Following the Saudi Public Investment Funds takeover at Newcastle in 2021, there have been numerous comings and goings at St James’ Park.
While big money has been spent on established Premier League players such as Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, one player acquisition that may have slipped under the radar is Gambian, Yankuba Minteh.
Danish outfit Odense BK first gave the 19-year-old winger his opportunity on the continent.
In his debut, and ultimately sole season in Denmark, he impressed.
His performances garnered interest from Newcastle, and he subsequently made the move to Tyneside for a reported €7m fee.
However, given his youth and inexperience at the top level, Newcastle opted to send the winger out on loan to the reigning Eredivisie champions, Feyenoord, over the summer.
Minteh has continued his impressive form in the Netherlands, and with the mounting injury crisis currently gripping Eddie Howe’s side, there has been speculation that Minteh could be recalled in the January transfer window.
This tactical analysis and scout report will assess Minteh’s form at OB and how he has improved at Feyenoord.
We will also provide an analysis of Newcastle’s tactics to determine how Minteh could be utilised in the North East.
Yankuba Minteh Style Of Play & Radar Map
Minteh made an immediate impact at OB as it only took three minutes into his debut, after coming on as a substitute, to net his first goal for the club.
This goal was enough to seal three points for his side at the expense of Copenhagen.
To put into context the enormity of the strike, OB went on to lose the reverse fixture 7-0 later in the season.
The youngster went on to net four goals and provide four assists in the Superliga.
Whilst respectable statistics, it was Minteh’s all-round game that attracted the attention of Newcastle.
A look at the above pizza plot shows how strong Minteh’s attacking and defensive credentials were during his time at Odense.
Minteh primarily operates on the right wing but favours his left foot.
He is, however, unpredictable as he doesn’t always look to invert inside on his favoured left.
The 19-year-old ranked in the 97th percentile for dribbles per 90 and thrives in one-on-one situations.
A key asset of the youngsters is his pace, which made him really stand out in the Superliga.
The images show that Minteh was on par with the opposition as the counterattack started.
However, as the ball progressed and Minteh continued with his run, the winger was left with acres of space as the opposition could not keep up with his speed.
As the ball was eventually played across to Minteh, he was able to dispatch a first-time effort, demonstrating his calmness on the ball coupled with maturity beyond his years.
In addition to his physical attributes, what made Minteh a cut above compared to other young players in the Superliga, was his tactical awareness.
Out of possession, Minteh would often engage in a high press as he completed 30 counterpressing recoveries and nine dangerous recoveries during his time in Denmark.
This equated to 2.2 counterpressing recoveries per 90 and 0.67 dangerous recoveries per 90.
As the opposition’s pass goes astray, following the youngster’s press, Minteh’s pace ensures he gets to the ball first before the advancing goalkeeper.
The winger then slipped a pass towards his teammate, who advanced with the ball before scoring.
Not only was Minteh’s pressing play impressive, but the fact he had the presence of mind to pass to a teammate better positioned than him shows the unselfish nature of his play.
This unselfish approach will have undoubtedly caught Newcastle’s attention, given that one of Howe’s principles is always to put the team’s interests before personal interests.
New levels at Feyenoord
Although Minteh fits an athletic profile, given his inexperience, Newcastle immediately loaned the young winger out and opted for Arne Slot’s Feyenoord.
But why Feyenoord?
The Eredivisie has a history of progressing young players.
Waalwijk currently have the oldest average squad age in the Dutch top tier at only 26.9, whereas 11 Premier League sides have a higher average age than this.
As well as the opportunities afforded in the Netherlands top tier, Feyenoord competed in this season’s Champions League.
Minteh has subsequently featured against Atlético Madrid and Celtic.
The quality of this opposition is reminiscent of the type of opposition Minteh would expect to play at Newcastle.
For instance, at the time of writing, Atlético’s Opta power ranking is just two below Liverpool; Celtic are ranked eight positions above Luton.
Moreover, Feyenoord adopt a fluid attacking style, alternating between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations.
The latter mirrors Newcastle’s setup.
To exemplify their attacking dominance in the Eredivisie, only league leaders PSV have scored more goals at the time of writing.
Slot’s side are also versatile in their attacking approach, as they top the division for build-up attacks but are also in the top five clubs for direct attacks this season.
A further strength of Feyenoord’s attacking play is their high turnovers, which they have completed 177 so far this campaign, the third highest in the division.
It is a style of play reminiscent of Newcastle who have completed 159 high turnovers this season, placing them in the top five this season for high turnovers in England’s top tier.
This progressive style suits Minteh, who instinctively always looks to go forward.
The 19-year-old is reaping the rewards of this playing style.
With only half the season gone, he has already scored four goals and provided two assists; his overall play has progressed since his time at OB.
The pizza plot shows that despite playing in a superior league compared to last campaign, Minteh has markedly improved his possession-based game, and his shots per 90 have increased from the 51st percentile in the Superliga to the 97th percentile in the Eredivisie, suggesting a growing confidence.
Another marked improvement has been the percentage of aerial duels won from the 35th percentile to the 93rd percentile.
Whilst the defensive side of his game hasn’t been quite at the same heights as his peers in Holland compared to those in Denmark, he is not one to shy away from the defensive work.
The scatter plot shows that Minteh is winning more tackles per 90 and more interceptions per 90 compared to the average forward player in the Netherlands top tier.
Moreover, Minteh has won 1.75 tackles in the defensive third per 90, 0.79 tackles per 90 in the mid-third, and 0.95 tackles per 90 in the attacking third for Feyenoord this season.
