Scouting Report: Does Ola Toivonen Spell the End for Nelson Oliveira at Rennes?
What repercussions does Rennes forward Ola Toivonen, a signing from PSV Eindhoven,ย have on Benfica loanee Nelson Oliveira? Here is a scouting report on Oliveira's season with Rennes thus far and what Toivonen adds to Philippe Montanier's Rennes team.
The End Forย Oliveira?ย
Heading into this season,ย Oliveira had never scored 10 or more league goals in a single campaign on loan stints atย Rio Ave, Pacos Ferreira and Deportivo de La Coruna.ย
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You can imagine Benfica supporters beingย pleasantlyย surprised when their loanee, a habitual underachiever since the 2011ย FIFA U-20 World Cup, scored seven goals in his first 11 Ligue 1 games.ย
Suddenly, the theory ofย Oliveira being a flat-track bully at the youth level did not hold up.
The confidenceย Montanier instilled inย Carlos Vela at Real Sociedadโhe scored 26 goals under Montanier compared to 11 under Arsene Wenger at Arsenalโwas reproduced inย Oliveira.
What has derailedย Oliveira from becoming aย breakout star atย Rennes can be illustrated in theย snippets of immaturity he has displayed this season.
Oliveira's two yellow cards in a 2-0 defeat toย Guingamp were daft.ย
He had already been booked for foulingย Guingamp centre-midfielderย Lionel Mathis and then conceded two further free-kicks.ย
That was the context leading up toย Oliveira trippingย Guingamp centre-forwardย Christophe Mandanne, which produced a second yellow card from refereeย Lionel Jaffredo.ย Five minutes later,ย Mandanne created a goal forย Mustapha Yatabare andย Guingamp went 2-0 up.ย
Ifย thereย was one game to encapsulateย Oliveira's season, it would be the 1-1 draw againstย Marseille.
He was put through on goal by teammateย Jonathan Pitroipa,ย Marseille goalkeeperย Steve Mandanda had waved the white flag and centre-backย Nicolas N'Koulou was in the process of tumbling over.
Inexplicably,ย Oliveiraย attempted a back-heel and it deflected off a groundedย N'Koulou, who then athletically cleared the ball off the line.
Allย Oliveira needed to do was trap the ball and tap it in.ย
Heย compensated by rocketing aย shot pastย Mandanda.
As was typical when discussing Oliveira, however,ย the talking point was notย his great goal. It was what happened later in the game.
Mandanda, who was off his line before the penalty was taken, savedย Oliveira's spot-kick.
Three months after that ill-advised back-heel and missed penalty,ย Oliveira has yet to score in league play.ย
He clearly did notย takeย inย Montanier's comments.ย
"We still lack the consistency which would allow us to improve still further," Montanier toldย Ligue1.com. "It's up to us to up our game, because we can't count on our opponents' weaknesses."
Oliveira's gilt-edged misses, inability to lead the lineโlosesย out in 85 percent of headedย duelsโfail rate when taking on opposing playersโ45 percent dribble successโand status as a loanee are reasons whyย Toivonen was signed from PSV in the January transfer window.
Oliveira out, Toivonen in
When asked ifย Toivonen would be inserted into the line-up against Lille, Montanier told Ligue1.com it was a possibility.
Toivonen has started in the No. 9 position in successive games againstย Lille and Lyon.
Meanwhile,ย Oliveira was an impact sub againstย Lille and watched from the bench whenย Toivonen scored in his only meaningful action of the game.ย
The saving grace for Oliveiraย isย Toivonen is not an out-and-out No. 9.ย
He is a deep-lying forward who can create for his teammates, as opposed to being a gunner in front of goal.ย At one point in this season, he had assists in three straight games, yet scored only once in 20 combinedย Eredivisie/UEFA Europa League games.
Ideally forย Oliveira, he starts up front andย Toivonen plays behind him.ย
However, that plan is scuppered ifย Montanier persists with givingย Abdoulaye Doucoure the license to break from midfield in a 4-3-3.
It was his pass which set upย Toivonen's goal againstย Lyon andย Doucoure also scored in the previous game againstย Lille.
With the exception of theย Valenciennes game when Oliveiraย was suspended, he has been either a starter or a super-sub in Ligue 1.
For him to start and finish the game on the bench againstย Lyonย is worrying.ย
Statistics viaย WhoScored,ย FFTย Stats Zone,ย Squawkaย andย Transfermarkt.
