Joachim Andersen

Joachim Andersen
Image from: freelargeimages.com

Joachim Christian Andersen





Current Club: Olympique Lyonnaise.

Previous Clubs: Sampdoria, Twente Enschede, Midtjylland.

Loan Clubs: N/A.





International: Denmark 1 cap.

Trophies Won: N/A.





Andersen looks very much a modern day centre-back, tall, strong, quick, composed and very comfortable on the ball. At 23 and 6 foot 4 inches tall, the Dane has the potential to go a long way in the game.



As is often the way with modern defenders, you do wonder if he is a midfielder playing in defence or an actual defender, as his range of passing is so good. Andersen also has excellent technique on the ball, which allows him to use his range of passing.



As well as having good pace, he has fast reactions, enabling Andersen to deal with breaking balls before most others can or to ensure he is able to get across quickly when his partner is beaten. Those quick reactions also mean he is not as sluggish off the mark as some centre-backs can be and he turns well, unlike some, to make him difficult to beat with a ball over the top.



The big issue with judging him is the quality of his team-mates mean he is usually having to cover for them, particularly his centre-back partner. That leaves it hard to tell how good his positioning is, with him often being drawn across on the cover.



In the games I saw, I had no opportunity to judge how Andersen positions himself when he has a strong partner and so can concentrate on his own defending. There was a tendency to commit to challenges, going to ground when it was not really needed, which would leave an opening if he gets it wrong or the ball breaks to an opponent.



That desire to commit to the challenge might just be because Andersen was constantly coming across on the cover and so feeling it was make or break. However it is something that would need to be looked at as a centre-back should not need to go to ground as often as he does if they are in the right place.





Requested by - Shappy