When Oliver Glasner moved to Nottingham Forest after departing Crystal Palace, he tasked himself with replicating the 3-4-2-1 system that labored so nicely at Selhurst Park.
A key a part of that set-up are the 2 central midfielders. “We name them the quarterbacks,” stated Glasner final season and at Palace. The Austrian had the proper quarterback in Adam Wharton. Defensively astute but in addition influential and inventive in assault.
In addition to discovering the Forest model of Wharton, he additionally needed to change the Man Metropolis-bound Elliot Anderson – heartbeat of the crew – in that very same space of the pitch.
However no person anticipated the answer to each these issues to be James McAtee.
Just some months in the past, McAtee was a forgotten man at Forest. Following his £30m transfer from Man Metropolis, he began simply two Premier League video games final time period. All 4 Forest managers by no means gave him an actual likelihood.
Glasner has discovered a task for him on the Metropolis Floor – however it has wanted a change in place to do it. McAtee, who got here by way of the ranks with Metropolis and England as an attacking No 10, has been instructed to play a lot, a lot deeper on this Glasner crew.
Oliver Glasner (proper) has modified James McAtee’s positioning over a summer time
It’s a main change from what McAtee is used to. However even the good Pep Guardiola seen how good he’s in tighter areas.
“Pep at all times references how good he’s in pockets,” stated Brian Barry-Murphy to Sky Sports activities in 2024. Barry-Murphy was one in every of McAtee’s coaches within the Manchester Metropolis academy set-up, and is now in cost at Cardiff Metropolis.
“What’s essentially the most vital factor about James McAtee?” he provides. “The tighter the areas, the extra at house and comfy he’s. He is a really particular participant in that position.”
McAtee has been praised prior to now by Pep Guardiola
And being a small, left-footed expertise working in these tight areas, McAtee is performing as a fairly good tribute act to Wharton on this new Glasner system.
A key a part of Wharton’s sport is these punchy passes by way of the strains that open up defences. Within the opening weeks of the season, McAtee has been seen doing precisely the identical factor – and the outcomes have been wonderful.
Within the first 5 video games of this Premier League marketing campaign, McAtee has been one of many Premier League’s most artistic gamers. Solely 5 gamers have created extra probabilities this time period than the 23-year-old and solely three higher his creativity from open play.
By way of passes resulting in a shot – balls that ultimately result in an effort on objective inside two or three passes – McAtee ranks second within the Premier League, sitting stage with Bruno Fernandes, who was essentially the most artistic participant within the top-flight final time period.
James McAtee has the second-most passes resulting in a shot this season
Solely his Forest team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White has managed extra passes resulting in a shot than McAtee this season. Whereas Gibbs-White is Forest’s talisman, it could possibly be argued that McAtee has the extra vital position within the crew.
Bear in mind, he’s within the Wharton position. He’s the quarterback.
“They’re liable for the pace of our assaults, if we go ahead or preserve possession,” added Glasner final season concerning the position.
McAtee is the midfielder who controls the play. These punchy passes that Wharton and McAtee each make are important and essential to Glasner’s direct fashion.
Like at Palace final season, Forest aren’t occupied with passing the ball round. It’s a vertical, environment friendly fashion that the Austrian supervisor likes, fairly than a affected person philosophy.
It’s best seen by the statistic that solely 4 of Forest’s assaults this season have been ‘build-up assaults’. Put extra merely, once they get the ball, they play it ahead as shortly as they will. They’ve the fourth-best report for ahead passing proportion this season, whereas they sit third for the variety of by way of balls accomplished.
When Oliver Glasner’s aspect get the ball, they transfer it shortly – and ahead
McAtee is on the coronary heart of that fashion of play. Wharton additionally dictates that fashion for Palace. That quickfire means to generate probabilities and push the ball ahead is why the Eagles midfielder is so extremely rated.
So when Glasner makes his much-anticipated return to Crystal Palace, this time within the Forest dugout, there may be greater than only a easy storyline at play.
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This isn’t simply the story of Glasner returning to the membership the place he introduced unprecedented success to generations of Palace followers. This isn’t simply the narrative of Glasner turning up at Selhurst Park representing the crew who changed them in final season’s Europa League.
That is additionally Glasner’s new undertaking developing in opposition to his outdated one. And in Wharton lining up in midfield up in opposition to McAtee, there’s a particular battle of ‘outdated vs new’ at play right here.
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