Mory Konaté Scout Report
In this scout report, our focus lies firmly on the experienced defensive midfielder Mory Konaté, currently plying his trade at KV Mechelen in the Pro A League. At the age of 30, Konaté has mastered the art of ball retention, sitting comfortably within the top 20% compared to his peers within the league. His influence on the pitch is ever apparent, especially in the heart of the midfield where Konaté tends to operate most of the time. However, the health of his general style of play is a topic of debate.
Despite operating from deep, Konaté presents an imposing goal threat, finding himself within the top 70% among his contemporaries. His scored goals and expected goals per 90 minutes are perched high, which indicates prowess in converting chances into goals. Here's a twist though, this man isn't much of a playmaker. His contribution in terms of chances created is notably low, a stark contrast to his higher than expected goal threat.
His playing style is an interesting cocktail of strength and discipline. Konaté is a force in aerial duels, winning a whopping 92%, and is nearly unbeatable in duels regardless of the context. His knack for interceptions puts him among the top 5% in the league, which clearly plays a significant role in his reliability as a defensive midfielder. Add to that, he frequently recovers the ball, albeit his record in doing so balances just onto the lower end of the midfielders' spectrum.
However, Konaté's aggressive style does backfire with a high number of fouls resulting in a yellow card tally that puts him amongst the top 20%. Despite this, his reliability in maintaining possession, impressive goal threat, and duel winning skills make him invaluable to KV Mechelen's defensive setup. His low rate of chance creation and progressive passing percentages suggest the team could possibly benefit from balancing his responsibilities between maintaining defensive solidity and venturing into more offensive contributions. Konaté is, in essence, a soldier in a game of chess, always ready to be deployed where most needed and not flinching from plunging into the battle when called upon.
