Mythbusting: Jonathan David 🇨🇦
A player I've been watching on a regular basis since he moved to Lille in 2020 - five years ago now 😆
But, with his contact up, the time to move on has finally come. And, whoever signs him, is getting a player with some unique gifts...
A player I've been watching on a regular basis since he moved to Lille in 2020 - five years ago now 😆
But, with his contact up, the time to move on has finally come. And, whoever signs him, is getting a player with some unique gifts...
History + Profile 📖
This will be a longer section than usual, but I think David's career trajectory is really interesting, especially as his role has changed a lot. If you just want the pure analysis, skip to the next couple of tweets :)
2020-21: The First Season 👶
David struggled at first at Lille. I remember him saying that he underestimated the quality of the league. After scoring 18 goals in his final season at Gent, it took him three months to score one Ligue 1 goal for Lille.
He often looked off physically too, which wouldn't be the first time someone has looked that way when moving to France.
Still, the 2020-21 season is a famous one: Lille won the Ligue 1 title that year. And David played a crucial role in the second half of the season!
He was basically the run-in-behind guy for Burak Yilmaz. The pair played upfront together in a 4-4-2 under Christophe Galtier in a counter-attacking system. David's role in this then, was relatively one dimensional. Offer runs in behind, help finish off counter attacks.
The form picked up, and he finished the season with 13 goals. A lot of these were crucial in Lille winning the title too.
He scored the winner against PSG in March of that year, a goal which I remember being billed as the title-sealer.
But, he'd go on to make more valuable contributions, including scoring in a 3-2 comeback win against Lyon, a 3-0 derby win against Lens with three games to go, and in the final game of the season to clinch the title.
A strong first season, in the end.
2021-22: The 'bad' season 😐
Lille's title defence was absolutely horrible. Under Jocelyn Gourvennec, they finished 10th - nearly 40 points behind PSG. Tactically...yeah there wasn't much to praise here. It was a weak immitation of Galtier's 4-4-2 mostly.
Yet, David *still* managed to score 13 non-penalty goals. He was the club's top scorer, something he hadn't managed the previous year when Yilmaz hit 16 in Ligue 1 (what a player btw, that season for Yilmaz was incredible 🇹🇷👑).
Not much I think to add here on David's profile developing, but again it was impressive he managed to keep scoring goals despite such a poor season for the club. Although, one caveat is that he only scored in two games in the second half of the 21-22 season. Went on quite a barren streak there...
2022-2024: The Paulo Fonseca years 🇵🇹
Fonseca changed Lille's system to a 4-2-3-1, and put a much greater emphasis on maintaining possession of the ball.
While David had evolved past just being a run-in-behind ST, dropping in to link play quite often - this now became a large responsibility of his. Particularly last season, where he'd often drop into the L10 spaces during build-up to try and launch attacks, as Lille baited the press Roberto De Zerbi-style.
This saw David's touches in midfield greatly increase, as well as the number of progressive passes he was receiving. It was a pretty significant role change, attempting more passes as he linked play together more often.
Without the ball though, David's responsibilities changed even further.
Lille went from a counter-attacking team happy to sit off, to one looking to press high under Fonseca, to dominate territory.
Now, Fonseca's OOP coaching isn't great, as he tended to change system on a game-to-game basis and still not cover himself in glory.
For David though, this was another important period of education. He had to learn to lead the press, keep midfielders in his cover shadow...basically all the qualities needed of a modern pressing forward.
2024-25: Final season (?)
Bruno Genesio took over from Fonseca, and has given Lille a bit more tactical flexibility, at least in intent.
They're happier to sit back and counter, a bit like under Galtier, against tough opposition. But, they still tend to dominate play against weaker teams.
Personally, I think we've seen David operate in the most complete fashion since arriving at Lille. He's tasked with both linking play together, and providing danger with runs in behind defences.
Basically: David has had a lot of responsibilities since moving to France. He's evolved as a player, and I think in terms of profile, you can categorise him as an all-rounder.
