There is a myth about players that leave the big teams in Europe in search for first team opportunities. Often times, they are regarded as players who lack confidence, the cutting edge and the hunger that the best players in the world are supposed to have. In actual fact, these players realise that their development requires them playing regular football before reaching that level in which they are considered to be great players. For example, Arjen Robben left Real Madrid for Bayern Munich, Xhaqiri left Bayern Munich for Inter Milan, and Morata left Real Madrid for Chelsea. These are just examples of renowned players who are good footballers but left the biggest teams for lesser teams in search of first team opportunities. In this piece, we shift our attention to a former Juventus player that left the club for Southampton and has been pivotal to the English Premier League side ever since his move. Gabon international, Mario Lemina, is the man in question and here’s what he brings to the table.

Composure on the Ball

Mario Lemina is one of the most composed midfielders in world of soccer right now. The Gabon international has mastered the art of reading the game before making the simple pass. Basic football they call it, but it is not so basic when you look at other players who look rushed on the ball. If you were an admirer of the former Barcelona captain, Xavi, then you will love how the African midfielder carries his team forward whenever he has the ball. Lemina makes football look simple with the way he anchors the middle of the park in at Southampton. These are some of the things that cannot be quantified by numbers or stats. The 25-year old is a joy to watch for Southampton.

Defensive Duties

Playing in the English Premier League requires a little bit more than just the ability on the ball which the Gabon international has. Lemina is also a beast when it comes to defending. He averages 3.4 interceptions per 90 minutes so far in the five league games that he has played for the Saints. The young midfielder looks a steal for Southampton who prized him away from Juventus for just £18 million in 2017. Players with the ability to tackle and carefully clear the ball out of danger like Lemina are now going for around £45 million in the current transfer market, for instance Liverpool’s capture of Fabinho.

Flair & Trickery

Southampton is not one of the biggest teams in the English Premier League. The biggest teams usually have the best players and come down hard on the lesser teams. This means that the club is usually under a lot of pressure when they play teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City. It is in such matches that you need a player with the ability to dance his way out of danger and deliver the ball to the attackers. Lemina does just that. The midfielder’s trickery in the middle of the park can be likened to the Spanish, Santiago Cazorla who has the confidence of taking the ball deep in his own half and beat his markers on his way forward. There is not much difference between Lemina and Paul Pogba, who also made a name for himself in the hands of Juventus, save the fact that the latter plays for France. Okay, the comparisons may be above board, but I hope you get the point. Lemina is really good!

Killer Passes

Also, the primary role of the midfielder is to dictate play for the team. This requires having players with a wide passing range. Lemina is an asset for Southampton with his long range passes. In 90 minutes, he averages about three long balls which are delivered in dangerous areas for his team. Although he has just recorded one assist in the league, his creativity is unquestionable. Mario makes key passes for the Saints and he bosses a pass completion rate of 85.3%. With no disrespect to Southampton, these are numbers that can be massively improved when playing with players of better quality in teams like the ones mentioned above.

Question

He is still 25 years of age, that is the current prime age in soccer, do you he will probably land a bigger contract in a bigger club and make his name bigger? I think he will, Everton captured Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye at similar age and has gone to be one of the division’s best defensive midfielders.

Checkout Lemina’s style of play in the video below.