3 Players too Good for the Championship
Over the last few years, the lower leagues in English football have been improving rapidly. The Championship is a perfect example of this.
Whereas previously this was a rather pragmatic league, in which old-school playing styles were at the fore, many of the better Championship sides of recent years have taken on a more progressive approach.
The examples of Fulham and Norwich stand out over the last couple of seasons. Although neither of these clubs have fared particularly well during their time in the Premier League, they have served as great breeding grounds for Premier League level talent. Players are able to play in more progressive systems, but in slightly less challenging circumstances.
With that being said, let’s look into three current Championship players who are far too good for the division.
Starting with the Bees, let’s take a look at one of two Brentford players to make the list. Brentford have had a solid Championship season thus far, currently sitting in 4th, and at the forefront of their success has been Ollie Watkins.
Playing as a central striker in Brentford’s 4-3-3, Watkins has amassed 25 goal contributions in 37 appearances. His tally of 22 goals for the season means he ranks 2nd in the league for goals behind only Alexander Mitrovic.
Watkins is the perfect poacher, while he provides a physical presence from within the penalty area. He combines great off the ball movement with lethal finishing, and is quite a well-rounded striker. He ranks 5th from Championship forwards for accurate short passes per 90. Even more impressively, he ranks joint 1st among these players for key passes per 90, with 1.5.
However, he’s best when he’s in and around the penalty area. 21 of his 22 goals this season have come from inside the box, with a further 6 of those coming from within the six yard box.
Brentford rank 3rd in the league for shots per match on 14.3; however, their star striker isn’t the main reason for this. In fact, there are two players in the Brentford squad who average more shots per match than Watkins. Although Watkins doesn’t take many shots (his 2.6 shots per 90 ranks 20th out of all Championship forwards) he is precise and accurate when given an opportunity in front of goal.
All of this indicates that Watkins acts as a poacher within this Brentford side, as opposed to a more complete forward. He spends most of his time in and around the opposition box, waiting for a chance to fall at his feet.
In the image above, Watkins stays central instead of coming wide to provide a shorter passing option. This is typical of his in-game play, as he prefers to hover in dangerous areas around goal.
His lethal finishing combined with his surprisingly impressive heading ability make him a constant threat in the box. Although Watkins is far from being a target-man, his heading statistics are quite astonishing. His 8 headed goals in the Championship this season account for 36% of his total tally, and is good enough to rank joint 1st in the division. Even a player like Mitrovic, who is known for his heading ability, has scored just 6 headed goals this season.
As a striker, this aerial ability makes Watkins a far more versatile player. He thrives off of service of all kinds, which makes him useful in a variety of different situations, and potentially a variety of systems.
In terms of where he could end up, there are a number of different options. Watkins is perfect for a mid-table side, as he thrives off of a limited amount of chances. In reality, Watkins could slot into most Premier League sides, at least as a squad player.
A team like Watford could be a good option if they were to stay up. Although they don’t create many chances, their direct style of play often leads to high quality opportunities. Under new boss Nigel Pearson, they have become a much more effective counter-attacking side. However, they have lacked a clinical finisher up top.
Although Troy Deeney is a first-rate target man, he isn’t the most well-rounded forward. At 31 years old, Pearson might be looking to faze out the current Watford captain, and replace him with a younger striker.
With Deulofeu and Sarr on the wings, Watford have the scaffolding for what could be a very good offensive unit. Together, these two wingers average a combined 3.1 key passes per 90, and lay on 0.4 expected assists.
With such capable players out wide, Watkins could play a more reserved central role, as he does at Brentford. Both Sarr and Deulofeu are technically gifted players, and would thrive on having a competent finisher up front. Watford have underperformed on expected goals more than any other side in the Premier League this season, indicating their desperate need for a new striker.
Another possible destination for Watkins is Leicester.
