Who Is Jarrad Branthwaite?
One of the most interesting aspects of the season would be observing which young players are ready to make the leap and highlight their immense footballing aptitude at the highest level.
The Premier League has been no different, with a plethora of under-21 talent not only occasionally impressing but shouldering incredible amounts of responsibility and burden in an attempt to achieve success for their side.
With a huge summer of international football on the horizon and international managers seemingly placing increased trust in more youthful options, we have seen an incredibly fast rate of development as the season draws to a close.
Jarrad Branthwaite is a player who epitomises this rapid rise, having established himself as an incredibly well-oiled Premier League defender with undoubtedly elite potential.
Having honed his skills by gaining valuable experience under Ruud van Nistelrooy at PSV, Branthwaite has returned to English football with a diverse skill set and the first-team experience ready to stave off the threat of relegation for Everton.
In fact, Sean Dyche would appear to have become incredibly dependent on the young Englishman, who has solidified the spine of an Everton team masking its offensive woes with high-level defending.
This tactical analysis and scout report will begin to address the aspects in which Branthwaite excels, with his defensive actions inspiring Gareth Southgate and earning him a first international call-up ahead of England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Our analysis will also showcase the potential next steps for the young central defender, having attracted elite suitors ahead of a huge summer move and the chance to further enhance his game with a fresh change of tactics and personnel.
Jarrad Branthwaite Style Of Play
The 23/24 season has brought about an increased level of responsibility for Branthwaite, with Dyche entrusting him with a regular starting berth.
Having cemented a solid central defensive partnership with James Tarkowski, Branthwaite has amassed a significant level of action in the Premier League, racking up a total of 2,250 minutes, behind only Burnley’s James Trafford and Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi.
His imposing physical frame stands tall at 6’5”, making him a handful for attackers to bypass, usually as a result of his proactive defending and intelligent positioning when attempting to regain possession.
Since Dyche has taken charge of this Everton side, we have seen his defensive structure underpinned by several values, which has been evident throughout his tenure at Burnley.
Out of possession, Everton looks to deploy a deeper low to mid-block, with the opportunity to display their resilient and combative defending style whilst making it frustrating for their opponent to progress into the final third.
Due to the compactness of their structure and the inability of the opponents to find space to operate between the lines, opposing sides often feel compelled to work the ball wider and look to attack the box from the flanks.
This complements the attributes of Branthwaite very nicely, who has been proficient in the air not only due to his increased verticality but also his ability to clear the ball from potential danger.
So far this season, Branthwaite has recorded 2.56 aerial duels won per 90, with an overall aerial duel success rate of 65.3%.
Whilst this figure doesn’t stand out as exceptional, it begins to highlight how Branthwaite can be useful and has begun to make an impact in his first real season in the Premier League.
For all of Branthwaite’s ability in the air, he additionally impresses in other aspects of the defensive phase, dispelling the notion that his stature may negatively impact his mobility.
His increased length bodes incredibly well when looking to be forceful in the challenge, with incredible recovery speed and the reach advantage to excel at various tackling angles in an attempt to win the ball back quickly.
Branthwaite’s ground game has been the stand-out element of his defensive showings this season, having achieved 3.64 tackles and interceptions per 90 in addition to 5.76 ball recoveries on average each match.
Despite his side’s intentions to retreat and soak up pressure, Branthwaite’s willingness to step up and be proactive in pressing his marking assignments can benefit from the structural solidity of the rest of his defensive line.
As shown in the image below, even when tasked with containing world-class strikers like Erling Haaland, Branthwaite is incredibly comfortable shadowing the movement of the forward and enjoys being tight enough to use his imposing frame to gain an edge over the striker.
He has excelled in denying space for the striker to operate, stepping up in the knowledge his physical prowess can get him out of trouble should things take a turn, with Haaland being forced to return the ball back to Stones due to his progression being denied.
An element of his defence that can be counterproductive would be his aggressive nature, resulting in a loss of discipline due to possible overcommitment in the challenge.
He has yet to show that he is the polished article, but his world-class potential is certainly intriguing some of Europe’s best.
Jarrad Branthwaite Defending in transition
In instances where Everton are caught outside their usual solid shape, Branthwaite’s physical attributes work well to mask areas of momentary weakness with his ability to defend in transition.
With Dyche’s side having impressed with their underlying defensive numbers this campaign, a goals conceded per 90 figure of 1.39 (4th best) and expected goals conceded figure of 43.85 ( 6th best) see them matching the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, despite being stuck in a battle for Premier League survival.
Their offensive woes are a story for another time.
Still, their ability to be productive in all the defensive phases is again exemplified by Branthwaite’s ability to frustrate the opposition in quick transitions.
His explosive pace and extended reach are not normally highlighted as much when Everton sits deeper but are extremely crucial when having to recover in transition.
In their recent trip to Old Trafford, Garnacho can be seen finding space in behind and progressing the ball with intent to drive into the penalty area.
Branthwaite was able to display his defensive intelligence and recovery pace, sliding across with the intent of delaying the Argentine’s run.
His perfectly timed sliding tackle created hesitation for the forward, denying both optimal passing and shooting lanes and allowing him to flick the ball to safety where Everton could regain possession.