He's comfortable:
▪️playing with his back to goal
▪️linking play together
▪️ operating on the last line
▪️ running the channels
▪️ running in behind
I don't think it's up for debate that he's been great in France. He's contributed to 72 G/A in the last three seasons in the league alone...hah!
The question is, how well will his qualities translate to another league?
Let's find out!
This will be a longer section than usual, but I think David's career trajectory is really interesting, especially as his role has changed a lot. If you just want the pure analysis, skip to the next couple of tweets :)
2020-21: The First Season 👶
David struggled at first at Lille. I remember him saying that he underestimated the quality of the league. After scoring 18 goals in his final season at Gent, it took him three months to score one Ligue 1 goal for Lille.
He often looked off physically too, which wouldn't be the first time someone has looked that way when moving to France.
Still, the 2020-21 season is a famous one: Lille won the Ligue 1 title that year. And David played a crucial role in the second half of the season!
He was basically the run-in-behind guy for Burak Yilmaz. The pair played upfront together in a 4-4-2 under Christophe Galtier in a counter-attacking system. David's role in this then, was relatively one dimensional. Offer runs in behind, help finish off counter attacks.
The form picked up, and he finished the season with 13 goals. A lot of these were crucial in Lille winning the title too.
He scored the winner against PSG in March of that year, a goal which I remember being billed as the title-sealer.
But, he'd go on to make more valuable contributions, including scoring in a 3-2 comeback win against Lyon, a 3-0 derby win against Lens with three games to go, and in the final game of the season to clinch the title.
A strong first season, in the end.
2021-22: The 'bad' season 😐
Lille's title defence was absolutely horrible. Under Jocelyn Gourvennec, they finished 10th - nearly 40 points behind PSG. Tactically...yeah there wasn't much to praise here. It was a weak immitation of Galtier's 4-4-2 mostly.
Yet, David *still* managed to score 13 non-penalty goals. He was the club's top scorer, something he hadn't managed the previous year when Yilmaz hit 16 in Ligue 1 (what a player btw, that season for Yilmaz was incredible 🇹🇷👑).
Not much I think to add here on David's profile developing, but again it was impressive he managed to keep scoring goals despite such a poor season for the club. Although, one caveat is that he only scored in two games in the second half of the 21-22 season. Went on quite a barren streak there...
2022-2024: The Paulo Fonseca years 🇵🇹
Fonseca changed Lille's system to a 4-2-3-1, and put a much greater emphasis on maintaining possession of the ball.
While David had evolved past just being a run-in-behind ST, dropping in to link play quite often - this now became a large responsibility of his. Particularly last season, where he'd often drop into the L10 spaces during build-up to try and launch attacks, as Lille baited the press Roberto De Zerbi-style.
This saw David's touches in midfield greatly increase, as well as the number of progressive passes he was receiving. It was a pretty significant role change, attempting more passes as he linked play together more often.
Without the ball though, David's responsibilities changed even further.
Lille went from a counter-attacking team happy to sit off, to one looking to press high under Fonseca, to dominate territory.
Now, Fonseca's OOP coaching isn't great, as he tended to change system on a game-to-game basis and still not cover himself in glory.
For David though, this was another important period of education. He had to learn to lead the press, keep midfielders in his cover shadow...basically all the qualities needed of a modern pressing forward.
2024-25: Final season (?)
Bruno Genesio took over from Fonseca, and has given Lille a bit more tactical flexibility, at least in intent.
They're happier to sit back and counter, a bit like under Galtier, against tough opposition. But, they still tend to dominate play against weaker teams.
Personally, I think we've seen David operate in the most complete fashion since arriving at Lille. He's tasked with both linking play together, and providing danger with runs in behind defences.
Basically: David has had a lot of responsibilities since moving to France. He's evolved as a player, and I think in terms of profile, you can categorise him as an all-rounder.
He's comfortable:
▪️playing with his back to goal
▪️linking play together
▪️ operating on the last line
▪️ running the channels
▪️ running in behind
I don't think it's up for debate that he's been great in France. He's contributed to 72 G/A in the last three seasons in the league alone...hah!
The question is, how well will his qualities translate to another league?
Let's find out!
