{"id":541020,"date":"2020-01-20T08:08:44","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T13:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=541020"},"modified":"2020-01-20T08:08:44","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T13:08:44","slug":"jairo-riedewald-is-staking-a-claim-to-be-first-choice-left-back-at-crystal-palace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/01\/20\/jairo-riedewald-is-staking-a-claim-to-be-first-choice-left-back-at-crystal-palace\/","title":{"rendered":"Jairo Riedewald Is Staking a Claim to Be First Choice Left-Back at Crystal Palace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jairo Riedewald<\/a> has had to bide his time at Crystal Palace<\/a>. Signed by Frank de Boer, he has never seen a full run in the starting 11; his appearances have been rather fortuitous. Yet, now, he is staking a claim to be the first choice left-back, benefiting from the injury to Patrick van Aanholt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jairo Riedewald Is Staking a Claim to Be First Choice Left-Back at Crystal Palace<\/h2>\n

Calm Presence at the Back<\/h3>\n

Riedewald, in a loose comparison, could be deemed similar to Liverpool’s<\/a>\u00a0Trent Alexander-Arnold<\/a>. Viewed by some as a defensive midfielder due to their presence and passing abilities on the ball, the Dutchman’s best position is arguably at full-back.<\/p>\n

Unlike Alexander-Arnold and Van Aanholt, Riedewald does not excel in an attacking manner. However, under Roy Hodgson, that is by no means a terrible thing. The Palace manager sets his side up to soak up the pressure and hit teams on the counter-attack. The 23-year-old offers a calm presence out from the back, as he looks to play the ball out of defence instead of an aimless hoof upfield. It is a trait uncharacteristic to Hodgson tactics, but one that shows the root of Riedewald’s capabilities on the ball, having come through the infamous Ajax academy.<\/p>\n

While Riedewald is by no means the finished article defensively, he has had to learn quickly. Statistics do not always tell the fullest story – Van Aanholt ranks higher than his Dutch counterpart in tackles and passes completed. Riedewald has been part of a starting 11 that has set up deeper in spite of injuries, with Hodgson not willing to risk his attacking abilities.<\/p>\n

For example, when comparing their heatmaps in the last game that they both featured in retrospectively, Van Aanholt’s position on the pitch was higher<\/a>. Of course, Palace faced Manchester City<\/a> in Riedewald’s last game – meaning an ultra-defensive set-up – but Riedewald was significantly deeper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sitting deeper will not doubt test Riedewald’s defensive resolve, but the thought of losing his place will galvanise him into learning on the job.<\/p>\n

Who Will Roy Hodgson Pick When Van Aanholt Returns?<\/h3>\n

What happens when Patrick van Aanholt returns from injury? Does he waltz straight back into the first-team? Or does Riedewald keep his place?<\/p>\n

According to the man himself, Riedewald does not see himself as a left-back. On the contrary, his manager does. Speaking to the Crystal Palace website<\/a> about how selecting the Dutchman to return came about, he said: “Turns out of course both get injured and both get injured at the same time. I remember talking to Jairo, saying: \u2018Don\u2019t you think you could play left-back?\u2019 He was very reticent about that, virtually saying: \u2018No, I don\u2019t think I can. I won\u2019t be able to do that job.\u2019”<\/p>\n

“I actually said to him the other day: \u2018I did tell you, I knew you could do that job.\u2019 We\u2019ve always known there\u2019s a very good footballer there but we\u2019ve not been able to find a place for him or a home for him in the team.”<\/p>\n

As a result, it gives Roy Hodgson a ‘nice problem to think about’. Does he return with the attacking threat down the left-hand side in Patrick van Aanholt? Or does he keep a defensive shape at the back with Jairo Riedewald?<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n