The least celebrated player in Europe’s most exciting team
Sarri’s Napoli were already arguably one of the most entertaining, if not the most entertaining, side in Europe. Now they’ve managed to evolve into one of the best teams in Europe as well. It’ll be one of those iconic teams we’ll all tell our kids and grandkids about. And when I say we, I mean pretty much everyone with a passion for football — the amount of content produced around this fascinating side means that even if you’re not a Serie A aficionado you will be aware of pretty much every characteristic of this team’s playstyle and personnel.
Reina acts as a sweeper keeper behind the duo of Koulibaly the experienced Albiol. Hysaj came with Sarri from Empoli to be the full back on the right, while Ghoulam on the left has even more license to burst forward. Jorginho recycles possession from the deeper role in midfield like few I’ve ever seen, while Marek Hamsik bombs forward from midfield to help the front trio. Insigne and Callejon with their characteristic movements of cutting in and arriving at the back post specifically, while Mertens keeps scoring an insane rate since being moved infield.
This is how the team is described, yet they play with eleven, not ten. That last player missing is Allan — one of the most under-rated players in football and who I want to talk about here. I’ve even seen a lot more people talk about Zielinski — the other option for Allan’s spot — than about him. While the polish playmaker is very talented, someone once told me to try and analyse what is the perspective that leads to things being enforced the way they are, instead of asking why they’re not. The Brazilian is the 9th player with most minutes in the league for Sarri’s side, so let’s try to figure out why.
The intricate, passing-heavy, style of play with a mobile attack that produces goals like few other teams do, is Napoli’s trademark, but it’s not all they are. The side based in Fuorigrotta lead Europe’s Top 5 leagues in Expected Goals against p/90 — with only 0.46 and a significant difference to the second place’s 0.62. They went from often being exposed during their press and compensating for their defensive blunders with their attack, to being the best defensive team in Europe in this season’s first couple of months — having Allan in what is probably the best run of form of his career has had a tremendous impact on that.
Allan is a 26-year-old Brazilian, product of Vasco da Gama’s academy, who is uncapped at senior level and who, before Napoli, spent time in the Granada-Udinese carousel. In Udine he was mostly used in a deeper, more defensive-midfield-like, role but not anymore. A technician, whose passing ability is the heartbeat to the Partenopei’s playstyle, is preferred in the deeper role — Jorginho, Diawara, Validifiori -, so the Brazilian actually plays further forward. In the right of the trio, connecting the aforementioned Jorginho and the captain Hamsik who takes up the more offensive role on the left.
The more I watch him, the more I understand why he is tough to admire at first glance. He has just as much responsibility off the ball as he does on it and he’s not particularly graceful when in possession — plus he is in the middle of one of the most talented squads on the planet, he won’t stand out. That said, he is essential for others to thrive. He’s an important part of the team’s press and, although he is well known for his defensive work, he’s had a completely different impact in the team’s offensive game this season.
The sample is extremely small and should be interpreted carefully, even more so due to the kind of opponents that Napoli have been facing early on, but there are some interesting numbers to look at regardless. His passing has been on point, while being an outstanding ball-carrier — a key part of Napoli’s lightning quick offensive transitions and often breaking through deep blocks himself. He’s had a few more chances to score himself, with his own XG/90 going up 0.20 from last season — although this is likely again due to the type of matches Napoli has had and not so much something we expect to see from here on out.
He has been quietly becoming a well-rounded midfielder and I’m hoping this will bring some more appreciation for him and his technical ability. Napoli will be looking into getting him a new deal, as he is in the peak of his powers and will have his contract running out at the end of next season. And finally, for some reason which I’m yet to figure out, Allan also has Portuguese nationality. He hasn’t played for Brazil since the U20’s and I would seriously be giving him a phone a call if I was the Portuguese Federation.