Positives 🟢
The best place to start is David's ability to link play together. I think he's really good at this.
Despite being under 6ft, I think he's more than capable of playing with his back to goal and handling tough, strong CBs. He has good upper and lower body strength, and shows good technique when receiving the ball.
▪️ Moves his arms back
▪️Sticks his lower body into the defender
▪️ And tends to stay up, keeping good balance as he receives
I've also seen him muscle defenders off the ball who start with control of it. He's quite a stocky player, and I think it helps a lot in these situations.
But what helps the MOST, is the fact that he can execute accurate first-time passes on both feet.
This is something that's known about David, and his ability to strike the ball with his weak foot is a shooting positive we will get to later. But, what often gets missed is how valuable this trait is for your target man.
It means that when defenders mark David, they have little clue as to where he's going to bounce the ball off. He has completely open passing angles.
I will say that I have noted his touch to be a bit loose at times. However, it doesn't give me too much concern, because I do think David is generally pretty secure back to goal.
I also don't think it's a technical issue, more just when he's under heavy pressure.
His decisions are generally good with his back to goal. I think he likes to keep security of the ball, which means he'll pick out the safe pass quite often. However, is there's a player making a run beyond him - or someone in space out wide - David will make that flick or switch towards them.
He can also spin his marker too.
He consistently scans before receiving the ball(side note, think he could scan a bit more but still), which means he's got a good idea if there's space he can turn into.
David is also deceptively quick. I say deceptively because - and I'm not a running expert here so take these notes with a pinch of salt, but:
▪️I think he tends to take quite small steps, and small strides
▪️ Which is perhaps the reason why David tends to accelerate quite slowly
Once he gets going though, he's definitely someone capable of getting away from defenders chasing behind him.
And this is a lethal quality when paired with his intelligence off the ball.
To put it simply: I adore David's movement 😆
He's good at hiding runs, he's good at bending runs to stay on side, and he's just constantly active.
Make a run in behind that's not found? David quickly swivels and looks to receive ball to feet instead.
And that's not *just* about dropping a bit off the defensive line either. I love David's positional intelligence, something which may well be down to the years under Fonseca. He'll seek those pockets of space to move into, both deep and beyond him. He's a really valuable asset for Lille with the ball.
This also extends to his work out of possession. As we spoke about in the last section (if you read it all, sorry it was quite long), David has been educated in how to press. He can provide pretty good intensity with diagonal pressure against CBs.
-
Now, we've spent a lot of time here talking about a strikers' qualities away from goal. That's partly down to the fact the negatives section is coming up (sorry).
But! Don't get your pitchforks out yet. I think David's traits allow him to create a lot of problems for opposition defences.
Firstly, there's his creativity. This is a striker who has made 11 league assists in the past three seasons, and once again this is down to his ability to play passes on both feet.
When he makes those runs in behind, not just from the halfway line mind you but also in and around the box, he can play cutbacks from *both* sides. And, he's generally pretty good at both spotting a teammate, AND finding them with a driven low cross 👍
The technique is clean here, and it makes David able to provide the type of threat you'd want from your winger (at times).
You won't be surprised to know that someone who has scored so many goals is generally pretty good at finishing too. And yes, this is helped by his ability to shoot on his weaker left foot,
Just as he can cross from both sides, David can finish first-time across goal from both sides.
I think this is his specialist trait in front of goal: hitting first-time inside of the boot shots across goal, usually catching defenders + goalkeeper off guard. Watch the goal against Dortmund for example.
I also think he's a pretty reliable finisher 1v1. That may sound off, considering David has a mixed record in terms of overperforming his xG. I think there are reasons for that...
...but, when it's him and the keeper, David tends to stay composed. He can pick his spot pretty well, provided it means he's able to shoot with the inside of his boot.
However, sometimes good finishing isn't even needed for David. Something that impresses me a lot about him is the scrappy side to the game. He shows good anticipation and instinct. There's a great goal this season where he sticks a foot out to deflect a low shot into the net. There's plenty of rebounds where David is the first to react.
