

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Celtic’s newest recruit – Maik Nawrocki of Poland – is the latest player to step into this fresh and innovative way of being a modern defender. The 22-year-old signed for the club from Legia Warsaw, penning a five-year deal with the Scottish champions.

He made his competitive debut in last Saturday’s 4-2 win over Ross County in Celtic’s first game of the new season, playing 65 minutes alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers before being replaced by Carl Starfelt, in what was presumably his final performance for the club.

Using Wyscout match clips, we analyse how he fared in this match, both in his defending and his distribution of the ball.

Long ball to Daizen Maeda (8 mins)

Before Nawrocki signed, one of the standout attributes of his game - judging by highlight reels online - was his long-range passing.

This is displayed early on in Saturday’s match against the Staggies below, where the defender is given time on the ball to roam into the middle of the park.

Following a foray into space, Nawrocki gets his head up and surveys the situation unfolding ahead of him. He spots Maeda preparing to sprint and chooses his next action, still under no immediate harm from any Staggies attackers looking to dispossess him. Not unlike a NFL quarterback in a sense.

With no Ross County players pressing the defender, he decides to take the initiative and advance the proceedings through means of a lobbed ball to the ever-willing Maeda. The Japan international has continued his run down the left-hand side and is looking to be the beneficiary of this attempted pick-out from Nawrocki.

The long-ranged cross finds its intended target, and Maeda brought the ball down. Despite this possession leading to what is ultimately an off-target shot, it demonstrates the accuracy that Nawrocki possesses in his distribution even from his own half. This could come in handy, particularly when Celtic are trying to initiate a counter-attack from their own half quickly. Another feather to the bow of the Polish defender.

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Defensive duel win (8 mins)

Despite the ability to pick out passes and start moves being key in the modern game, a centre-back’s most important job is to defend, especially when danger is looming from the opposition.

Lucky for Celtic and for his manager Rodgers, Nawrocki can do both sides of the role, as is displayed below.

Occurring in the same minute as the previous cross, Nawrocki finds himself high up the park as Ross County look to counter. Josh Sims is one-on-one against Greg Taylor and looks to be getting the better of him in this instance, with other opposition players looking to make their way into the box. Nawrocki has recognised this, and the dashed arrow indicates where the defender is going to move to in order to resolve this issue.

Again, Nawrocki has taken matters into his own hands and goes in for an interception. Taylor has backed off with regard to getting involved, in turn trusting his fellow defender to get the better of Sims. The outcome of this duel between Nawrocki and Sims goes in favour of the former, as the Celtic player wins the ball and it hits off of Sims’ leg, winning his side a throw-in and alleviating the pressure in the process. Despite it being his competitive debut, this show of trust in Nawrocki by Taylor displays the confidence that his fellow defenders already have in their new teammate.

Inside pass to Maeda (21 mins)

Despite Celtic conceding two goals on the day, neither can directly be attributed to Nawrocki with any real validity. Instead, last Saturday was more of a display of his forward attributes, in particular to the aforementioned winger Maeda.

Again, Nawrocki makes his way from deep inside his own half to the centre of the pitch, where he is looking to distribute the ball. He has options on either side of him in the form of Taylor on the left and David Turnbull just slightly to his right. Both are safe passes, but Nawrocki does not seem to subscribe to this way of thinking.

Instead, Nawrocki elects to play a risky pass through a number of bodies directly into the feet of Maeda, who is happy to oblige and takes control of the ball. Again, this pass does not lead to any real chances, but it is a display of the passing range which Nawrocki has at his disposal. Having a central defender who can break the opposition’s lines with passes like this will only benefit Celtic in the short and long-term, both domestically and in European competition when the stakes are higher.

Through ball to Taylor (32 mins)

This was the pass from Nawrocki that stood out when watching Saturday’s game live. Indeed, subsequent viewings only further consolidated its effectiveness, which will benefit the club going forward if utilised again.

Carter-Vickers gets given the ball by Turnbull, who then passes to Nawrocki just inside Ross County’s own half. As discussed before, this is where Nawrocki loves to dictate the game with defence-splitting passes, and the centre-back is going to demonstrate this once again. The unbroken arrow indicates the pass, whilst the dashed one refers to the space in which Nawrocki will run into.

By this point, Nawrocki has advanced further up the park and again has his head up looking for a pass. Again, despite having easier passes available to him, he decides to play a through ball to Taylor at left-back, who has advanced further forward in order to provide width to the attack. The pass is perfect, and Taylor is able to get a ball into the box, which is headed out for a corner by a Ross County defender. This move in turn gets him even further up the park, as he can now attack the corner alongside Carter-Vickers due to this progression.

So, overall, it was a solid debut for Nawrocki, as both his defensive and playmaking skills were showcased in a positive way on Flag Day. He will be pleased with his 65 minutes of action, as the defender looks to force his way into Rodgers' defensive plans. Of course, stiffer tests await - starting on Sunday at Pittodrie against Aberdeen - but the early signs look promising for the young centre-back, as he adjusts to life at Celtic in the heart of defence.