Although Jamie Vardy is having an extraordinary season up top, his output is bound to decrease at some point. He’s 33 now, and as a player who relies on his pace quite frequently, he could be nearing the end of his time as a Premier League starter.
Iheanacho has impressed at certain moments this season, but in no way looks like a player ready for European football, which Leicester are currently aiming for. Also, Leicester’s style of play would suit Watkins nicely. Although they find themselves 3rd in the league as well as 3rd for goals scored, they rank 5th for shots per match. They have created less than their goal tally might suggest, and Vardy has been crucial to that this season. Therefore, bringing in a clinical striker like Watkins would be crucial for achieving their longer-term ambitions.
Given Leicester’s current situation, Watkins could easily be brought in as a backup to Vardy for now, with the goal of bedding him into the side. This way, Watkins can slowly get used to life in the Premier League whilst playing under a progressive manager in a solid side.
This brings us on to the next player on our list, Eberechi Eze. The QPR attacking midfielder has really burst onto the scene this year, after a couple seasons in the Championship now. He’s been ever present for QPR this season, starting in all 37 of his side’s matches.
And you can see why as well. In just over 3200 minutes, Eze has scored 12 and assisted 8 equating to a direct goal contribution every 160 minutes. Eze has played as both an attacking midfielder and as a left-winger this season and isa player who relies heavily on his dribbling ability. This season in the Championship, Eze has been averaging 3 dribbles per match, which ranks 3rd in the division, and is top of the QPR squad.
Unlike Brentford, QPR have been having a mediocre season, languishing in 13th in the league, and Eze has largely carried the squad. He is currently both the top goalscorer for his side as well as the player with the most assists. While Watkins has plenty of talented players around him, Eze’s act at QPR is much more of a one man show.
However, Eze is required to do very little defensive work as QPR’s star man. This season in the Championship, Eze has averaged just 1.8 tackles and interceptions per 90. Although this isn’t horrendous, it’s definitely something for Premier League sides to keep in mind when looking to sign him.
Much of this though, is made up for by his supreme attacking contribution. I’ve already mentioned his dribbling numbers but he’s also shown his creative side this season. His 1.9 key passes per game is joint-top of the QPR squad, proving his ability to set up chances. Surprisingly, he also ranks first at the club for shots per game, averaging 2.4. This is a fairly impressive return for an attacking midfielder; however, 54% of these shots are coming from outside the box.
Due to Eze’s rather versatile attacking skill set, as well as his individualistic playing style, he could fit into a variety of different roles and systems. However, if a Premier League team were to sign him, they’d have to be wary of his sub-par defensive numbers.
For these reasons, Eze might be well-suited to a move to Crystal Palace. The Eagles are a solid defensive side but they often lack flair going forwards. Although Zaha is an outstanding winger, he is often tasked with carrying Palace’s attack, and he could benefit from another capable attacking player in the squad.
Eze could play on the wing in Palace’s system; however, Hogdson could look to make room for him in their midfield three. Palace have operated with a 4-5-1 for most of this season, and have relied on a sturdy defensive base. Part of this has come from the midifield, but Hodgson could look to sacrifice some of the tenacity in the middle of the park for Eze’s flair.
Crystal Palace rank bottom in the Premier League for shots per match, as well as 19th for expected goals, and are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements. Someone with Eze’s creative abilities, as well as his attacking output in terms of shots, is needed at Palace, who have been very fortunate not to be threatened by relegation this season.
It goes without saying that Eze would be a great signing for any mid-table Premier League side. He’s proven his worth at QPR this year, and at 21 has a bright future ahead of him.
His ability to both create and score chances, as well as progress his team up the field makes him an incredibly useful attacking talent. Given the current situation due to the coronavirus, Eze could be purchased at a cut-price fee as well. If a Premier League club were to buy him, now would be the time.
The final player on the list, and perhaps the most impressive, is Brentford’s Said Benrahma. Now in his second year in the Championship, Benrahma is lighting up the division.
