James Maddison

James Maddison
Image from: freelargeimages.com

James Daniel Maddison





Current Club: Leicester City.

Previous Clubs: Norwich City, Coventry City.

Loan Clubs: Aberdeen, Coventry City.





International: N/A.

Trophies Won: N/A.





A few years back, when Maddison was still at Norwich, I picked Maddison at 10 in my top 10 of attacking midfielders in Europe. Since then he has got better. A lot better. The problem is that he tends to be used in wide areas more than as a central attacking midfielder, where he is at his best.



Physically he can be a bit weak, going down far too easily looking for the referee to give him decisions. He lacks real pace, though he is quick, just not massively quick, he does have good acceleration to get him a moment of space.



Maddison's technique is excellent, which is why he is so good at set pieces, whether it is a shot or delivering the ball for others to attack. His delivery is amongst the best you will see. He also has a very good range of passing and the vision to spot a pass.



Off the ball Maddison does make some very good runs and provides real threat for opposition defences, but he does not score as many as his skills should bring him. He has quick feet and the skill to beat opponents and slalom through, not Messi level, but he is someone you do not want to allow to run at you in the box.



He is not one to get discouraged by mistakes or if it is not going well for him, Maddison keeps going and is not afraid to shoot even when he has missed a few. His workrate is excellent, though he is not someone you look to defensively as he is not going to get stuck in during a tough physical battle.



Maddison is more about using his brain, finding space in the midfield and covering passing lanes when defending, rather than flying into challenges. He does not have that toughness that David Silva has developed in the English game, though he is not a shirker. It is just not really his game.



He will look to pick off a loose pass, chase back and nip a ball off someone's toe or similar. Maddison has a good reading of the game that enables him to do so a fair bit. However he can be caught out of position when played wide, as he does not help protect his full backs, Maddison is focused on what he can do when the team is in possession.



For me what he can do massively outweighs his weaknesses, in my opinion he would be best playing a free role in the centre, with protection behind him so that he does not leave the defence exposed. Maddison is a true central attacking midfielder or even second striker of the kind, though not quite the level, of someone like Cantona. A player to build the play through.



However he does need to take control of games more, he does not really take one by the scruff of the neck and make it his, even against the lesser teams. Far too often he can be on the periphery of the game, showing flashes of what he can do, but not quite enough. Maybe Maddison needs a change in style to truly enable him to do so, as Leicester do not really get the most out of his abilities.



Maddison needs to be on the ball as much as possible to get the most out of him, the Foxes tend to want to get the ball forward too quickly, often missing him out or going wide to cross it in. If they are to get the best from him, they need a more measured build up, getting him on the ball, rather than missing him out to play it in behind for Vardy and expecting him to follow up on any lay offs or parried shots.





Requested by - billynwa & Deependra