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Ryan Thomas Football retweeted
UNDER THE RADAR: search for an emerging, ball-playing centre back
🧵
RAUL KUMAR (18) 🇭🇷 CB, is a player I watched once last season vs Slaven Belupo (H). I was actually target watching Adriano Jagusic, but Kumar stood out for Istra so I added him to my longlist back in November 2025. After performing well on my recent data searches, I decided to tune in again and watch Kumar in the Osijek vs Istra game yesterday.
Here are my notes on Kumar (not live)
▫️Started at LCB in a back four, but he's really versatile and can cover both sides in a four or be utilised in a back three
▫️Smart positioning - has a knack for sitting himself in the right area to clear, recover, initiate duels, block lanes - which indicates a good ability to read the game and anticipate potential dangers unfolding
▫️Shows maturity in his play - whether that's instructing teammates, organising the backline or making beneficial team decisions. You can tell he's already played a lot of senior minutes (2268 senior minutes to date) at such a young age
▫️Collective decision-making - situations where it could negatively impact the team, he seems to have a good grasp of what to do, what not to do so teammates aren't left overexposed
▫️Strong temperament - positionally disciplined and focused
▫️Composure on the ball - even when pressured - is quality. Looks very assured of himself
▫️Going back to his positioning - Superb for clearances in and around the box
▫️Can defend on both the back and front foot. Good balance of defensive qualities in that area
▫️Keeps good proximities for duelling and stepping out of the backline to defend
▫️Wide range of passing - long ball and switch pass enthusiast. Averages around 11 attempts p90, with a success rate of 57.14%
▫️Very capable line breaker - whether through vertical passing or ball carrying. This also ties into his composure on the ball. He's comfortable stepping out with the ball and driving towards crowded areas to draw opponents and open play up
▫️Good frame for his age and the potential to fill out a bit - tall, leggy, not overly muscled so enables him to use his agility in situations that need it
▫️Despite his frame being slender, he can still produce decent force in duels and tackles. Perhaps more tenacity is needed in some situations
▫️Decent enough acceleration and top speed for a centre back. Nothing to shout about
▫️Aerial duelling potential is interesting - game reading and body orientation help him win the ball effectively in duels, but thanks to superior positioning, he wins a lot of headers unopposed. In terms of aerial duel rate he's won 1.75 p90 (52.94%) this season. Early signs are encouraging for an 18-year-old
▫️Intent! A forward thinking player who is keen to progress play. However, this does sometimes come at the expense of execution.
▫️He's not averse to recirculation if he doesn't have options, but he can also be over-ambitious, as at heart he wants to get the ball up the pitch and quickly - perfect for a transitional, lower-mid table team in a higher quality league
▫️He has really keen vision to spot some of the passes he makes - it's like he's already clocked where he wants to put the ball before receiving it. Very good stuff
Overall RAUL KUMAR is a modern centre back, who combines some incredibly promising ball-playing abilities, with sound defensive fundamentals, a good frame to keep growing into, and a maturity beyond his years. Come summer of 2027, he's a player that will be scaling to a higher quality league. I'd like a pathway move for him before a T5 move, and he looks to have the right qualities to take that step next summer.
𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘦𝘳-90
UNDER THE RADAR: search for an emerging, ball-playing centre back
🧵
RAUL KUMAR (18) 🇭🇷 CB, is a player I watched once last season vs Slaven Belupo (H). I was actually target watching Adriano Jagusic, but Kumar stood out for Istra so I added him to my longlist back in November 2025. After performing well on my recent data searches, I decided to tune in again and watch Kumar in the Osijek vs Istra game yesterday.
