Kyle Walker Assesment

Player Assessment: Kyle Walker

The first of a series of articles taking a look at the Premier League performances of the Tottenham players and looking forward to next season, an important one for the first player we assess, right-back Kyle Walker. I'll look at the players individually and then group the full-backs together, the centre-backs and so forth so you can compare against each other.

Kyle Walker

After 9 months out with a groin injury Walker returned to play 15 Premier League games before suffering a Malleolar injury in April, which kept him out for the remainder of the season. The Malleolar is either of the two rounded protuberances on each side of the ankle, the inner formed by a projection of the tibia and the outer by a projection of the fibula.

In previous years he has been overworked and fatigue will have played it's part in his original groin injury. He looked rusty, as you would expect, when he came back but even so he still had his moments with inexplicable cross field passes that go nowhere near the intended target.

The full-back in the modern game and in Pochettino's system is an attacker whenever possible, it is their role to provide the width with the wide attackers cutting inside. Eric Dier has shown what can be achieved with some exceptional crosses towards the end of the season from right-back, that until the final game Harry Kane had not anticipated.

Walker will have to take not of that and improve his delivery, Yedlin is a fine crosser of the ball and has pace so if he gets the positional side together could ask Walker some questions. Walker has rather stagnated since being voted Young Player of the Year, but he is still only 24 and has that element of experience many in the side lack.

Premier League Statistics Only

Kyle Walker
Played: 15
Minutes: 1.306
Total Passes: 744
Pass Completion: 80.38%
Forward Passes: 66.53%
Key Passes: 11
Key Pass Time: 1 every 118.73 minutes
Chances Created: 11
Chance Creation Time: 1 every 118.73 minutes
Shots: 5
Shot Accuracy: 0%
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Positive Attacking Action: 1 every 48.37 minutes
(Total Minutes divided by Shots, Goals, Assists, Key passes, Chances Created combined)
Tackles: 51
Tackles Won: 56.86%
Blocks: 3
Interceptions: 48
Clearances: 33
Take On Success: 63.64%
Heading Success: 51.02%
Defensive Action: 1 every 15.55 minutes
(Total Minutes divided by Blocks, Clearances, Interceptions)
It is hoped that he can have a full season next season and that Mauricio Pochettino can improve his defensive play, his reading of crosses from the left is poor which often sees him in a position where he can't affect the game. There are too many goals conceded in this fashion for my liking and he himself has stated before he has to work on his positioning.

Danny Rose made giant strides last season, progress rather than giant strides are needed from Walker and a better end product when in the attacking half of the field. He is unlikely to have Aaron Lennon in front of him next season so his defensive duties may be a little tougher than they have been in the past.

Tottenham have been linked with right-backs, consistently with 28-year-old Sporting (formerly Sporting Lisbon) defender Miguel Lopes and just recently with 24-year-old Burnley full-back Kieran Trippier, who we are informed has a £3.5 million  (US$5.39m - AUS$6,91m - €4.95m) buyout clause.

If Tottenham were to sign him then with Yedlin being a recent purchase the future of Walker has to be put in doubt, unless of course we don't think 21-year-old Yedlin is ready to step up to the plate on a regular basis yet.

We also have 22-year-old Ryan Fredericks returning from at season long loan at defeated Championship play-off finalists Middlesbrough. That is an abundance of young right-backs and they can't all play so there has to be an element of uncertainty over the long-term future of Walker.

It will be an important season for him to reassert himself as a quality right-back.

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