Pair this instinct with his movement in general, and a pretty functional Lille team, and you get a very prolific player at finding touches inside the box.
As you can see below, in a graphic courtsey of @mygameplanai , David ranks VERY high for passes received in Zone 17. For context, he’s received the ball 79 times in this position, this season…Haaland, obviously in more packed boxes but still, is on 72 times. That’s in the same number of games.
Is David as good at Haaland? Lmao no. But, it does speak to his movement and positioning, which married with his shooting, makes him a very dangerous threat.
The best place to start is David's ability to link play together. I think he's really good at this.
Despite being under 6ft, I think he's more than capable of playing with his back to goal and handling tough, strong CBs. He has good upper and lower body strength, and shows good technique when receiving the ball.
▪️ Moves his arms back
▪️Sticks his lower body into the defender
▪️ And tends to stay up, keeping good balance as he receives
I've also seen him muscle defenders off the ball who start with control of it. He's quite a stocky player, and I think it helps a lot in these situations.
But what helps the MOST, is the fact that he can execute accurate first-time passes on both feet.
This is something that's known about David, and his ability to strike the ball with his weak foot is a shooting positive we will get to later. But, what often gets missed is how valuable this trait is for your target man.
It means that when defenders mark David, they have little clue as to where he's going to bounce the ball off. He has completely open passing angles.
I will say that I have noted his touch to be a bit loose at times. However, it doesn't give me too much concern, because I do think David is generally pretty secure back to goal.
I also don't think it's a technical issue, more just when he's under heavy pressure.
His decisions are generally good with his back to goal. I think he likes to keep security of the ball, which means he'll pick out the safe pass quite often. However, is there's a player making a run beyond him - or someone in space out wide - David will make that flick or switch towards them.
He can also spin his marker too.
He consistently scans before receiving the ball(side note, think he could scan a bit more but still), which means he's got a good idea if there's space he can turn into.
David is also deceptively quick. I say deceptively because - and I'm not a running expert here so take these notes with a pinch of salt, but:
▪️I think he tends to take quite small steps, and small strides
▪️ Which is perhaps the reason why David tends to accelerate quite slowly
Once he gets going though, he's definitely someone capable of getting away from defenders chasing behind him.
And this is a lethal quality when paired with his intelligence off the ball.
To put it simply: I adore David's movement 😆
He's good at hiding runs, he's good at bending runs to stay on side, and he's just constantly active.
Make a run in behind that's not found? David quickly swivels and looks to receive ball to feet instead.
And that's not *just* about dropping a bit off the defensive line either. I love David's positional intelligence, something which may well be down to the years under Fonseca. He'll seek those pockets of space to move into, both deep and beyond him. He's a really valuable asset for Lille with the ball.
This also extends to his work out of possession. As we spoke about in the last section (if you read it all, sorry it was quite long), David has been educated in how to press. He can provide pretty good intensity with diagonal pressure against CBs.
-
Now, we've spent a lot of time here talking about a strikers' qualities away from goal. That's partly down to the fact the negatives section is coming up (sorry).
But! Don't get your pitchforks out yet. I think David's traits allow him to create a lot of problems for opposition defences.
Firstly, there's his creativity. This is a striker who has made 11 league assists in the past three seasons, and once again this is down to his ability to play passes on both feet.
When he makes those runs in behind, not just from the halfway line mind you but also in and around the box, he can play cutbacks from *both* sides. And, he's generally pretty good at both spotting a teammate, AND finding them with a driven low cross 👍
The technique is clean here, and it makes David able to provide the type of threat you'd want from your winger (at times).
You won't be surprised to know that someone who has scored so many goals is generally pretty good at finishing too. And yes, this is helped by his ability to shoot on his weaker left foot,
Just as he can cross from both sides, David can finish first-time across goal from both sides.
I think this is his specialist trait in front of goal: hitting first-time inside of the boot shots across goal, usually catching defenders + goalkeeper off guard. Watch the goal against Dortmund for example.
I also think he's a pretty reliable finisher 1v1. That may sound off, considering David has a mixed record in terms of overperforming his xG. I think there are reasons for that...