Here are my notes on Kumar (not live)
▫️Started at LCB in a back four, but he's really versatile and can cover both sides in a four or be utilised in a back three
▫️Smart positioning - has a knack for sitting himself in the right area to clear, recover, initiate duels, block lanes - which indicates a good ability to read the game and anticipate potential dangers unfolding
▫️Shows maturity in his play - whether that's instructing teammates, organising the backline or making beneficial team decisions. You can tell he's already played a lot of senior minutes (2268 senior minutes to date) at such a young age
▫️Collective decision-making - situations where it could negatively impact the team, he seems to have a good grasp of what to do, what not to do so teammates aren't left overexposed
▫️Strong temperament - positionally disciplined and focused
▫️Composure on the ball - even when pressured - is quality. Looks very assured of himself
▫️Going back to his positioning - Superb for clearances in and around the box
▫️Can defend on both the back and front foot. Good balance of defensive qualities in that area
▫️Keeps good proximities for duelling and stepping out of the backline to defend
▫️Wide range of passing - long ball and switch pass enthusiast. Averages around 11 attempts p90, with a success rate of 57.14%
▫️Very capable line breaker - whether through vertical passing or ball carrying. This also ties into his composure on the ball. He's comfortable stepping out with the ball and driving towards crowded areas to draw opponents and open play up
▫️Good frame for his age and the potential to fill out a bit - tall, leggy, not overly muscled so enables him to use his agility in situations that need it
▫️Despite his frame being slender, he can still produce decent force in duels and tackles. Perhaps more tenacity is needed in some situations
▫️Decent enough acceleration and top speed for a centre back. Nothing to shout about
▫️Aerial duelling potential is interesting - game reading and body orientation help him win the ball effectively in duels, but thanks to superior positioning, he wins a lot of headers unopposed. In terms of aerial duel rate he's won 1.75 p90 (52.94%) this season. Early signs are encouraging for an 18-year-old
▫️Intent! A forward thinking player who is keen to progress play. However, this does sometimes come at the expense of execution.
▫️He's not averse to recirculation if he doesn't have options, but he can also be over-ambitious, as at heart he wants to get the ball up the pitch and quickly - perfect for a transitional, lower-mid table team in a higher quality league
▫️He has really keen vision to spot some of the passes he makes - it's like he's already clocked where he wants to put the ball before receiving it. Very good stuff
Overall RAUL KUMAR is a modern centre back, who combines some incredibly promising ball-playing abilities, with sound defensive fundamentals, a good frame to keep growing into, and a maturity beyond his years. Come summer of 2027, he's a player that will be scaling to a higher quality league. I'd like a pathway move for him before a T5 move, and he looks to have the right qualities to take that step next summer.
𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘦𝘳-90
𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞
One further way to give me more insight into whether Kumar is potentially capable of scaling higher is by using a translation benchmark - using a player from the same position that has moved from Kumar's current league to a target league. This is part of the reason I included the Scottish Premiership as one of the target leagues, as it opened up an avenue for me to implement a translation benchmark, whereas it wasn't possible for me with the other leagues.
I would've liked to have used Josip Sutalo as a translation benchmark, as he moved from Dinamo Zagreb (HNL) to Ajax (Eredivisie) in 2023. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the specific data needed (everything I have access to is publicly available so there are some constraints). Seeing his data from the full season prior to his move and the full season after the move would've allowed me to glean some valuable insight. At the end of the season there will also be the opportunity to use Branimir Mlacic as a translation benchmark, as he's currently on loan at Watford.
However, one player whose data I do have access to that can be used as a translation benchmark is Iurie Iovu, who, at aged 22, moved from the same club as Kumar - NK Istra (HNL), to Dundee United (SPL) in 25/26.
Most of Iovu's metrics appear to have held well after scaling. Three saw increases in output, with one showing a minor decrease, and one showing an almost-nine point drop.
𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡
Kumar's metrics were all produced in HNL, so there will likely be some adjustments as and when he scales to a higher quality league. It does all depend which team and which league. Both the Championship and the SPL stand out as potential destinations where his style of progression fits more teams. Of note, he'd be ineligible for a GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) if he moved to the UK, so he'd need to be an ESC (Elite Significant Contribution) signing. Given his age, ability, senior minutes and international team minutes (for Croatia u21s) he's expected to accrue this season, Kumar will very likely qualify for ESC. A move to the Eredivisie would be the biggest stretch, but it is still a possibility.
With such a small sample size, these findings should be utilised as indicative rather than conclusive. However, Kumar appears to be trending in the right direction towards scalability to a higher league. Once Kumar goes over the 900 minutes threshold it's worth revisiting to draw some more firm conclusions.
𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 (𝘳𝘢𝘸) 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘗𝘦𝘳-90
𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 (𝘳𝘢𝘸) 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘙𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘥𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳
RAUL KUMAR (18) 🇭🇷 CB, is a player I watched once last season vs Slaven Belupo (H). I was actually target watching Adriano Jagusic, but Kumar stood out for Istra so I added him to my longlist back in November 2025. After performing well on my recent data searches, I decided to tune in again and watch Kumar in the Osijek vs Istra game yesterday.
Here are my notes on Kumar (not live)
▫️Started at LCB in a back four, but he's really versatile and can cover both sides in a four or be utilised in a back three
▫️Smart positioning - has a knack for sitting himself in the right area to clear, recover, initiate duels, block lanes - which indicates a good ability to read the game and anticipate potential dangers unfolding
▫️Shows maturity in his play - whether that's instructing teammates, organising the backline or making beneficial team decisions. You can tell he's already played a lot of senior minutes (2268 senior minutes to date) at such a young age
▫️Collective decision-making - situations where it could negatively impact the team, he seems to have a good grasp of what to do, what not to do so teammates aren't left overexposed
▫️Strong temperament - positionally disciplined and focused
▫️Composure on the ball - even when pressured - is quality. Looks very assured of himself
▫️Going back to his positioning - Superb for clearances in and around the box
▫️Can defend on both the back and front foot. Good balance of defensive qualities in that area
▫️Keeps good proximities for duelling and stepping out of the backline to defend
▫️Wide range of passing - long ball and switch pass enthusiast. Averages around 11 attempts p90, with a success rate of 57.14%
▫️Very capable line breaker - whether through vertical passing or ball carrying. This also ties into his composure on the ball. He's comfortable stepping out with the ball and driving towards crowded areas to draw opponents and open play up
▫️Good frame for his age and the potential to fill out a bit - tall, leggy, not overly muscled so enables him to use his agility in situations that need it
▫️Despite his frame being slender, he can still produce decent force in duels and tackles. Perhaps more tenacity is needed in some situations
▫️Decent enough acceleration and top speed for a centre back. Nothing to shout about
▫️Aerial duelling potential is interesting - game reading and body orientation help him win the ball effectively in duels, but thanks to superior positioning, he wins a lot of headers unopposed. In terms of aerial duel rate he's won 1.75 p90 (52.94%) this season. Early signs are encouraging for an 18-year-old
▫️Intent! A forward thinking player who is keen to progress play. However, this does sometimes come at the expense of execution.
▫️He's not averse to recirculation if he doesn't have options, but he can also be over-ambitious, as at heart he wants to get the ball up the pitch and quickly - perfect for a transitional, lower-mid table team in a higher quality league
▫️He has really keen vision to spot some of the passes he makes - it's like he's already clocked where he wants to put the ball before receiving it. Very good stuff
Overall RAUL KUMAR is a modern centre back, who combines some incredibly promising ball-playing abilities, with sound defensive fundamentals, a good frame to keep growing into, and a maturity beyond his years. Come summer of 2027, he's a player that will be scaling to a higher quality league. I'd like a pathway move for him before a T5 move, and he looks to have the right qualities to take that step next summer.
𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘦𝘳-90
Wow! Very grateful for all the new follows.
Currently working on some things for this week, so stay tuned!
Big thanks to @FutFerreira for sending people to my profile 🤝
Keen to see how Gaštarov looks up against McGinn, Gilmour and Ferguson vs Scotland tonight.
MATEJ GAŠTAROV (19) Crvena Zvezda 🇲🇰 DM
How did I find Gaštarov?
Gaštarov was added to my watchlist after showing strong passing qualities on my data screening. He ranked amongst the best 18-21 year old DM/CMs outside of the T5 leagues (top divisions only) for forward passes and passes in the opposition's half. This search also coincided with him playing for North Macedonia against Slovenia last night, so I tuned in to watch 👀
Here are my live notes from the game vs Slovenia (90 mins played)...
