Adama Traoré in the Premier League

Catalonia’s Television documentary Marcats per Messi (marked by Messi) is a perfect example of how the Argentinian’s ascended from lower divisions without caring about his age. It’s told in first-person by his first teammates at La Masía, who played two matches with him and, after his injury, wouldn’t see him again. A meteoric promotion that matched Messi’s football superiority over his partners and rivals, and his necessity of challenge his potential in order to push it to the limits. Another kind of superiority, in this case, physical, has been displayed recently by Adama Traoré, to the point of having no equal in the second division of Spanish football. Economically dry, almost all of the teams that play in the Liga Adelante are not able to keep having everything a fan pays for in today’s top football, be it a goal, a promising future, or, also, an influential physique. With things going like that, Adama has not had an equal to face in his last formative years. Even in a bad season, both individually and collectively, he ended the season as Europe’s top dribbler, partially because no one made him do something different. The feeling that remains today is that it would’ve behooved him.

To avoid getting stuck in the specialist issue, the youngster’s football lacks plenty of things, especially those regarding inside playmaking, relationships with the closest teammates, finishing or ball-less football. Those qualities that he didn’t have to use before because no one matched him in power and sprint. He arrives to the Premier League now, the competition of the rich men and, as such, the one that’s most able to take hold of every virtue that could give an advantage, including the physical ones. In England, Traoré will now definitely find bodies like his, but the style that’s played in the islands will benefit him, or go against him, depending on how you look at it. The Adama that leaves the Miniestadi, will find the best scenario for not changing or tingling in the spaces, the open pace and the one-on-one tendency on the Premier League, to be what he has been and what he is right now. Besides that, it is weird to find in England a team with no tall forwards to which they can cross the ball from the sides after conquering in defense. Definitely, a very advantageous environment to polish his strong points, but probably one in which the skinny ones won’t improve, maybe a destination for the present instead of the future.

· Adama en la Premier League

Translator: Daniel Ramos