This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Ryan Sessegnon has yet to play for Tottenham Hotspur but his time is surely coming.
On the chalkboard
The full-back, who can also play as a winger, was signed from Fulham in the summer in a £25m deal.
However, injuries have kept him out of the starting XI thus far, though he has returned to full training with the first-team.
One has to wonder what exactly he will bring to the table when he is fit, though.
Sessegnon was a member of a poor Fulham squad last season, as they were relegated from the Premier League, but his statistics remain enlightening.
Across 35 games, he scored twice and registered six assists, per WhoScored, while averaging 0.9 key passes per game, 0.9 dribbles and 0.8 shots.
He also averaged 0.6 tackles, 1.1 clearances and a pass completion rate of 73.4%.
Compared with Danny Rose, the player he is most likely to usurp when he does come into the team, the ex-Fulham man struggles.
This season already, the England international has not scored or registered an assist, but he averages 1.2 key passes per game, 0.9 dribbles and 0.2 shots. Defensively, he averages 1.8 tackles, 2.9 clearances and a pass completion rate of 81.6%.
Improvement needed
Rose has not had the best of starts in the Premier League, with Spurs winning just three games, but one already feels that Sessegnon needs to improve to take his spot.
The 29-year-old is suspended for this weekend’s clash with Everton due to collecting five yellow cards in nine games but he is a more assiduous defensive presence.
Going forward, naturally, Sessegnon shoots more but he is not as good when it comes to creating chances for his team-mates.
Much training will be required for the 19-year-old to get up to the required standard but one has to feel that he will improve due to his age and, in turn, general malleability.
However, fans ought to curtail their expectations for the England U21 international; his inclusion in the team is unlikely to suddenly be the catalyst for a sharp upturn in form, as his statistics show.
