Thread by @EverydayUnited2

Orkun Kökçü Tactical Analysis⭐️⏳

A detailed deep dive on the Turkish midfielder and why I believe he’s a really smart potential summer signing

🇹🇷
🔴⚪️⚫️

Player profile

Name: Orkun Kökçü
Age: 22
Club: Feyenoord
Nationality: Turkish
Height: 1.75m
Value: €27m
Club games played: 141

Strengths/Weaknesses

✅Passing
✅Key Passes
✅Creativity
✅Set Pieces
✅Shooting
✅Dribbling
✅Build up Phase
✅Tactical flexibility

❌Defensively

Key talking points to the thread

1️⃣Passing
2️⃣Creativity
3️⃣Ball Carrying
4️⃣Involvement in play phases
5️⃣Defensive Contrubution

1️⃣Passing

Kökçü is a fantastic passer of the ball. He is a high volume passer, often playing on the left of a 3 or more recently as a single/double pivot.

He plays short sharp passes in build up but also is a superb progressive passer who combines risk with accuracy.

🎥1: the left 8, sitting in the half space shows his vision and the execution is superb.

🎥2: operating in the single pivot, drives forward. The subtle move to the right allows the ST to move inside. Great pass

🎥3: good pass selection, chooses the 2nd pass and executes well twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

In the clips above Kökçü doesn’t come under much pressure granted, it would be interesting to see how he would play in the PL

However he is press Evasive and is regularly pressured in Holland. He ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive passes, That’s elite in any league

Kökçü has a really nice clipped pass technique. We often see him clipping the ball from the DLP role to the wingers, he ranks highly for switches.

Here we see a clipped through ball over the defensive line & also a clipped cross. His accuracy in all areas of the pitch is superb twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

2️⃣Creativity

Kökçü can play as a really creative left 8, operating in the half space producing chances for attackers. He can do it in the DLP role also

His stats are incredible, he’s a chance creation machine. He also ranks in the 99th% for xA, he provides a huge threat

🎥1: I love his instinct to go forward. Receives on the back foot, head up scanning before a forward pass to set his teammate through

🎥2: starts the move from deep, continues into the left half space in an advanced area before a wonderful through ball to the ST who should score twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

🎥1: superb! The close control, the strength, the Cruyff turn and the vision/execution of the cut back. Superb play

🎥2: Kökçü is a top set piece taker, his delivery is so accurate due to the pace he can get on the ball. Another great set piece option to have twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

🎥1: Kökçü is a superb crosser, he is strong on both feet & always finds good angles for delivery. Ranks in the 88th% for crosses into the box

🎥2: this run would really help us, Rashford loves this position & the underlap from Kökçü would create so many chances from cutbacks twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

3️⃣Ball carrying

Kökçü is a really good carrier of the ball

He has a low csntre of gravity, meaning he can weave past players using his close control & press evasive qualities. It’s a skill we lack in our midfield & one that would massively help the team. His stats back that up

Per Wyscout he ranks in the top 20 ball carriers in the CM role

He likes to drop deep into the initial build up phase and progress the ball higher up the pitch via carrying/passes

His carrying ability is then again used in the final 3rd, weaving past players to create SCA/GCA

🎥1; Beautiful feint, his close control and use of his body is spectacular

🎥2: another example, so good in tight spaces, often reeling players in before a quick sharp movement to evade pressure

🎥3: comfortable in build up, doesn’t panic, a nice body shift to create space twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

4️⃣involvement in phases

Kökçü has superb tactical flexibility. Last season he often played in the left 8 role but he has also played in the 10

This season, he’s played in the single pivot, dropping deep to get involved in the initial build up phase. He’s perfect for Ten Hag

Here we see Kökçü in the initial build up phase.

📸1: left of a back 3, comfortable on either foot so has good passing angles. Him dropping in allows shaw to push forward

📸2: now in the single pivot, composed with his back to goal, his super dribbling means he’s press evasive

🎥1: he’s elite in possession, the angles he opens here combined with the movement and passing is sublime. So good in the half spaces

📸1: always finds space, so many options ahead of him. His creativity would allow Bruno to get closer to the ST, he would add so much in attack twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

5️⃣Defending

Kökçü has poor defensive numbers per FBref

However, it’s not simple. Through watching him he’s a good presser, winning the ball back in high areas. He ranks in the 97th% for att 3rd tackles.

He isn’t required to do a lot of defensive work, that will change at Utd

We have seen a clear defensive improvement in the United side from Erik ten Hags appointment

His demand is to defend as an 11, Kökçü is a hard working player who will get on board with this. I also think he can improve his positioning, like we’ve seen with Dalot

Feyenoord are having a fantastic season in the Eredivse, they currently sit top and Kökçü has been a key player

Valued around £25m, he has two years left on his deal but as a young player in an inflated market I would expect the fee to rise to potentially £35m. Long term fee

Summary

- Kökçü is a really nice footballer. He would be a really smart signing for Erik due to his quality but also tactical flexibility
- his age profile and player profile is exactly what we should be aiming for
- lower price would allow us to get him, a GK and a ST

- Ten Hag knows the Dutch league well, makes the signing more attainable
- isn’t automatically a starter, can rotate between him & Eriksen, allowing for settling time
- more comfortable than Eriksen when being pressed
- he’s a smaller frame but physically strong, helps in the PL

One final point.

Enzo Fernandez and Frenkie de Jong are still my top targets. With Frenkie looking likely to stay at Barca and Enzo the subject of interest from Chelsea we need a back up signing

Kökçü would be a really suitable alternative at a great price

End of thread

Thank you for reading! This was a really enjoyable thread about a player who’s not a household name. If you liked, drop a comment, like or retweet

Follow for more content, I appreciate it so much. Thank you🙏🙏

#GlazersOut