Bitton Is A Centre Half
By James Dailey
Much angst and disgust were expressed in the dying moments of the transfer window on Friday. Part of being a supporter is “enjoying” the raw swings in emotion. I wish I had a nickel for every time my Twitter feed included a post declaring how the board was amid betraying the support and being negligent in the chase for 9 in a row. Heck, I even joined in and agreed with Alan’s excellent analogy and recap posted Saturday. Perhaps the epicenter of this manic episode was the idea that at least one centre half addition was a dire need. Lennon had stated he believed we are well covered at the position, and I generally agreed then, and still do. This will be the first of two pieces examining our situation and quality at centre half.
My view relies upon a very important “if,” which is certainly fair game for criticism: if we can have at least 2 out of Bitton, Elhamed, and Jozo remain fit. Bitton and Elhamed have been recovering from soft tissue injuries which should be manageable and preventable if our sports science staff is competent, while Jozo’s knee should also be manageable if he is not over-worked. This will be the first of two pieces examining our situation and quality at centre half.
All Together Now!
Nir Bitton is a centre half….say it with me (nope – Ed)! He has played almost exclusively at centre half since the 2017/2018 season, with an aggregate in minutes the equivalent of about forty games. His main issue has been that of injury rather than positional instability. The fact is, Bitton was an excellent defensive midfielder at his peak in 2015/2016. The following data compares Bitton that season with the same vintage of some guy named Fernandinho, and then the player of the year version of Scott Brown in 2017/2018. Now, I am obviously not suggesting that playing in the SPFL is the same as the EPL, but relative domestic performance is noteworthy, in my opinion.
Why have I selected Fernandinho as a comp for Bitton? It just so happens that Mr. Fernandinho has made the transition to centre half for Manchester City this season. In the following table, I’ve compared the aggregate of Bitton’s time at centre half over the past three seasons with this year’s versions of Jullien, Ajer, and Fernandinho.
A quick review of terms – Key Passes are the pass that set up a shot, and Establishing Pass is the pass that sets up the Key Pass. The xPassing Score compares the actual pass completion % vs the expected completion % for the player. The data for Pass Success % and above is via Wyscout, while below that is courtesy of Ortec via Modern Fitba.
If You Can’t Be with the One You Love, Love the One You’re With
If we compare Bitton’s stats over the past three seasons with Jullien and Ajer, they look to be relatively comparable. He loses the ball a little less than either, is a little less effective at winning defensive duels, is comparable to Ajer in the air, and is the best and most creative passer. Is he ideal as part of a starting centre half pair in a back four in Europe or in the upcoming Glasgow Derbies? I would argue no. However, I think he is a very good fit as the right-sided centre half in a back three in those kinds of matches, and good enough in a back four for domestic games versus bottom six opponents.
Conclusion
If one goes back to re-watch the last 25 minutes of the December 29th game, the passing and movement between Ntcham, Frimpong and Bitton on the right side was excellent after Lennon finally switched to a 3-5-2: it really changed the dynamic of the game. With reports that Bitton’s recent muscle pull was not severe, I believe he should resume that position if/when Lennon deploys three at the back.
Bitton IS a centre half, and a pretty good one if used correctly. He is in pretty good company as a converted defensive midfielder!