Ousseynou Ndiaye (’98) CM — Bourg-en-Bresse
Ousseynou Ndiaye is a promising CM on-loan at Bourg-en-Bresse in the French Championnat National 1 (tier 3) from Olympique Lyonnais.
Ndiaye has played as a DM in a 4–3–3, LCM in a 4–4–2 diamond, CAM in a 4–2–3–1 and in a double pivot in a 4–2–3–1 and 4–4–2. Whilst his technical and physical ability has been central to his success this season, he has some important improvements to make defensively and in his off the ball movement and positional understanding if he is to step up to the next level.
In Possession
Ndiaye is one of the best CM ball progressors in the division, winning a comparatively high number of attacking duels and frequently being able to penetrate the opposition with progressive and smart passes.
But what does this actually look like in a game scenario and how does it help Bourg-en-Bresse to win football matches (though they haven’t been winning many lately!)?
The first thing that stands out about Ndiaye is his unbelievable ability and relentless desire to find forward passes over a range of distances that penetrate defensive structures.
This is something that he is frequently able to do operating in the DM role for Bourg-en-Bresse, particularly when coming up against low blocks who operate zonally, therefore giving him time and space to identify and pick out forward runners rather than simply retaining possession. He is a player who constantly takes risks that so far have been paying off.
The next question that arises is - how good is he at creating passing angles and receiving the ball whilst Bourg attempt to build-out from the back?
This is where he shows some slight inconsistencies with his off the ball movement to create passing angles whilst the opposition presses high.
As shown in the video above, Bourg find themselves outnumbered whilst building out, which is problematic as creating overloads is fundamental to being able to successfully play out.
Ndiaye fails to recognise this, and instead of occupying the space in front of his marker, he stays outside of him, therefore not supporting his teams build up play by helping to eliminate the defensive overload.
Similar situations arose across the five games analysed for this piece where Ndiaye showed an underdeveloped positional understanding of how he could support his teammate in possession whilst under pressure.
The clip below outlines another aspect of his play that has made him important for Bourg in being able to play out from the back and helps to explain his high offensive duel win %: his ability to quickly change direction with the ball using body feints and accelerations over short distances.
The clip above also shows how his desire to constantly penetrate with progressive passes can be a slight hindrance sometimes, as he’ll often avoid playing sideways passes that in this case would alleviate the pressure from the opposition’s high press.
The clip below also shows his ability to quickly change direction with the ball to create passing angles when marked:
As a CAM in a 4–2–3–1 I believe he has been less effective in possession. It inhibits his ability to break down an opponents defensive structure whilst in possession and in transition by picking up the ball deep and playing aggressive forward passes with the play in front of him. In addition, he doesn’t show a natural inclination to arrive late in the box, limiting his goal threat.
Out of Possession
Whilst in possession as a DM, Ndiaye has been very effective in his team being able to penetrate by finding players in forward areas, however he has some important areas to improve in his defensive technique and understanding.
The graph below shows that his defensive numbers are lagging behind other National 1 CM’s.
So, what are the reasons behind this and how can he improve technically, tactically and physically?
Physically he has the attributes to be a good defensive midfielder at a higher level. He has decent physical strength, great balance and good acceleration that he can maintain over mid-long distances. So his physical attributes are not the issue which is very promising if he is to step up a level.
The key issues with Ndiaye’s defensive numbers are technical.
As shown below, Ndiaye often falls into body position square to the ball carrier that:
(1) leaves him in an immobile body shape to react to changes of direction.
(2) Makes him unable to force the opposition to play in a certain direction that enables his team to successfully stop the opposition from progressing or exploiting an overload that they have on one side.
This is also shown in central areas below, where his square body position means that he unable to close down the ball carrier and cut off an opponent’s teammate by forcing the play one way.
Overall Thoughts
Ndiaye has massively overperformed this season in what has been a breakout season in the National 1.
His physical and technical attributes mark him out as a player ready for a Ligue 2 loan move if he continues in the same vein this season.
If he is able to iron out his technical defensive deficiencies in addition to a stronger tactical understanding whilst his team have the ball, Ndiaye can without a doubt become a successful DM at a higher level, which is the position I believe he is best suited for.
A final thing to consider. One thing I have noticed about the National 1 is the zonal nature of the league. Teams tend to set up in zonal structures as opposed to man-marking the opposition CM’s. Inevitably, this leads to players like Ndiaye having a bit more space to receive in the pocket, in contrast to for example the English Football League, where teams generally are more man-orientated.
Adapting to another more man-orientated league like those in England would be difficult and take time, however Ndiaye’s balance and overall physical attributes combined with technical ability mean that I believe he could make the change, although it would take time to adapt.
I hope that you enjoyed this analysis on National 1 CM Ousseynou Ndiaye of Bourg-en-Brasse! Remember to subscribe for more analysis on Europe’s up and coming lower league prospects!
