Bosun Lawal will be eased into the heart of things while he gains sharpness, but there is hope he will be an interesting player for Stoke City.
Bosun Lawal is one of the few first-team players who has had to wait longer for his Stoke City debut.
Lawal’s medical diagnosis during his summer signing from Celtic revealed a stress fracture in his lower back, necessitating rest and recovery.
Last season, he received positive feedback while on loan at Fleetwood Town. Stoke City’s management decided to invest in a versatile 21-year-old player who they believe can be a long-term asset for the club, after rejecting other deals due to medical concerns.
Stoke City’s Narcis Pelach will receive a midfield Christmas surprise when he joins the squad for their match against Cardiff.
It’s been four months of patience and frustration, and he’s eager to get out there for the first time, which he could accomplish this weekend at home against Cardiff (Saturday, 3pm), even if he has to start from the bench to acquire sharpness.
“The eyes of Bosun Lawal show everything,” remarked head coach Narcis Pelach.”The way he works, the way he talks to me, and it’s also evident in training. He simply wants to be there. He’s a young athlete who simply wants to play football and enjoys it. He is incredibly passionate about it and can’t wait to play.
“We need to be careful. He’s young and wants things done quickly, therefore we need to take care of his physique. He looks good, but he’ll be rusty, so we’ll have to wait till he’s fully fit to fight in the Championship. Playing is not the same as training.
“But this passion and excitement is big and I think he’s going to be an exciting player for Stoke City.”
Lawal plans to play for Stoke’s under-21s to improve his performance. He had participated in a handful of pre-season friendlies for Celtic, but he hadn’t played a competitive game since Fleetwood’s 3-0 win over Bolton in April.
In the second half of last season, Charlie Adam changed him from center-back to central midfielder with license to go forward. However, there is some controversy about his most productive position.
Pelach has three major alternatives, but adding a powerful athlete to the middle of the park appears to be the top priority right now.
“He’s a versatile player who has been used in lots of different positions in his career,” remarked the coach’s assistant.
“He’s played as a centre-back, a right-back, a 6, and even an 8 in midfield. I view him as a midfielder, and I believe he has the body to be an excellent holding midfielder, a number 6.
“He can also play as a centre-back in a back three or a back four, as he has for his national team, and he could play as a right-back in our team because our right-back does not go forward but stays lower to build and stop transitions – as with many teams in the Championship, one full-back goes high and the other stops short.
“I believe he can play in these three positions: 6, 2, and centre-back, but my main plan is to play him in the middle of the pitch. I need to see him a little more, get to know him, and see if he can do the things we need as a 6.”
Lawal has spent much too much of his early time at Stoke in the treatment room, but he has been denied the opportunity to be alone.
Pelach stated, “I modified something in the beginning. I told the medical staff during my first week that I wanted injured players to participate in team meetings. In my experience, players who are wounded remain in the medical department, but I believe strongly in the tactical aspect of the game and want everyone on board. If one of the players does not play the way we want, the whole thing comes apart.
“So he’s been in all of the meetings since I first came to observe how we play, so I don’t need to worry now. I don’t need to suddenly try to give him a crash course in what we’re doing. He’s seen a lot of movies and attended post-games to observe how we play, so his mind is already on the style of play. We don’t need to panic, the game understanding will be ok, and then we will see how he understands the small principles of the game, which is the biggest problem we are having now.
“Tactically as a group we are organised but then we get beat one outside line breaking past from the centre-back to the full-back and our winger got beat and now we are going back towards our own goal – and we were in control here. There are two other steps, three other steps that you don’t control, you are not aware of the full-back winning high, you’re already in your box. This is one example of small principles to show what I mean.
“There are lots of little things like this and it will make us much, much more solid.”
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