Minteh ranks top of the division for tackles won in the attacking third of the pitch for players who have featured for at least five 90s.
This is an impressive statistic considering Feyenoord’s dominance on the ball, averaging 62.1% possession.
It demonstrates Minteh’s work ethic and athleticism.
The graphic shows that the Newcastle loanee’s defensive duties have primarily occurred near the touchline on the right-hand channel this campaign.
This conforms with Feyenoord’s play, who look to narrow the pitch out of possession.
The defensive work by Minteh since his move to the Netherlands shows his discipline when out of possession, but there is no doubt that his strength has been his ability to drive the attacking phases of play for his side.
The table highlights how well Minteh’s performances have been in an attacking sense this campaign.
Given his ability to dribble with the ball, it is not surprising that he ranks so highly for his progressive play.
The graphic shows that when receiving the ball, the youngster has a tendency to aim for the right-hand side of the box.
Some of these runs are being made relatively deep from the middle third of the pitch.
It demonstrates how vital Minteh is in aiding his sides’ transitional play.
The previous tables showed that the winger had been a significant contributor to Feyenoord’s shot and goal-creating actions.
Minteh received the ball on the right wing in the middle third but drove forward toward the box before laying the ball off to Quinten Timber.
Timber subsequently passed out to Santiago Giménez, who doubled Feyenoord’s lead.
Minteh’s initial movement with the ball advanced his side forward and drew the opposition’s defence towards him, which in turn left Giménez with space on the right-hand side.
Although Minteh didn’t provide the assist, he instigated the attack.
The youngsters’ overall improvement and match contributions indeed ensure Newcastle have a tough decision come January on whether to recall the winger.
Where Minteh fits in on Tyneside
Newcastle’s squad has been tested this season, and with a constant injury list, some players have featured particularly heavily, including forwards Gordon and Miguel Almirón.
As the season progresses, Howe may very well opt to recall Minteh to lessen the load for these two players.
Although Minteh has predominantly played on the right wing in Holland, the heatmaps show he was not averse to featuring on the left at OB.
His versatility and tendency to adopt interchanging positions around the box at Feyenoord could be a key asset for Howe, providing an unpredictable outlook in his front three.
Newcastle look to play progressive balls down the channels, and the midfield three often look to play progressive diagonal passes towards the wider players of the attacking front three.
With the 19-year-old’s improved aerial ability and pace, such passing could cause problems for the opposition.
Minteh wins the header and outpaces the defender as the ball is switched long from the defence.
The defender can backtrack but concedes a corner.
The winger’s athleticism ensured his side caused a threat from a seemingly innocuous ball forward.
It shows, with Minteh’s pace, how alert the opposition has to be, and teams may think twice about playing a high defensive line, noting the youngsters’ pace.
The signs point to Minteh’s ability to link up with his teammates.
Newcastle look to utilise the wider individuals in the forward three, and Minteh fits perfectly into this due to his strong ability to dribble and take on opponents.
Moreover, looking at the above graphic shows Newcastle tend to cross from within the box.
It was previously demonstrated that Minteh often drives into this area to provide crosses into the box.
Therefore, Minteh’s attacking play and Newcastle’s attacking positions look like a perfect match.
However, there are weaknesses to Minteh’s game, notably his passing ability.
However, under the guidance of Gordon and Almirón, the Gambian international may well be able to improve this element of his play.
Alimrón tends to play intelligent passes when inverting from the right-hand side into the penalty area.
The Paraguayan is also adept at playing through balls, as seen here, playing through for the advancing Gordon.
On the other hand, Minteh has a tendency to attempt a shot or play sloppy passes when inverting inside.
At times, his passing seems a bit hurried because he attacks at such a pace.
However, there is undoubtedly scope for his possession play to improve on his return to Tyneside.
If Minteh is to make the grade, he will be required to take notes from his counterparts.
After all, the other non-negotiable rules that Howe instils in his side is always to do your best and be willing to learn and improve.
The 19-year-old has been vocal in the past about looking to learn from others, though, which is an encouraging sign for the Geordie faithful.
Whilst Minteh showed tactical awareness at OB, it could be haphazard at times.
However, his pressing has become more disciplined whilst plying his trade in the Eredivisie.
The above image shows that Minteh will help out his teammates deep within his half in addition to pressing further up the pitch.
His willingness to retreat back towards the defensive third is reminiscent of Almirón at Newcastle.
Newcastle will often defend in numbers to retrieve possession, and it can involve an effort from the front men if needed.
Almirón is seen here chasing back to ensure his side outnumber Spurs and narrow the play, making it harder for the opposition to work their way into the box.
Minteh could be well suited to life in the North East and undoubtedly possesses huge potential.
The following graph — displaying his player potential score out of 100 via TransferLab projected over what would likely be his career-span — shows the heights that the youngster could reach over the years to come.
Considering Minteh’s current young age, the plot shows that he is not even at his peak yet.
His quality is only set to rise.
It would seem that whether this season or next, there is an exciting prospect lined up at St James’ Park.
Conclusion
In this tactical analysis and scout report, we have seen how Minteh’s speed and his ability on the wing during his time in Denmark caught the attention of Newcastle.
The youngster was a relatively raw talent, and this analysis has shown that he has improved following his loan move to Feyenoord.
This analysis has further shown how Minteh could adapt to life at St James’ Park.
While there is room for improvement, the 19-year-old could add extra versatility to Howe’s frontline.
Whether he will be recalled this season remains to be seen, but don’t be too surprised if Yankuba Minteh is talked about a lot more in 2024.
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