13 Jun 2016 12:23:19
To anyone who watches serie a. Could u please explain what type of player zielinski is and what his strengths and weaknesses are. I have not seen him play and i don't like watching youtube videos of players as it makes them good no matter what. cheers.

1.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 13:04:10
MK Scouser put up the following the other day:

"Zielinski in review:

A strong, skillful and direct runner from midfield, with sublime vision and good set piece delivery. Lacking in some defensive areas though. His mistimed tackles saw him banned twice last season for an indirect red card, and accumulating too many yellow cards. In total he got 5 stand alone bookings, plus the 2 in one match which got him sent off.

Of the 35 league games that Zielinski played last season for Empoli they won 12. A win rate of about 35%. Of the 3 games he missed, Empoli lost all 3 games and only managed 1 goal in the process. Zielinski was their key man in midfield when it came to initiating attacks and creating goal scoring opportunities. He created 52 chances in total. His ambition didn't damage his pass completion rate though as he maintained a respectable 82%. Without him in the side, Empoli were a much worse side.

His finishing is good for a 22 year old midfielder, but still needs work. He took 64 shots in total, with 22 on target and 30 off target. A further 12 were blocked so are excluded from his shot accuracy of 42%. In total he managed 5 goals from the 52 shots that weren't blocked, so his conversion rate is approximately 9%.

Despite his tackling needing work, he still managed an average output of 3 defensive actions per game and didn't make a single defensive error in his 35 games. He made a total of 55 interceptions, 45 clearances and 5 blocks. His tackle success rate sits at lowly 44%. He attempted a massive 124 tackles, but only 54 came off and 36 of them resulted in a free kick for the opposition. Despite standing at 1.8m tall, he also doesn't win many headers. In 58 duels, he only won 19 which represents just a 33% success rate.

He drags his overall duel success up though with his brilliant take on success. He attempted 131 take ons with 89 coming off at a 68% success rate. He is so difficult to stop that teams tend to just take him out. He won 31 free kicks.

In conclusion, he is an excellent offensive midfielder who can run with the ball just as effectively as he can pass it, but he needs to improve his tackling and finishing. His biggest strength though is going forward as he starts a lot of attacks and creates a lot of chances. He would definitely compliment Henderson and Can in a 3 man midfield, as whilst they are both very capable players, neither possess the skill and attacking flair that Zielinski boasts.

MK Scouser"

2.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 13:20:02
Is he rapid?

3.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 13:40:17
IMO, those stats being used don't justify the glowing comments. I've never seen him play but I hope he's at least half as good going forward as mentioned above.

Personally if he is as explained above I wouldn't even think he'd be worth going for but hopefully Klopp can work his magic if we do sign him.

4.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 14:04:18
Hi Sean, you should take the stats with a pinch of salt. I used them to give a greater insight into his strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately he played in a very average team at Empoli. I tend to base my opinions on watching the player, and then try and correlate what I see with the stats. Otherwise, me just saying he creates a lot of chances is quite simply an subjective statement you would just have to believe. By putting the stats as well, it gives you guys the opportunity to make your own opinions, and more accurately judge mine.

A 44% tackle success for example will actually stand up to most midfielders in Europe on purely a statistical front. But that stat doesn't show how poorly mistimed and clumsy the other 56% were!

5.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 14:20:42
Spot on, MK Scouser. Stats are worthless, IMO. Using your eyes are the best way to judge a player.

6.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 14:51:12
Hi Adam, I appreciate your insight and I hope he is as good as your opinion states as I do believe the stats to be quite poor to be honest.

For someone to play in the Central Attacking Midfield role I would expect more than 1.5 chances per game to be created. Hi shooting isn't great for a player of this position. Him being taken down less than one time a game isn't all that for someone running at people as well.

As I haven't seen him I'm relying on what you've said for some bit of insight. From that I would expect that he can't defend (poor tackling and fairly hopeless in the air for his height) and he isn't good enough going forward to warrant going for.

7.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 13:55:34
He's not what I would consider rapid. A bit like Emre Can. Fast enough to beat people, but we're not talking Vardy/ Walcott kind of pace.

I watched him a few times since it was said in January that he would sign in the summer. His preferred position is on the right of a midfield 3 but He can also play as a right winger or behind the striker though. Yesterday I also made the comment that he is like a poor mans Pogba. Because that basically sums up his playing style. Pogba is just more consistent and has a better end product. Empoli played a 4-3-1-2. Zielinski was the most attacking player of the midfield 3, and in the games I saw, his link up play with their 'number 10' (Saponara) was a joy to watch. I think Zielinski is exactly the sort of player we are missing. We need a player willing to take risks, and link our midfield to our forwards. I think we will link up really well with Firmino in particular next season.

In a better side, with more quality around him, I think he could be great. He won't get as much time on the ball in the Prem though, so I won't be surprised if he takes half a season to bed in like Firmino and Origi did.

He is completely different to every midfielder we have in the squad though. I believe the interest in Zielinski is a strong indication Klopp wants to play with 3 men in midfield next season. If the Mane interest is accurate as well, It points towards a 4-3-3 or possibly even a 4-3-1-2. So perhaps Klopp is looking to slightly adjust his method for the English game. We saw signs of him experimenting last season.

8.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 16:36:18
pace is not crucial in beating people especialy in tight areas. it is change of direction, flexibility, strenght on legs, and low center of gravity. if there is one player i would compare zielinski it would be luka modric in his age. that fast start to beat player in crucial midfield area and then great vision. he looks like someone special now it is up to klopp to finish the diamond. luka first played as attacking midfielder but as he matured started dictating from deep. zielinski only has to work hard and have luck with injuries. when you watch him he excites with every touch. special talent and if napoli and sarri want him that is just a proof :)

9.) 13 Jun 2016
13 Jun 2016 13:51:04
Don't think even his parent club Udinese rates him so high. He is hits an Ok midfielder playing in a very slow league. I don't understand the logic of replacing Allen ( A player who is not rated ) by another squad player? If any player brought in is not an upgrade on your current first teamer what's the logic?
This player at his best wouldn't displace neither Hendo or Can. Only the club and Klopp knows why we are after certain set of players who are always squad remedies.
Not sure where would this push Brannagan to?

Cheers.