‘He puts others in position’

Friday, February 26, 2021 at 12:22 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 12:31

Brian Brobbey has already announced his transfer-free departure at Ajax, but Erik ten Hag nevertheless continues to make regular use of the nineteen-year-old striker. Brobbey was also extremely important for the team from Amsterdam against Lille OSC (2-1), by putting the ball with his head ready for David Neres in his raid. Brobbey has an unprecedented average when it comes to goals and assists per minute played.

In the last week, Ten Hag hinted in the media that he was still hoping for a longer stay for Brobbey, who has now passed Lassina Traoré in the pecking order. The physically strong center forward came into the field against Lille in the 55th minute. Brobbey helped his team as a focal point and soon prepared enormous opportunities for Dusan Tadic and Davy Klaassen. They didn’t go in, but in the 88th minute Brobbey got an assist to his name. The attacker headed the ball back at the far post in front of the goal mouth, so that Neres could easily finish it from close range.

The top scooters of Ajax in the 2020/21 season

PLAYER MINUTES GOALS ASSISTS TOTAL GOALS / ASSISTS PER MINUTE
Brian Brobbey 195 3 2 5 39
Lassina Traoré 713 8 8 16 45
Klaas Jan Huntelaar* 420 7 1 8 53
Sébastien Haller 785 7 5 12 65
Dusan Tadic 2,591 15 16 31 84
Zakaria Labyad 1,263 8 5 13 97
Antony 1,958 9 9 18 109
Davy Klaassen 2,257 9 4 13 173
Quincy Promes * 1,349 6 1 7 193

* No longer active for Ajax.

Ten Hag also thought Brobbey made an excellent impression. “With that change we also got a bit more air”, the Ajax coach said at the press conference afterwards. “We created a starting point, but he is also good in depth and with crosses. He also brings in Tadic, then Klaassen and then Neres, who finishes at 2-1.” Ten Hag was again asked about a possible longer stay for his pupil, who has announced not to extend his expiring contract. “You shouldn’t talk about that on a night like this. He’s at Ajax and he wants to perform with these guys and win a bit. Next year is next year.”

Not for the first time Brobbey had a considerable share in Ajax’s good result in a short raid. Last week in Lille, the striker managed to put the 1-2 on the scoreboard in the eighteen minutes that had been reserved for him. Brobbey is this season after only 195 minutes played on 3 goals and 2 assists. With that he achieves a better average than any Ajax player.

Every 39 minutes that he was on the field at Ajax this season, Brobbey was good for a goal or an assist and even trumps Lassina Traoré. Brobbey’s competitor, who often had a basic place at Ajax at the start of the season, also scores excellent with an average of 45 minutes per goal / assist. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has since left for Schalke 04, achieved an average of 53 minutes per goal or assist as a ‘supersub’. Record purchase Sébastien Haller delivers on average one hit or assist every 65 minutes. Dusan Tadic, who barely misses a minute, is also doing well with 84 minutes per goal or assist.