▫️Shields well to back and side pressure/contact
▫️Exceptionally press resistant
▫️Very comfortable first receiver
▫️Incredibly composed and wants the ball even in high pressure situations - indicates a confident mentality
▫️Pausa - tempo control - has the ability to speed up or slow the game down
▫️Great mobility - agile - loose ankles and flexible hips allow him to pivot effortlessly
▫️Tight turning radius
▫️Minimal angle bias due to the fact he can orient body well and is comfortable passing off either foot
▫️Can shift laterally at pace
▫️Quick over short distances and fast over long - gangly legs enable long strides and good ground coverage
▫️Vision - sees passes others don't, but is occasionally out of sync with receivers. Would benefit from teammates who read the game at his speed
▫️Switches that stretch the pitch - including weak foot switches with lovely tech. 6/8 long passes completed
▫️Drops between CBs or covers for a rotating/advancing CB
▫️Strong ball winning capabilities - 3/3 tackles; 4/7 ground duels; 2 interceptions; 10 ball recoveries
▫️Can make difficult passes whilst in motion - not limited to being a static orchestrator
▫️Spatial awareness and scans enable him to receive in space regularly
▫️Delayed touches to draw pressure - which he then navigates away from or against opposition momentum with passes or carrying ability
▫️Sliding tackles when needed
Plays with maturity - visibly vocal and regularly gesturing demands to teammates
▫️Doesn't rush or get flustered under pressure
▫️Decel and positioning on entries could be a bit better - tries to preempt the opponent and bites too hard which leaves him on an island
▫️Uses arms well to maintain beneficial distance under contact - solid framing under armpit
▫️Despite height he manages to sink hips and create a better centre of gravity for himself to maintain great balance and solidity
▫️Good processing speed - lots of one and two touch play
▫️Decent level of perception-action coupling [ability to perceive then act on ever-changing information] - he did commit to certain unsuccessful passes where he had a small window to change his mind
▫️Can put disguise on passes
▫️Forward thinking and great intent, but not opposed to retention in certain situations
▫️Can carry-to-pass efficiently
▫️Predominantly a passer to build and progress play
▫️Positionally disciplined - rarely in final third
▫️Light first touch - nice tech when controlling the ball and on his variety of passing techniques, of which he can use different faces of the foot
▫️Quality passing range and empathy for the receiver across various distances
▫️Good comfort in small spaces - but will punish when he is given time to pick a killer pass
Impressive to say this was all on a pretty poor pitch - clumps of turf kept ripping up which made the pitch bobbly.
First impressions are he has T5 potential. Either way, GAŠTAROV appears to be a profile worth tracking, and I'll be watching some more 90s this season so I can evaluate him further.
Crvena Zvezda will be competing in the Conference League this season, so there's a chance to see him against higher level oppostion including; Copenhagen, Gent Lugano and Trabzonspor.
📈📈
Ryan Thomas Football retweeted
In 25/26 only one u21 centre forward in the entirety of the T5 leagues managed a minimum of
900 minutes (10 games worth of minutes)
4.0 NPxG
60% shots on target
20% goal conversion rate
PROSPER PETER (19) 🇫🇷 CF - Angers - contracted until 2028
Scoring against England u20s during this international break, the 6'2 centre forward has now managed a goal (8) every 239.5 minutes (all comps) since the start of last season. This in spite of sporadic starts for club (17/37) and country (3/5) - that equates to around 48% of games started.
I first watched Peter in September last season and found him to be a profile worth monitoring over the course of the season.
Powerful frame, can work back-to-goal with hold-up and link play, capable channel runner and off-the-ball threat, a degree of self-sufficiency, as well as aerial ability and proficient box movement - especially front post runs. When Peter finds himself on the end of chances, it's generally through quality off-ball movement.
There's some context to apply regarding the modest xG (for a CF) during my search. Angers struggled to create last season, managing only 29 league goals and 32.3 xG. Peter was their top goalscorer in 25/26, and proportionately, Peter accounted for 17% (5) of their goals and 18% (5.8) of Angers' xG. Furthermore the young Frenchman saw only a 7% share (23 shots) of Angers' total shots in Ligue 1 (316 - fewest in the league).
Peter provides high chance quality (0.25 xG per shot) on low volume, converting at about an expected rate, with the upside potential being he'll get more chances in a better team.
