#PLStories- Graham Potter assesses ‘false nine’ role for Leandro Trossard #BHAFC

It was a week which had you pondering an unusual question. Was Leandro Trossard a true ‘false nine’ at Anfield? Or just a nine. There is more tactical talk than ever for and among fans these days. So much so that you end up analysing the analysis. So many stats. Some in context, some not. Like the Crystal Palace analytics account on Twitter which trawled through the numbers before joyfully revealing that Marc Cucurella made an unprecedented zero tackles against Mo Salah. Let’s just forget that the most lethal forward in world football right now barely had a sniff of goal, shall we? Let’s call a pass to a midfielder being closed down around the edge of the box an assist. Which technically it was but it didn’t assist Jordan Henderson all that much much. Analytics are supposed to help us understand the game better, not worse. Put the numbers in context, Or, better still, actually watch the game. The stat about Leandro Trossard is that he is shooting more than ever in Albion shirt. Almost twice as much as two seasons ago and significantly more than last term too. Last Saturday he played at a venue where, it might be argued, many of us first saw what you might call a ‘false nine’ many years ago. That was Kenny Dalglish in the days before Ian Rush emerged. None of us know it was a ‘false nine’ then but we knew the problems Dalglish caused with his skills, low centre of gravity and ability to find his own spaces and create them for others. Without comparing Trossard to the Anfield legend, there was something of the King Kenny in the role Trossard played. So was he a true ‘false nine’ or false ‘false nine’? Albion boss Graham Potter said: “I think the ‘false nine’ has been jumped on a little bit. “I think it is just Leo playing in that position. “Leo’s strengths are he can run in behind the defence and he can drop in and link up, dribble, and play through balls. “When you consider he played against arguably the best centre-back in the world in (Virgil) van Dijk, to play that type of player with that profile can make a bit of sense. “It was also a combination with him, Solly (March) and Adam (Lallana) that made us attack quite well. “We attacked in a similar way against Man City in the second half. “It is an option for us. It doesn’t mean it is set in stone for the rest of the season but it is the same sort of thinking in terms of how the team wants to attack and using the best players for that strategy.” Trossard’s numbers in terms of goal attempts per game have increased season-on-season with the Seagulls. From 1.3 in 2019-20 to 1.7 last term to a current 2.6, albeit over only ten fixtures. Asked whether he has been encouraged to shoot more, Potter said: “I wouldn’t say necessarily explicitly more. He’s maybe in a bit more of a central position. DANNY WELBECK CAN GIVE BRIGHTON SOME GOOD NEWS “He is in a bit more of an advanced position so the opportunities come more. “I think it’s all about decision-making and that, in the final third, is what separates the top players with the good ones. “That decision making and execution in the final third when there is not that much time and space. “Leo has got the quality to execute and to decide and it’s about putting him in those positions as often as we can. GRAHAM POTTER RELISHES CLASH WITH OLD MATE “It is always about the team and the collective, because that is that starting point for everything. How does the team want to attack and defend? “Based on those thoughts you can look at the best players that can fill those positions in the best way. Trossard averaged three shots per game as main man in his final season with Genk. That number reduces to 1.5 (which is surprisingly high, perhaps) in international action with the all stars of Belgium.