OTHER What did Jérémy Taravel change in Anderlecht's tactics? A Het Nieuwsblad journalist analysed the Mauve-and-White's matches through a tactical lens and finds that Taravel has shifted Thorgan Hazard's position, which has helped the midfield perform better. Under Besnik Hasi and Will Still, Hazard was used as the most offensive player in the midfield triangle. The 32-year-old, however, is not the most mobile and his defensive output is limited.
The consequence: after losing possession Anderlecht was vulnerable in central areas. Taravel fixed that by dropping Nathan De Cat deeper and bringing Enric Llansana into the starting eleven. De Cat, Saliba and Llansana are among the players who cover the most ground in our league; Hazard is only mid-table in that regard. De Cat also averages 8.2 defensive actions per match, while Hazard manages just 5.1.
With the trio of Llansana, Saliba and De Cat, Anderlecht's midfield can cover far more territory. The team plays more compact and is more dominant in the middle. The style of play is reminiscent of Union last season: with Sadiki, Van de Perre and Van Houtte they had a similar type of midfield.
Hazard is on average involved in 3.7 actions per game that lead to a big chance — more than double the league average. Because Hazard is required to defend less, he can focus more on his offensive contributions.
Source: © Internal source