Last season Sidiki Cherif may have grabbed the headlines and the subsequent big moves, but PROSPER PETER is a profile that's worth keeping an eye on.
📈📈
*𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝐹𝑜𝑡𝑀𝑜𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑒 1 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙
*𝑅𝑎𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔
In 25/26 only one u21 centre forward in the entirety of the T5 leagues managed a minimum of
900 minutes (10 games worth of minutes)
4.0 NPxG
60% shots on target
20% goal conversion rate
PROSPER PETER (19) 🇫🇷 CF - Angers - contracted until 2028
Scoring against England u20s during this international break, the 6'2 centre forward has now managed a goal (8) every 239.5 minutes (all comps) since the start of last season. This in spite of sporadic starts for club (17/37) and country (3/5) - that equates to around 48% of games started.
I first watched Peter in September last season and found him to be a profile worth monitoring over the course of the season.
Powerful frame, can work back-to-goal with hold-up and link play, capable channel runner and off-the-ball threat, a degree of self-sufficiency, as well as aerial ability and proficient box movement - especially front post runs. When Peter finds himself on the end of chances, it's generally through quality off-ball movement.
There's some context to apply regarding the modest xG (for a CF) during my search. Angers struggled to create last season, managing only 29 league goals and 32.3 xG. Peter was their top goalscorer in 25/26, and proportionately, Peter accounted for 17% (5) of their goals and 18% (5.8) of Angers' xG. Furthermore the young Frenchman saw only a 7% share (23 shots) of Angers' total shots in Ligue 1 (316 - fewest in the league).
Peter provides high chance quality (0.25 xG per shot) on low volume, converting at about an expected rate, with the upside potential being he'll get more chances in a better team.
Last season Sidiki Cherif may have grabbed the headlines and the subsequent big moves, but PROSPER PETER is a profile that's worth keeping an eye on.
📈📈
*𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝐹𝑜𝑡𝑀𝑜𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑒 1 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙
*𝑅𝑎𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔
⚽️ vs Slovenia u21s
LEQUINCIO ZEEFUIK (21) 🇳🇱 CF, is a player I started watching last season that has some nice raw tools at his disposal.
He can be both majestic and infuriating at the same time. Silky yet stiff, large but also weak. He's a contradictory player, but at his best he is a mercurial talent that's an absolute handful for defenders.
Last night the 6'6 (197cm) striker scored a goal and grabbed an assist for Fortuna Sittard, and they were both outstanding bits of play.
For the assist he brushed off side-on contact coming in at pace to turn up the pitch and carry from the halfway line. He showed some silky technical quality (chop->stepover->assist) releasing at the right time for Ihatteren to slot the ball home.
I thought that was impressive. I enjoyed the finish for his goal even moreso.
Superbly timed curvilinear run to get in-behind. His first touch left him a fair bit to do - the touch was too light and it left the ball behind him. But he readjusted, composed himself and made a pretty spectacular chip/flick from a fairly tough angle. Very impressive finish.
I think what's evident to see is Zeefuik is inconsistent in his actions, has some coordination issues, and he needs to learn to use his frame better.
Under contact back-to-goal, he's below average at challenging aerially for someone his size, but overall he is okay. Zeefuik prefers to take the ball down, but in these situations he doesn't balance himself effectively enough with better body orientation and foot placement, and as a result he becomes incredibly stiff. The ball bounces off him far too often because of this. It's an area he needs to develop to really maximise his frame and physical potential back-to-goal.
He also shows moments of real technical quality that are very intriguing for a player of his size, but the next minute his coordination looks non-existent and he miscontrols a fairly standard reception. I've spoken previously about motor command loop and how that affects technical quality for taller players - xitter.cf/RyanThomasFTBLL/status… - and that applies here. He's clearly capable of doing it in moments, but there's no consistency in his touch and that likely comes down to his neural efficiency. There's capability to improve on this as he has already tapped into the pathways needed given he can be very technical in moments. But for better optimisation it's a process that needs to be worked on extensively in training to really hammer patterns into his muscle memory through high-repetition to improve both tactile feedback and proprioception.