Branthwaite’s defensive versatility is also very reassuring because of his ability to mould to different defensive systems in the future — whether it be for the club or the country.
His proficiency with both feet makes him invaluable, as he remains comfortable playing across the entire defensive line.
Having the ability to slide across and cover the left flank with Mykolenko caught higher up the pitch, Branthwaite could showcase his defensive capabilities out wide, not only against modern number 9s but also dynamic mobile wingers like Jarrod Bowen.
Once again, Branthwaite came out on top, denying Bowen’s movement into the box and blocking a necessary cross with a well-timed sliding tackle.
Jarrad Branthwaite Room for improvement in possession
A hallmark of an elite modern-day central defender is an ability to be effective in possession, whether it be through progressive carrying or top-level distribution.
Whilst he has shown glimpses of effectiveness when playing out from the back, it is an area of Branthwaite’s games that appears would benefit from further development.
In this Everton side, Branthwaite is often entrusted with being the ball-player in the first phase of build-up play, looking for longer passes forward to evade oncoming pressure.
Partially resulting from his team’s direct style forcing the ball out quickly and a lack of elite composure on the ball, Branthwaite’s long passing completion only stands at 52.3% (35th percentile for Premier League centre-backs).
There are signs that this area of his game can be improved upon, with his long passing often looking to release wider players into isolated scenarios or dropping it between the lines for Calvert-Lewin or Beto to hold up.
Before the recent international break, Branthwaite led his side with 34 build-up involvements in shot-ending sequences, highlighting how he can be effective without being directly involved in the attack.
It begs the question of whether or not this Everton style is actually becoming a hindrance to his ball-playing qualities, which were much more effective when playing in a ball-dominant side like PSV.
His underlying figures were much more impressive, albeit playing at a weaker standard, where he enjoyed the majority of possession.
For example, his passes into the final third jump from 1.60 for Everton to 3.57 at PSV, with his overall passing completion dropping from 86.9% last campaign to 79.1% this year.
As shown in the image below, Branthwaite can continue to be productive in carrying more of the ball, driving into space and unlocking a killer by splitting the defensive line.
Jarrad Branthwaite Potential Transfer Options
Due to Everton experiencing a period of financial scrutiny, the consensus would suggest that they may cash in on their young starlet who would certainly not come cheaply.
With this in mind, it is interesting to consider which sort of defensive systems and future clubs Branthwaite would be best suited to and which could look to enhance his apparent flaws.
His incredible versatility bodes well for the future clubs willing to invest a large transfer sum on the English defender, who can play numerous roles at a high standard.
Branthwaite has become a standout summer option to represent Manchester United & INEOS’s youthful rebuild, with a desire to invest in youth talent with a view to the future.
He has displayed just how effective he can also be in a ball-dominant side with the propensity to sit much higher up the pitch.
Manchester United fans would find comfort in his electric pace, bailing him out of dangerous scenarios, and the sweeping tendencies of goalkeeper André Onana, allowing the Englishman to remain proactive in his pressing efforts and inject life into the United defence.
Branthwaite’s ball progression would certainly be an alarming aspect for Erik ten Hag, but with his talent using both feet, he could easily partner with a much more progressive defender like Lisandro Martínez by playing on the right of their partnership.
Whilst he has displayed a highly mature level of defensive leadership at such a young age, a deployment in a three-man defence would also benefit Branthwaite, who would play as the LCB and enjoy more freedom to work on his talents in possession.
We identified that Gleison Bremer from Juventus was of a similar style to Branthwaite, although Bremer certainly appears to excel in offensive progression with increased experience at an elite club.
Branthwaite’s defensive solidity would be invaluable in variations of the 3-5-2/5-3-2, with the awareness and IQ to cover vacated space and having progressive outlets such as an attack-minded wing-back and an orchestrating number 6 who can reduce defensive strain and dictate play from the central areas.
Another interesting role that he could play would be the role of a left central defender in a system which relies on an inverted left full-back to benefit build-up.
Much like we see with Borussia Dortmund and Nico Schlotterbeck shifting wider to allow Ian Maatsen to come centrally, Branthwaite has shown his value when playing closer to the sidelines and would remain a resolute figure to resist the opposition press with more effective passing outlets.
Not only can he find a direct passing outlet towards the left wing, but his ability to shift the ball inside would open up more options in the middle third, avoiding the need to play risky long passes.
Now we know that the difference between Schlotterbeck and Branthwaite is night and day when it comes to passing ability, but with a change in mentality when it comes to distribution, could we see the Englishman realising his potential as ‘the complete defender’?
Conclusion
This breakout year has come at a perfect moment for Jarrad Branthwaite, as his excellent defensive displays have certainly boosted his public perception ahead of a crucial summer in his footballing career.
Euro 2024 may come a bit too soon for him to showcase his talents on the international stage, but he will surely feature for his country in tournaments to come should he remain on the same path.
The question surrounding Braithwaite would surely revolve around his work with the ball.
Still, I would suggest that his capabilities have not been aided by the tactical setup he represents for his club.
Having proven to be very adaptable for both club and country, it will be fascinating to see who bites the bullet on Branthwaite, who has been a beacon of hope in Everton’s dismal season.
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