...but, when it's him and the keeper, David tends to stay composed. He can pick his spot pretty well, provided it means he's able to shoot with the inside of his boot.
However, sometimes good finishing isn't even needed for David. Something that impresses me a lot about him is the scrappy side to the game. He shows good anticipation and instinct. There's a great goal this season where he sticks a foot out to deflect a low shot into the net. There's plenty of rebounds where David is the first to react.
Pair this instinct with his movement in general, and a pretty functional Lille team, and you get a very prolific player at finding touches inside the box.
As you can see below, in a graphic courtsey of @mygameplanai , David ranks VERY high for passes received in Zone 17. For context, he’s received the ball 79 times in this position, this season…Haaland, obviously in more packed boxes but still, is on 72 times. That’s in the same number of games.
Is David as good at Haaland? Lmao no. But, it does speak to his movement and positioning, which married with his shooting, makes him a very dangerous threat.
Negatives 🔴
Jonathan David is such a funny player. The positives section was around 1k words long, and I doubt I'm about to write half of that. But, it should be no less impactful to your opinion.
I think what has put clubs off signing David to this point, is his pretty unorthodox ballstriking. He has a habit of overextending his non-kicking foot beyond the ball, and he is really reliant on using the inside of his foot.
This has quite a few consequences.
Firstly, David sucks at shooting from range. While he does take the majority of shots from inside the box - a good thing btw - scoring exactly 2 goals from 73 long-range attempts isn't great.
Imo, David's overextension of his plant foot often means he can't:
🔻Generate much curl on the ball, as he tends to make contact with his body over it
🔻Control the power of his shots well in relation to accuracy. (He'll blast it miles off target)
Yes, this is a bigger problem from range, but it's contributed to some big misses too. David can be in situations where lacing a shot would make the most sense, but he contorts his body to use the inside of his boot instead, leading to a weak shot.
Also, this is kinda unrelated, but David's heading is also really frustrating. He can win his duels, he has a REALLY good leap on him. But, he's only scored seven headed goals in his career 😕
For someone at 5ft11, you may believe that's just down to lack of chances. Well, those 7 goals came from 49 attempts.
I believe this is down to:
🔻Power, as David doesn't hit crosses hard enough
🔻And accuracy, as there's been some BIG chances where David has inexcusably missed the target
There's only so much negativity you can bring to someone with such a goalscoring record. However, it does give you pause for thought.
Now, the other topic I want to discuss here is David's dribbling. And I think the name 'mythbusting' will come into play here well.
That's because David is both pretty bad in 1v1 duels and also still great at creating space for himself in the box to shoot.
How? Let's explain.
In terms of agility, David can make small changes of direction pretty quickly. That means shifting a little right/left, and taking the ball with him. This means, when there's an oncoming challenge, David can skip past it.
He also has pretty good control of the ball and can read defenders well. He's a consistent nutmegger too (if that's not a word it is now).
This means in more chaotic situations - say, if a defender is rushing to block what they think is an incoming shot - David can thrive. He can send them the wrong way, take his shot and score.
In more crowded boxes though, or in situations where play is moving more slowly, David's small steps come back to bite him.
Basically, he just takes AGES to get the ball from out underneath his feet. It's like he needs two touches to do it, and it means he can be pretty easy to keep up with 1v1. It also means that he can struggle to create a shooting angle at times in the box.
It's also not helped by his agility. Yes, it's good for small changes, but David can't make big changes of direction as smoothly and quickly as wingers can. That's a harsh standard, I know, but it's just the reason why David can struggle at times in 1v1 situations.
And may I remind you, this is an important quality for a striker.
I'm not talking about David on the touchline taking a full-back on. I'm critiquing his ability to send a centre-back the wrong way before taking a shot. Depending on how chaotic the situation is, David can fail at this in frustrating fashion - despite actually being quite technically good.
Jonathan David is such a funny player. The positives section was around 1k words long, and I doubt I'm about to write half of that. But, it should be no less impactful to your opinion.
I think what has put clubs off signing David to this point, is his pretty unorthodox ballstriking. He has a habit of overextending his non-kicking foot beyond the ball, and he is really reliant on using the inside of his foot.
