Lewis O'Brien Scout Report
In a scout report profiling Middlesbrough's dynamic central midfielder, Lewis O'Brien, he emerges as an impressive figure on the pitch, notable for his intelligent possession and standout ball retention, sitting comfortably in the top 10% of his position. Demonstrating excellent control and hold-up play, O'Brien often serves as an anchor in the midfield, a point further emphasized by his having the majority of his touches (over 80%) in this area.
While he may not be the most prolific goal scorer, with a rather limited goal threat percentile, his focus is unarguably on shaping the game from the middle of the park. His strong performance in chance creation and progressive carrying further underpins this style of play. Occasionally, his progressive passing lets him down, falling to roughly a quarter percentile, which is perhaps something he might seek to improve.
Defensively, he manages to hold his ground thanks to an above-average rate of successful aerial duels and overall duel wins. However, his harsh tackling style appears to be a drawback, evidenced by a relatively high percentage of fouls committed and the low percentile of yellow cards.
Despite his lower touches in the opposition penalty area, hinting at his choice to influence play from deep rather than venturing forward, he still manages a decent xA per 90 percentile. This suggests an underlying ability to create clear goal-scoring opportunities, albeit from a more withdrawn position.
In summary, Lewis O'Brien's player stats paint a picture of a proficient midfield controller, capable of retaining possession under pressure and breaking up play effectively on the defensive end. His chance creation ability and ball-carrying prowess are standout features of his game, while his defensive work also speaks for itself. His key areas for improvement could be his tackling technique to bring down his fouls committed, and he may look to improve his goal scoring and forward passing efficiency.