After a solid first year with the Bees, in which he managed 24 Championship goal contributions, Benrahma has made big improvement this season . As Brentford have stepped up their bid for promotion this year, Benrahma has been their star man. After 30 starts, Benrahma has amassed 10 goals and 7 assists.
However, it’s his underlying numbers that have seen a sharp incline lately. While his key passes have remained on par with last season, both his shot and dribble numbers have seen an increase. As he’s grown more comfortable and confident this season, he is averaging 3.7 shots per match, compared to 2.9 in the previous campaign. His dribbles have seen a similar improvement, going up from 2.4 to 3.1 this season, along with his dribble success rate, which has gone from 51% to 55%.
All of this shows huge improvements in his individual ability, now that he has fully settled in England. Also, although improvements in shooting and dribbling numbers might typically indicate a more selfish style of play, Benrahma is still laying on plenty of chances for his teammates.
In fact, Benrahma ranks 6th in the division for key passes per match, and top of the Brentford squad. Similarly to Eze, Benrahma is a versatile attacking player, but lacks solid defensive contribution. His 1.1 tackles and interceptions per match leave much to be desired. However, as a player who has played solely on the wing this season, this is less important. Also, Brentford are quite a possession-based side, and his defensive numbers might have suffered because of that.
Overall, as a winger, Benrahma is very complete. He’s got the pace and skill to beat his man on the wing, but his technical abilities are also superb. In many ways, Benrahma is similar to Eden Hazard. His technical ability is undeniable but his main strength comes in beating his man one-on-one.
Like the other two players on this list, Benrahma would be a great fit for most Premier League sides. He’s shown in the Championship that he has the ability to both score and create when coming in off the wing. He’s thrived this season in Brentford’s front three, with both Watkins and Mbuemo playing a big role in that. Unlike Eze, Benrahma has been more reliant on the players around him. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s yet to be seen if Benrahma could single-handedly carry a side.
While Eze was better suited to Crystal Palace, Benrahma might fit in well at a club like Everton or Leicester. Both of these teams have slightly more quality in their frontlines already, and would provide a good base for Benrahma. They are also slightly more ambitious than a club like Palace, and will be looking to push for European football, which Benrahma is probably ready for.
Out of these two options, Leicester seems like the most sensible club. With Albrighton aging out the Foxes are lacking depth in the wide areas and will be looking to find a winger in the summer. Leicester actually play quite similarly to Brentford, as Brendan Rodgers prefers to operate with a quick, possession-based gameplan. The wingers are crucial in this, as they come inside from the wide areas to combine with the striker.
Playing as an inverted winger is something that Benrahma is very familiar with. At Brentford he plays a very similar role, and he shouldn’t struggle when adapting to Leicester’s system.
With such a lethal finisher up front in Vardy, Benrahma’s outstanding creativity wouldn’t go to waste either. Also, Benrahma could offer some much needed creative quality from the wing. Although Maddison and Tielemans both put up great creative numbers from the middle of the park for Leicester, they lack creative threat in the wide areas. In the Premier League this season, Barnes and Perez have averaged just 2 key passes per match between them.
Benrahma would offer a more complete wide player for this Leicester side, and under Brendan Rodgers it’s likely that he’d fit right in. His energy and attacking mindset lend itself well to the style of play that Rodgers has created at Leicester. However, if Brentford were to get promoted from the Championship this season, there’s an argument that Benrahma would be better off with the Bees, where he has developed so well.
As we approach the end of the 2019/20 season, these are just a few of the players who have impressed in the Championship this year. The attacking talent on display in the Championship this season has been some of the best in recent memory, and as a league on the whole, England’s second flight is continuing to develop.
The sooner Premier League clubs realize this, the sooner they’ll be saving money on some ridiculous bargains. The three players that I’ve mentioned here today could all leave their respective clubs for sub-30 million euros in the summer, especially given the current financial situation. If there’s any time to be shopping in the Championship, it’s now.
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