by CTID Hants » Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:59 pm
I know it is from the Mirror but this article gives quite a good insight as to what Negredo could offer us..........
Alvaro Negredo scouting report: Manchester City's target has a penchant for flair and goals
15 Jul 2013 14:03
La Liga expert David Cartlidge looks at Sevilla's hot-shot striker who could be reunited with former team-mate Jesus Navas at the Etihad
The position of Spain’s number nine is an ongoing discussion, and any conversation these days has to include Alvaro Negredo.
Sevilla’s striker has grabbed 102 goals in 209 appearances since debuting in La Liga. This includes the 70 appearances with Almeria where he made his name, and the 139 with current employers Sevilla.
He is a thoroughbred forward, traditional in many aspects but with a penchant for bringing flair into his game. One moment he can be bulldozing his way through a defence, then in another look to connect with a floated cross via a bicycle kick.
Negredo’s frame is one of power and muscle, and bases much of his game around these features. He’s prepared to rough it in the harshest of times, willing to backtrack and tumble through defensive blocks. It’s not pretty but as his goal scoring record suggests, it can often be very effective.
The 26-year-old's style is suited to both a counter attacking game due to his awareness in making runs into the penalty box, but also when his side are in possession.
Negredo can play with his back to goal, edging into centre-backs and looking to spin past them through either a ball in behind or to feet.
With Almeria he was mainly a counter-attack focused striker, but with Sevilla it has seen the player develop his game into a more-rounded one. To survive and confirm himself among the striking elite in the league, he simply had to.
Games can be slow, and build-up patient, while many centre-backs possess that nous against strikers. Negredo is someone who has overcome all these facets though, becoming a point for his team to aim for.
He’s a hard worker too, willing to dig in and harass opponents who are in possession of the ball to force errors. Despite not being lightning quick, Negredo makes up for it in his body movement. With the physical make-up of the player being so stocky and aggressive, he can edge himself ahead that extra yard or bully a defender off the ball.
Negredo’s a bull in attack, looking to charge down anyone in his way and rip off doors, all to get where he wants to be. The issue with the player is though, his style can sometimes be too direct and lacking intelligence.
There’s no doubting Negredo takes up excellent positions, makes the right movements, and knows where the goal is. What’s missing however is subtly and intelligence in front of goal, and despite his scoring record a hidden feature of his game is the amount of missed chances the player encounters.
This past season Negredo missed more clear cut chances than any other player in the top five leagues across Europe. It’s not as though he’s shot shy either, as only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi took more shots this past season – both of them ended up with 34 and 46 goals respectively however, compared to Negredo’s 25.
Consistency too has been hard to come by, and one of the most glaring things about Negredo’s game is the sway in appearance of the player.
One week he can look like he’s up there with the elite predators in front of goal, bully a defence and bag a brace. Then the next few weeks he’ll go through a drought, and stumble through games clumsily and cautiously with no first touch or control in his play.
It’s something that has frustrated Sevilla fans for years, and if that ruthlessness was in his game he wouldn’t be turning out for a club that has been on the decline for a while.
Due to this there has been no European football for him to taste, and see how he can adapt his style on this stage. Negredo’s track record in La Liga is proven despite a few caveats, but when it comes to reaching that next level there is a sense of unknown.
For the rumoured £25million being discussed, it’s perfectly acceptable to want more bang for your buck – not someone with a habit of firing blanks.
A move to Manchester City would be interesting, given the presence of Jesus Navas, who has been supplying the bullets for Negredo in the last few years.
Having such gifted players like David Silva around him would be positive too, with the attacking midfielder the sort who can slip a mobile Negredo into space.
Tottenham too, makes sense. Their search for a striker is well known, and with Andre Villas-Boas’ style so centric to hard counter attacking Negredo would no doubt thrive. Much of that system is about movement, and the striker is someone that can identify danger areas well.
Maybe the move to league with a different style would suit Negredo’s game and iron out the obvious flaws that exist. However, the overriding feeling remains one of apprehension towards a striker that lacks the conviction his price tag suggests.
Born A Blue