Zeefuik is athletic with very good mobility, and he can really bound across the pitch when he opens up his stride. He will take gambles off of flick-ons, and he likes to make diagonal and curvilinear runs in-behind, to good effect.
With two goals and one assist so far this season (331 minutes played), it could well be a break out year for him given he's a nailed on starter at Fortuna Sittard.
ZEEFUIK is a player I'm still holding stocks in as if he can get things to click he has the potential to be a unicorn centre forward (large frame, technical quality, pace, physicality). A full season of first team football should give him a nice push on with his developement, but I do feel it could take a fair bit longer to really reach his potential.
LEQUINCIO ZEEFUIK is a player I'll continue to monitor this season 📈
Zeefuik is a tank
LEQUINCIO ZEEFUIK (21) 🇳🇱 CF, is a player I started watching last season that has some nice raw tools at his disposal.
He can be both majestic and infuriating at the same time. Silky yet stiff, large but also weak. He's a contradictory player, but at his best he is a mercurial talent that's an absolute handful for defenders.
Last night the 6'6 (197cm) striker scored a goal and grabbed an assist for Fortuna Sittard, and they were both outstanding bits of play.
For the assist he brushed off side-on contact coming in at pace to turn up the pitch and carry from the halfway line. He showed some silky technical quality (chop->stepover->assist) releasing at the right time for Ihatteren to slot the ball home.
I thought that was impressive. I enjoyed the finish for his goal even moreso.
Superbly timed curvilinear run to get in-behind. His first touch left him a fair bit to do - the touch was too light and it left the ball behind him. But he readjusted, composed himself and made a pretty spectacular chip/flick from a fairly tough angle. Very impressive finish.
I think what's evident to see is Zeefuik is inconsistent in his actions, has some coordination issues, and he needs to learn to use his frame better.
Under contact back-to-goal, he's below average at challenging aerially for someone his size, but overall he is okay. Zeefuik prefers to take the ball down, but in these situations he doesn't balance himself effectively enough with better body orientation and foot placement, and as a result he becomes incredibly stiff. The ball bounces off him far too often because of this. It's an area he needs to develop to really maximise his frame and physical potential back-to-goal.
He also shows moments of real technical quality that are very intriguing for a player of his size, but the next minute his coordination looks non-existent and he miscontrols a fairly standard reception. I've spoken previously about motor command loop and how that affects technical quality for taller players - xitter.cf/RyanThomasFTBLL/status… - and that applies here. He's clearly capable of doing it in moments, but there's no consistency in his touch and that likely comes down to his neural efficiency. There's capability to improve on this as he has already tapped into the pathways needed given he can be very technical in moments. But for better optimisation it's a process that needs to be worked on extensively in training to really hammer patterns into his muscle memory through high-repetition to improve both tactile feedback and proprioception.
Zeefuik is athletic with very good mobility, and he can really bound across the pitch when he opens up his stride. He will take gambles off of flick-ons, and he likes to make diagonal and curvilinear runs in-behind, to good effect.
With two goals and one assist so far this season (331 minutes played), it could well be a break out year for him given he's a nailed on starter at Fortuna Sittard.
ZEEFUIK is a player I'm still holding stocks in as if he can get things to click he has the potential to be a unicorn centre forward (large frame, technical quality, pace, physicality). A full season of first team football should give him a nice push on with his developement, but I do feel it could take a fair bit longer to really reach his potential.
LEQUINCIO ZEEFUIK is a player I'll continue to monitor this season 📈
BARTOSZ MAZUREK (19) 🇵🇱 CM
Another player that scored well on my screening, which also picked up Matej Gastarov (see QT below). Luckily Poland u21s were playing on Thursday, so I had the chance to watch Mazurek score a brace and prove integral to Poland's win over Sweden u21s.
Mix of live notes and some I added to after the game once I rewatched some clips.
