Fantasy premier league new player profile – Marco Van Ginkel

New player profiles

Marco Van Ginkel is a 20 year old 6 foot 1 inch right footed Dutch midfielder who has transferred from Vitesse Arnhem to Chelsea for £8.272m

Background

20 year old Marco Van Ginkel is a hot footballing prospect no doubt.  He played a key role in the Vitesse side that finished 4th in Eredivisie last year and has already made his full International debut, albeit in a friendly.  He was also voted best young player in Eredivisie last year.  He has played his entire carrer at Vitesse and has alot of age group international experience especially in the Under 21 Dutch team. 

His playing style is quite easy to compare.  He has the physicality, energy and eye for a goal to be a box to box player in the mould of Frank Lampard of old.  He can also play in the 4-3-3- system. He plays in the double pivot of 4-2-3-1 or in the midfield 3 of 4-3-3 but as the ability to get forward and score goals as well.  He pairs well with a  more positionally disciplined sitting defensive midfielder for that reason.  He is also a very good passer of the ball able to mix short and long range passing.  He certainly has the ability to play the direct pass or through ball which will suit Mourinho’s direct and counter attacking style.  He’s not a dribbling midfielder like Hazard more of a pass and move type player.  He has excellent touch and technique and here he may have the advantage over Ramires in the double pivot or the 4-3-3

This is what Mourinho has said about him

“Marco van Ginkel is one of the best prospects. He is not yet like Schurrle – close to being a finished product – but he is a player with great potential.

“Of course he needs to play and he will, because he is a player with great potential and physically he is more than ready. He is a natural athlete. By the technical and the tactical point of view of course he is a kid, he has to learn, but I think he is very open-minded and we analysed him for quite a long time.

“The Chelsea scouting department did it for quite a long time and I did it in the last five or six months, and we made a collective decision to bring the kid here.”
 If you look at stats his pass completion is better or similar to Lamps and Ramires.  He probably isnt as defensively effective as Ramires but puts in more tackles than Lamps.  His chance creation was better than Ramires but similar to Lamps although he had far more assists than either which may say something about the quality of chances created.  Its obviously not perfect to compare stats generated from Vitesse/Eredivise and Chelsea/EPL but it does help to give a flavour for the player. 

So the summary comaprison betwen the 3 is that he does more defensive work than Lamps but doesnt score as much but maybe creates better chances whereas against Ramires he isnt as defensively busy but has better attacking and technical skills

Stats

 Marco Van Ginkel stats   
 SeasonTeamMatches Goals Assists
2012/13 Vitesse Arnhem33 10 
2011/12 Vitesse Arnhem34 
2010/11 Vitesse Arnhem26  3
2009/10 Vitesse Arnhem– – 
     
Totals 97 18 16 
     
    

In the Europa League he’s played 4 games for 3 goals for Vitesse.  Internationally he has 1 full friendly cap and has played 17 times for the Ducth under 21 team for 3 goals and 2 assists

Fantasy premier league perspective

Chelsea have an embarrasment of midfield riches with the existing midfielders of Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Lampard, Mikel and Ramires.  Add in new signings Schurlle and now Van Ginkel plus returning loanees De Bruyne and Essien and you have a real game time issue for anyone except maybe Hazard.  I say this as there’s a question over whether Mata really suits the  fast counter attacking system.

Van Ginkel is a little different.  His defensive attributes are likely to see him in the 2 of 4-2-3-1 or the midfield 3 of 4-3-3 if thats what Mourinho plays.  These positions last year were rotated between Mikel, Ramires and Lampard although Luiz also played a part at certain stages.  Van Ginkel has been bought as the long term sucessor to Lampard but given the choices for this position  can you see him playing regularly?  It is doubtful.  The rumours surrounding Mikel would cerainly help the situation.  Mikel  I can see playing a reasonable amount given the lack of positional discipline elsewhere which again gives van Ginkel game tme issues.    However you cant doubt what a mourinho type physical stamina strong player you have.  Another thing that gives hope is that there are a reasonable number of reports, no quotes though, that Mourinho convinced him to come to Chelsea, in part, because he was given assurances that he would play a significant amount of first  team football.  Now that could be centreed on in the FA Cup, the Capital One plus some easier Champs League games.  It is possible that given his style of play that he could be part of Mourinhos team regularly but its certainly a big risk to put him in your game week 1 team.

In terms of what he could do if he was given game time, certainly 8 goals and 10 assists last year is very impressive.  However, my preference is to avoid players in the double pivot or not in the advanced midfield role.  Gerrard and Lampard have stayed fantasy premier league options from this point but they are the exceptions and are also supplemented by penalties and set pieces, neither of which are likely to go Van Ginkels way.  He should be reasonably good value,   its just would you go past Mata and Hazard to put him in your team?  I just cant see him being my Chelsea midfield exposure

Summary

There’s no doubting his potential and if he were to regularly play he could even make a good contribution at a reasonable value.  However for me picking a player with uncertain game time prospects who doesnt play in the advanced midfield role when I have options like Mata and Hazard for Chelsea exposure means I cant see him in my opening day fantasy premier league team. 

However, Chelsea with all their new players and new managers will be one of the most scrutinised teams in pre-season on our site so things will become clearer now pre-season is underway.

 

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