Before we get into the analysis, let this be clear that Dejan Kulusevski is one of Tottenham’s best and most important players. He would be worth £60-80m if we sold him, and I don’t think we should even consider it.
He also comes across as a fantastic person, as shown recently in his player tribune. Some players just get what playing for Tottenham means. For those who grew up with the club like King, Kane and Skipp it’s second nature. Kulu fully understands what it means to play for Tottenham. Just like Son, Romero, Richarlison and in previous generations of this team, Lamela and Van Der Vaart.
At 23 years-old but with the maturity of a seasoned veteran, he should be a key part of this exciting new era for Spurs. How he is used, and the players bought around him though needs to be planned in a way to maximise Kulusevski’s potential.
Bought under Conte as part of Tottenham’s raid of Serie A, the primary purpose of his signing was to provide balance on the right wing in an attack that included Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. In a defensively minded team, he successfully added some much-needed creativity. His ability to carry the ball and retain it under pressure when isolated 1v1, or often 2 or 3 v 1 made him a fantastic fit for a team who primarily played on the counter-attack.
A combination of his elite ball control and upper body strength enables this. He is one of the toughest players in the league to tackle. Players like this draw multiple players towards them when they have the ball at their feet and providing the movement from their teammates is effective, it should create plenty of time and space for them. When those other players are Kane and Son, you know that not only will the movement be good, they will probably score.
Just like many modern-day wide players, his ability to take numerous touches of the ball in a small space to manipulate and opening to cross or pass makes defenders unable to dive in for a tackle. What he lacks in pace and explosiveness, he more than compensates for in technical ability, strength and intelligence to make him a unique profile who is effective both on the counter and at sustaining attacks with his ball retention.
The profile needed for Spurs then was not a goalscoring forward, we had 2 of the best in the world. What was needed was someone to progress the ball too them in dangerous positions and to be enough of a threat individually that teams couldn’t double up on Kane and Son.
His numbers under Conte showed he did this with great success. In his first season (signed in January) he had the most goal-creating actions per 90 in the league, mostly through assists and chance creation. He was undoubtedly a huge influence in Spurs’ charge into the top 4. His second season saw a decrease in attacking output, but this was largely a product of the poor team environment at the time.
Ignoring the brief tenures of Stellini and Mason (2nd spell), we move onto how Kulu has played under Ange.
Starting with the positives, Kulusevski has fully bought into the high-energy style the Australian has implemented at Spurs. For a moment he had covered more distance per game than any player in the league.
His work off the ball is immense and his physicality enables him to win the ball back more effectively than most attackers. He ranks in the top 15% of Attacking Midfielders/Wingers for tackles and interceptions. This is a huge asset in a side that places an emphasis on intensity of the ball to win possession back as quickly as possible.
He has also started to rely less on his stronger left foot, showing an ability, but certainly not a preference, to go both ways round a player. This is key for how Spurs want to create chances now, looking for cut-backs and back post tap-ins.
His goal output has also increased; this is already his highest scoring campaign at Spurs and reaching double figures is still realistic. His 6 goals have come from a similar amount of shots per 90 than the rest of his Spurs career. Some this will be due to improved chance quality, but he is 2.5 goals over his xG suggesting an individual improvement in this area too.
However, his assist output is down on previous seasons with only 3 this campaign. With an xA of 5.8, he has some poor finishing to blame for this. This is still below where you would expect such a talented player to be though and is largely why some fans have questioned his role or more dramatically, his selection in the team.
When Spurs staged a dramatic late comeback against Sheffield United, we saw a glimpse of how the Swede may be used going forwards. As Spurs went all-out attack, Kulusevski was deployed as an attacking midfielder alongside James Maddison. His late winner from this central role continued Spurs’ phenomenal start, but with Maddison setting the league alight early on in the campaign, Dejan returned to his wider role.
It wasn’t until every footballer in the N17 area got injured that we saw a return of DJ10. It was hard to assess the impact of this without the team at full-strength or even half-strength, but there were definitely signs he could perform in this role.
It makes sense logically too. He plays best in tight spaces, so play him in tighter spaces to unlock compact defences. It also isn’t a completely new role for him either, having experience there in Serie A. The player himself believes it’s his best role too.
‘I always thought of me being a No 10, I still think I am, but my best results as a football player have always come being a right winger, so I don’t know! In the future, we will see where I’ll be.’
There is one aspect of his play that I absolutely adore and is something all coaches should be looking to teach young attackers. It’s what makes him suited to playing as a 10, but also out wide.
I’ve seen it described most clearly by the excellent
@Paulmcg8 playing like ‘a matador’.
Kulusevski has a fantastic ability to tease opposition to chase and the arrogance of timing, always knowing he can get out the way before being attacked. Get close to the fire without getting burned.
As teams at the highest level look for greater control of matches, this is a skill that will continue to be in high demand for years to come.
Only one player on the Premier League compares to him in this ability and it provides a great insight into where I see his best role in the future.
Bernardo Silva.
Often described as a magician, what he does best is incredibly simple. Draw pressure, evade pressure using body (create a barrier) and feet (manipulate the ball). The Portuguese international is better when it comes to retaining the ball via passing. Kulusevski still has the instincts of a typical winger and is very much attack first focussed.
With a bit of coaching, I believe Kulu can become a Swiss-army knife of a player. A winger who can provide a threat 1v1 on the counter in open games. A 10 who can unlock compact low blocks. A wide playmaker who can help us retain possession when protecting leads. Pep occasionally plays Bernardo Silva at full-back too, maybe Ange will try him in Udogie’s role one day. The debate shouldn’t be whether he is a 10 or a winger. It should be how do we create a team with as many routes to goal as possible; shifting his position game by game and within matches will allow this to happen.
I believe that Kulusevski is the player that Pep has tried to turn Jack Grealish into. I would not be surprised if City are looking at Kulusevski, he would be a great fit for how they want to control games.
If Spurs want Kulusevski to fulfil his potential as a Jack of all trades attacker, they need to sign another winger. Our current squad means that moving Kulusevski away from the right-wing at any point means weakening the team elsewhere or risking going too attacking. Brennan is good on either side, but we need another more dynamic winger to create those cut backs even against the deepest of low blocks. After today’s rumours, this attacker should NOT be Jack Grealish. We already have a better version of him.
We should look to make Kulusevski our own Bernardo Silva before City, or someone else, make him theirs. As fans, we have to expect his goal/assist output to drop if we adapt his role in the team to the game state and opposition. If done right though, we could find balance in attack to make games like Villa (H) a more regular occurrence.
We might have to adapt his ABBA themed chant to say ‘Number 21 and he plays in a variety of roles depending on the score and opposition’. The fans can still enjoy the original Gimme Gimme Gimme a Ginger from Sweden until then.
Thank you for reading. Let us know in the comments how you see Spurs’ attack evolving under Ange and how Kulusevski fits into it.
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