▫️Wins fouls
▫️Uses arms well under contact - maintains good balance to perform next action
▫️Carries with power and purpose
▫️Very solid dueller and adept ball stealer
▫️Vision and execution of switch passes
▫️Exceptional work rate in-possession and out-of-possession
▫️Can find incisive passes centrally in the final third
▫️Receives well in the final third
▫️Fast feet - can shift the ball quickly in congested areas - control>pass
▫️Applies constant pressure OOP - great intensity
▫️Really good top speed, above average acceleration
▫️Positive off-ball movements - forward, into space and at pace
▫️Minimal weak foot usage
▫️Nice tech - can cushion touches and redirect ball with good accuracy and weight as he receives awkward passes - did this multiple times during the game
▫️Great positioning for second goal - held his run and gave himself space to attack the ball
▫️Aerial ability in the box when uncontested
▫️Repeating this, but brilliant pressing intensity!
▫️Proficient link play in final two thirds
▫️Commendable decision making - seems to evaluate risk/reward well
▫️Generally scans well - often, right areas - although did scan after receiving the ball back-to-goal, rather than before. potentially a one-off without seeing more. As he scales that's one thing he may need to get more accustomed to as the time and space on the ball becomes more limited
▫️Comfort in small spaces
▫️Will take on shots from range - shot preparation could be a little better (planted foot landed too close to the ball and toes were pointing outward instead of at the target.) This threw his body shape out and he had to try adjust
▫️Showed really good hustle to fight for the ball when under contact
Mazurek is a really interesting profile. Seems to be able to operate to a good level in multiple positions and multiple phases of play. Salzburg will likely struggle to hold on to him next summer, and I can see him evolving into a very good T5 midfielder if his developmental arc continues. Initial thoughts are he has similarity in skillset to Alex Scott, although granted, I will need to watch more.
Top potential 📈📈
MATEJ GAŠTAROV (19) Crvena Zvezda 🇲🇰 DM
How did I find Gaštarov?
Gaštarov was added to my watchlist after showing strong passing qualities on my data screening. He ranked amongst the best 18-21 year old DM/CMs outside of the T5 leagues (top divisions only) for forward passes and passes in the opposition's half. This search also coincided with him playing for North Macedonia against Slovenia last night, so I tuned in to watch 👀
Here are my live notes from the game vs Slovenia (90 mins played)...
▫️Shields well to back and side pressure/contact
▫️Exceptionally press resistant
▫️Very comfortable first receiver
▫️Incredibly composed and wants the ball even in high pressure situations - indicates a confident mentality
▫️Pausa - tempo control - has the ability to speed up or slow the game down
▫️Great mobility - agile - loose ankles and flexible hips allow him to pivot effortlessly
▫️Tight turning radius
▫️Minimal angle bias due to the fact he can orient body well and is comfortable passing off either foot
▫️Can shift laterally at pace
▫️Quick over short distances and fast over long - gangly legs enable long strides and good ground coverage
▫️Vision - sees passes others don't, but is occasionally out of sync with receivers. Would benefit from teammates who read the game at his speed
▫️Switches that stretch the pitch - including weak foot switches with lovely tech. 6/8 long passes completed
▫️Drops between CBs or covers for a rotating/advancing CB
▫️Strong ball winning capabilities - 3/3 tackles; 4/7 ground duels; 2 interceptions; 10 ball recoveries
▫️Can make difficult passes whilst in motion - not limited to being a static orchestrator
▫️Spatial awareness and scans enable him to receive in space regularly
▫️Delayed touches to draw pressure - which he then navigates away from or against opposition momentum with passes or carrying ability
▫️Sliding tackles when needed
Plays with maturity - visibly vocal and regularly gesturing demands to teammates
▫️Doesn't rush or get flustered under pressure
▫️Decel and positioning on entries could be a bit better - tries to preempt the opponent and bites too hard which leaves him on an island
▫️Uses arms well to maintain beneficial distance under contact - solid framing under armpit
▫️Despite height he manages to sink hips and create a better centre of gravity for himself to maintain great balance and solidity
▫️Good processing speed - lots of one and two touch play
▫️Decent level of perception-action coupling [ability to perceive then act on ever-changing information] - he did commit to certain unsuccessful passes where he had a small window to change his mind
▫️Can put disguise on passes
▫️Forward thinking and great intent, but not opposed to retention in certain situations
▫️Can carry-to-pass efficiently
▫️Predominantly a passer to build and progress play
▫️Positionally disciplined - rarely in final third
▫️Light first touch - nice tech when controlling the ball and on his variety of passing techniques, of which he can use different faces of the foot
▫️Quality passing range and empathy for the receiver across various distances
▫️Good comfort in small spaces - but will punish when he is given time to pick a killer pass
Impressive to say this was all on a pretty poor pitch - clumps of turf kept ripping up which made the pitch bobbly.
