Why have Newcastle signed Malick Thiaw? - Full analysis
Malick Thiaw looks set to become the third summer signing made by Newcastle United this summer. It has been a frustrating summer to date, with a number of targets deciding to join other clubs. Centre back has been a position of concern for the fan base, but it now looks like Eddie Howe has the reinforcements that he needs.
The German centre back joins from AC Milan has played over 60 times for the Italian giants. Meanwhile, he has been capped three times by his national side. At the age of 24, he looks ready to take the next step in his development and that will be at St James’ Park.
Defensive style
Thiaw has a physically imposing frame, but possesses good recovery pace for a player of his size. As a physical fit, he looks perfect for the Premier League, as he can compete in the air and defend in one-on-one situations. He is comfortable operating in a high line, which is how Eddie Howe sets us up to play.
The 24-year-old isn’t aggressive out of possession. He prefers to use his reading of the game and physicality to shepherd attacking players into less threatening areas of the pitch. This helps him in one-on-one situations, as he remains engaged and refuses to be rash in the tackle. This often leads to the attacker making a mistake and giving him opportunity to nick the ball.
While reading the game, Thiaw likes to position himself in passing lanes, which allows him to nick the ball. He is often positive in his body position, as he faces forward, rather than turning his back on the game.
Last season, Thiaw averaged 2.27 successful aerial duels per ninety minutes. He is effective in the air and will not find the physicality of the Premier League difficult to adapt to. Fabian Schar can sometimes be targeted in the air, but our new signing is more comfortable in this part of his game.
In possession
One of our greatest strengths in recent years has been Fabian Schar’s ability to launch attacks from deep. He is proficient at line breaking passes, while his cross-field switches to Anthony Gordon have become a regular part of Howe’s play-book.
Thiaw is comfortable in possession and doesn’t panic when he is pressed. Although he does possess the ability to play a diagonal switch like Schar, he prefers to be safer in his distribution. This is underlined by his pass success rate of 93.2%. At Milan, he has become used to be being on the ball a lot, therefore he will help us move to a more possession-dominant style, especially against sides that set up in a deep block.
The former Schalke defender averages 4.96 progressive passes per ninety minutes. This ranks him in the 86th percentile for defenders. For comparison, Schar averages 3.62 per ninety minutes. Although Thiaw may play fewer Hollywood passes than our current defender, he is more likely to play shorter forward passes.
His long stride allows him to glide forward with the ball into midfield to open up passing lanes. Thiaw is comfortable carrying the ball when the opportunity opens up and he can be agile when challenged. His decision making on the ball is one of his strengths, as he is rarely dispossessed.
Mentality/character traits
Since he was young, Thiaw has been seen as a future captain. He is vocal in defence and helps to organise. One of his greatest strengths is his composure. He rarely rushes his decisions even when under pressure, as highlighted by his high pass completion.
Another impressive trait is his discipline. Thiaw prefers to stay on his feet and rely on his physical attributes to win a defensive duel, rather than lunge in with a tackle. This means he concedes few fouls and rarely picks up cards. In his three seasons in Italy, he has 12 yellow card and one red card.
Howe will enjoy the adaptability of Thiaw. The German is comfortable as the right-sided centre-back in a back four, while he can also be used in a back three. Further to this, he has played right back and defensive midfield at other points in his career. He is a player who likes to learn and continue to develop his own tactical knowledge.
Weaknesses
One of his greatest weaknesses is his turning speed. Due to his size, it can take a beat longer for him to turn and this can be a challenge when defending against an agile forward. This is unlikely to be noticeable to us, as we already have players with this weakness. Thiaw will prove to be more agile and mobile than Schar and Dan Burn.
Earlier we spoke about his ball retention being a strength. At times in his career, he has been criticised for being too safe on the ball, especially in games when he is playing against a low block. Thiaw possesses an impressive passing range, but he needs to be more confident to use it. This is a decision making that will improve with experience.
How will he fit in?
It was important that the club signed a centre back this summer. The current options all have their own flaws. Schar and Burn are ageing, while Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman are returning from serious injuries.
There has been a lack of mobility in the back line for a number of years. Thiaw provides a young and exciting option on the right-side of the defence.
It looks to be the perfect fit, as he can be used to partner Sven Botman. This is likely going to be the long-term plan, as Schar can’t be relied on to play three times a week any more.
At the age of 24, Thiaw’s ceiling is high and he is already at a very high level. He has all the physical and technical attributes that Howe likes. This could prove to be an excellent piece of business.
