LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug 2022
LISTENERS TO THE FOOTBALL Family podcast will be aware of the depths of co-presenter Shane Keegan’s ardour for Republic of Ireland midfielder Josh Cullen.
Thus it continued on last week’s show, as we looked ahead to the new English football season. Shane had this to say on Cullen’s signing for Burnley.
“In possession of the ball, out of possession, he absolutely has to be the dominant centre-midfielder in that division.”
So, are these the exaggerated claims of the wholly biased?
On the basis of Cullen’s debut for Burnley in the 1-0 win against Huddersfield on Friday night…absolutely not. He was outstanding, winning the Man of the Match award and hogging most of the individual stats, too. Cullen made and completed more passes than anyone else on the pitch, and his 93 touches was the second-most on the pitch.
Burnley’s performance caught the eye more broadly. Vincent Kompany seems to have affected a Vieira-at-Palace-style overhaul already. Burnley recorded more 70% possession (their highest since possession records began) and both attempted and completed more passes than in any game last season.
Cullen was central to it all, think of him as a kind of midfield viceroy for Kompany.
The manager admitted afterwards that one of the reasons he brought Cullen with him from Anderlecht was to make it easier to inculcate his ideas on the pitch, which is precisely what Cullen did against Huddersfield last Friday.
Burnley’s system was best described as a 4-2-3-1, with Cullen picked at the base of the midfield alongside Jack Cork. He did all of the neat, tidy work that we’ve seen him do so effectively for Ireland under Stephen Kenny, scuttling across midfield, popping passes and dictating the pace of play.
He also showcased the range of passing from deep that we’ve seen with Ireland. Here’s a first-half example. Cullen takes the ball from his goalkeeper, and spots right-back Connor Roberts in space.
He completes the pass but moves instantly, striding forward to take a return pass from his right-back.
Just as crucial as the run was the look that prefaced it. Cullen got his head up and looked around him before taking the pass from Roberts, and spotted a gap in the Huddersfield defence. He then played a terrific, first-time pass through that gap to send Ashley Barnes away.
Barnes didn’t make the most of the chance, and it ended with a challenge in the penalty area that looked suspiciously like a penalty on replay.
What was also notable was an aspect of his game we’ve seen less with Ireland: his ability to get forward. Cullen has played at the base of a midfield triangle in each of the last two games, and played in a sitting two – usually beside Jeff Hendrick – prior to that. Whereas Hendrick had the licence to get forward, Cullen usually got the job of sitting deep.
Based on Friday night’s evidence, it might be worth freeing him up a little more often, where his penetrative passing created a host of goalscoring chances.
Okay, no sniggering down the back, but one of the best statistics to measure said penetrative passing is titled, ‘Deep Completions’, which is defined as a non-cross that is made within 20 metres of the opponent’s goal. (You won’t be surprised that the best teams make the most of them: the five sides that made the most of these across Europe’s top five leagues last season were Bayern Munich, Man City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and PSG.)
Cullen made more of these Deep Completions than any other player in the Championship last weekend. They were usually a result of his pushing up to the edge of the opponent’s box. (Apologies from here on the lack of video clips, copyright infringement is zealously policed.)
Here’s an example from the first half.
Cullen pushes up to the edge of the Huddersfield box and takes a pass from Roberts, who moves forward as soon as he’s played the pass.
Cullen then lofts a gorgeous first-time pass through for the incoming Roberts…
..that sits up perfectly for him, but Roberts’ first-time shot is blocked by the goalkeeper at close-range.
Let’s take one more from the second-half. In another instance of KompanyBall, Cullen is among the Burnley players pushing up on the opposition goalkeeper.
Barnes half-blocks the kick, and it falls nicely for Brownhill. Again, like Roberts in the first-half, Brownhill decides to use Cullen inside him and continue a run into the penalty area.
Huddersfield’s defensive line is all over the shop and not pushing up for offside, so Cullen has the time to take a touch and then prod the ball through for Brownhill, who spurns the chance with a heavy touch of his own.
There’s a reason Cullen linked up so well with the right side of the Burnley attack. When Burnley attacked down that flank, it was his trigger to go forward and Jack Cork sat back. It was the opposite case when Burnley attacked down the left. The winning goal was scored by left-back Ian Maatsen, who broke forward to start and ultimately end the move.
It’s worth looking at Cullen’s small part in the move. When Maatsen begins to move forward, Cullen gives him the go-ahead to break forward by indicting he’ll cover in behind him.
Cullen then got a decent view of a fine goal.
Ian Maatsen with the 1st goal of the Championship 22/23 season. ⚽️💫 pic.twitter.com/U8iL1dDR3H
— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaLoanArmy) July 29, 2022
Burnley jealously guarded their pre-season friendlies and hit Huddersfield with an element of surprise on Friday night, but the secret is out now Anyone hoping to stop Burnley will have to stop Josh Cullen.
Good weekend for…
Limerick teenager Dara Costelloe made his full debut for Burnley in that very same game. He played off the right in the Burnley attack and ran himself into the ground, in a very ‘Dirk Kuyt at Liverpool’ role. He missed two very good chances to score in the first half, but can be encouraged by simply getting in those positions: only one player took more touches in the opposition box than Costelloe across the whole of the Championship on opening day.
Bad weekend for…
Jason Knight is, curiously, still at Derby County, who started life in League One with a 1-0 victory against Oxford. (Conor Hourihane scored the winner.) It might be unfair to say it was a bad weekend for Knight considering he played the whole game amid a pretty exuberant atmosphere, but he was picked at right-back, which is hardly ideal for his international prospects. Especially given his rivals for a spot in midfield are all playing above him in the Championship.
Irish play of the weekend
Okay, a lot of football fans are sceptical of praising players for ‘pre-assists’, ie the assist of the assist. But Jayson Molumby’s contribution to West Brom’s goal in the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough showed the virtue of the metric.
WHAT A DEBUT GOAL FOR JOHN SWIFT 👏 pic.twitter.com/N9dAj0RR9l
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) July 30, 2022