First impressions are he has T5 potential. Either way, GAŠTAROV appears to be a profile worth tracking, and I'll be watching some more 90s this season so I can evaluate him further.
Crvena Zvezda will be competing in the Conference League this season, so there's a chance to see him against higher level oppostion including; Copenhagen, Gent Lugano and Trabzonspor.
📈📈
Ryan Thomas Football retweeted
MATEJ GAŠTAROV (19) Crvena Zvezda 🇲🇰 DM
How did I find Gaštarov?
Gaštarov was added to my watchlist after showing strong passing qualities on my data screening. He ranked amongst the best 18-21 year old DM/CMs outside of the T5 leagues (top divisions only) for forward passes and passes in the opposition's half. This search also coincided with him playing for North Macedonia against Slovenia last night, so I tuned in to watch 👀
Here are my live notes from the game vs Slovenia (90 mins played)...
▫️Shields well to back and side pressure/contact
▫️Exceptionally press resistant
▫️Very comfortable first receiver
▫️Incredibly composed and wants the ball even in high pressure situations - indicates a confident mentality
▫️Pausa - tempo control - has the ability to speed up or slow the game down
▫️Great mobility - agile - loose ankles and flexible hips allow him to pivot effortlessly
▫️Tight turning radius
▫️Minimal angle bias due to the fact he can orient body well and is comfortable passing off either foot
▫️Can shift laterally at pace
▫️Quick over short distances and fast over long - gangly legs enable long strides and good ground coverage
▫️Vision - sees passes others don't, but is occasionally out of sync with receivers. Would benefit from teammates who read the game at his speed
▫️Switches that stretch the pitch - including weak foot switches with lovely tech. 6/8 long passes completed
▫️Drops between CBs or covers for a rotating/advancing CB
▫️Strong ball winning capabilities - 3/3 tackles; 4/7 ground duels; 2 interceptions; 10 ball recoveries
▫️Can make difficult passes whilst in motion - not limited to being a static orchestrator
▫️Spatial awareness and scans enable him to receive in space regularly
▫️Delayed touches to draw pressure - which he then navigates away from or against opposition momentum with passes or carrying ability
▫️Sliding tackles when needed
Plays with maturity - visibly vocal and regularly gesturing demands to teammates
▫️Doesn't rush or get flustered under pressure
▫️Decel and positioning on entries could be a bit better - tries to preempt the opponent and bites too hard which leaves him on an island
▫️Uses arms well to maintain beneficial distance under contact - solid framing under armpit
▫️Despite height he manages to sink hips and create a better centre of gravity for himself to maintain great balance and solidity
▫️Good processing speed - lots of one and two touch play
▫️Decent level of perception-action coupling [ability to perceive then act on ever-changing information] - he did commit to certain unsuccessful passes where he had a small window to change his mind
▫️Can put disguise on passes
▫️Forward thinking and great intent, but not opposed to retention in certain situations
▫️Can carry-to-pass efficiently
▫️Predominantly a passer to build and progress play
▫️Positionally disciplined - rarely in final third
▫️Light first touch - nice tech when controlling the ball and on his variety of passing techniques, of which he can use different faces of the foot
▫️Quality passing range and empathy for the receiver across various distances
▫️Good comfort in small spaces - but will punish when he is given time to pick a killer pass
Impressive to say this was all on a pretty poor pitch - clumps of turf kept ripping up which made the pitch bobbly.
First impressions are he has T5 potential. Either way, GAŠTAROV appears to be a profile worth tracking, and I'll be watching some more 90s this season so I can evaluate him further.
Crvena Zvezda will be competing in the Conference League this season, so there's a chance to see him against higher level oppostion including; Copenhagen, Gent Lugano and Trabzonspor.
📈📈