This has quite a few consequences.
Firstly, David sucks at shooting from range. While he does take the majority of shots from inside the box - a good thing btw - scoring exactly 2 goals from 73 long-range attempts isn't great.
Imo, David's overextension of his plant foot often means he can't:
🔻Generate much curl on the ball, as he tends to make contact with his body over it
🔻Control the power of his shots well in relation to accuracy. (He'll blast it miles off target)
Yes, this is a bigger problem from range, but it's contributed to some big misses too. David can be in situations where lacing a shot would make the most sense, but he contorts his body to use the inside of his boot instead, leading to a weak shot.
Also, this is kinda unrelated, but David's heading is also really frustrating. He can win his duels, he has a REALLY good leap on him. But, he's only scored seven headed goals in his career 😕
For someone at 5ft11, you may believe that's just down to lack of chances. Well, those 7 goals came from 49 attempts.
I believe this is down to:
🔻Power, as David doesn't hit crosses hard enough
🔻And accuracy, as there's been some BIG chances where David has inexcusably missed the target
There's only so much negativity you can bring to someone with such a goalscoring record. However, it does give you pause for thought.
Now, the other topic I want to discuss here is David's dribbling. And I think the name 'mythbusting' will come into play here well.
That's because David is both pretty bad in 1v1 duels and also still great at creating space for himself in the box to shoot.
How? Let's explain.
In terms of agility, David can make small changes of direction pretty quickly. That means shifting a little right/left, and taking the ball with him. This means, when there's an oncoming challenge, David can skip past it.
He also has pretty good control of the ball and can read defenders well. He's a consistent nutmegger too (if that's not a word it is now).
This means in more chaotic situations - say, if a defender is rushing to block what they think is an incoming shot - David can thrive. He can send them the wrong way, take his shot and score.
In more crowded boxes though, or in situations where play is moving more slowly, David's small steps come back to bite him.
Basically, he just takes AGES to get the ball from out underneath his feet. It's like he needs two touches to do it, and it means he can be pretty easy to keep up with 1v1. It also means that he can struggle to create a shooting angle at times in the box.
It's also not helped by his agility. Yes, it's good for small changes, but David can't make big changes of direction as smoothly and quickly as wingers can. That's a harsh standard, I know, but it's just the reason why David can struggle at times in 1v1 situations.
And may I remind you, this is an important quality for a striker.
I'm not talking about David on the touchline taking a full-back on. I'm critiquing his ability to send a centre-back the wrong way before taking a shot. Depending on how chaotic the situation is, David can fail at this in frustrating fashion - despite actually being quite technically good.
Verdict 🧑⚖️
So where does this leave us?
🟢A uniquely talented forward with a proven eye for goal and really valuable qualities in build-up, and is capable of stretching the line.
🔴A weird finisher who can miss big chances through his technique, and his consistent inability to score headers.
I can guess why no one has made the big money offer for Lille and signed David. But could they now, as he's a free agent?
I'm really not sure David has what it takes to be a leading Premier League #9 who can put up the numbers that someone like Alexander Isak can.
However, let's not forget David's qualities in build-up, and his creative impact in the final third. He might not directly score you 20 goals, but, as he has proven at Lille, he can still create that many.
For that reason, the verdict is positive. I think any club that plays possession-based football should weigh up a free transfer!
So where does this leave us?
🟢A uniquely talented forward with a proven eye for goal and really valuable qualities in build-up, and is capable of stretching the line.
🔴A weird finisher who can miss big chances through his technique, and his consistent inability to score headers.
I can guess why no one has made the big money offer for Lille and signed David. But could they now, as he's a free agent?
I'm really not sure David has what it takes to be a leading Premier League #9 who can put up the numbers that someone like Alexander Isak can.
However, let's not forget David's qualities in build-up, and his creative impact in the final third. He might not directly score you 20 goals, but, as he has proven at Lille, he can still create that many.
For that reason, the verdict is positive. I think any club that plays possession-based football should weigh up a free transfer!
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