Valencia ended the first half of last season’s La Liga with a series of unfortunate draws. However, thanks to the leadership and remarkable form of captain Dani Parejo, the players picked themselves up and got into the habit of winning. They ended up finishing fourth in La Liga and defeating Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, thus winning their first trophy for 11 years – with their long-serving skipper in tears of joy.
However this season, their talented manager Marcelino was absurdly fired after just three matches, and it’s possible that the team will have to adapt to a new style of play. No matter what, Parejo will remain the talisman. In this scout report, we will use tactical analysis to demonstrate Parejo’s key attributes, and how he will adapt to the new coach’s system.
Overview
The above heatmap shows that Parejo often operates around the middle third. His most intense actions zones were the part of the middle third in his own half. His work rate is higher than average.
This description from Whoscored can give us a brief idea of his strengths and weaknesses.
Parejo is a set-piece specialist. In La Liga last season, he scored 6 goals from set-pieces (5 penalties, 1 free-kick, 1 corner!!). He also registered 54 key passes (45 from corners, 9 from free-kicks) and 4 assists from these situations.
If you want to read the full scout report on Dani Parejo, head over to totalfootballanalysis.com or click HERE
Artwork by @chapulana
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