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During his time at Juventus, Kulusevski often cut an isolated figure. After doing well for coach Andrea Pirlo, he was shafted out wide under Max Allegri in a very structured and pragmatic system.
He struggled to make an impact on a regular basis and was held back by the setup in place, constantly having to stay near the touchline and limit his strengths as a footballer.
A move to Tottenham under Antonio Conte followed, with the Italian having tried to sign him at Inter having seen him during an earlier loan stint at Parma from first club Atalanta. They united at Spurs and there were glimmers of brilliance. Something similar was seen last season, when Kulusevski scored eight times and it was his best goalscoring tally in a single season since that spell at Parma in the 2019/20 season.
Thriving in a central role
Towards the end of last season though, Ange Postecoglou stumbled upon the idea of using the Swede in a more central role. That has carried on this season and it has made Kulusevski someone who makes Tottenham tick in attack.
It isn’t quite an experiment as you might think though. While the perception around the ex-Atalanta man was that he is a wide player who constantly cuts inside, that isn’t how things were during his time with the Atalanta Primavera side (youth team). He was constantly played in a right sided number eight role at La Dea, where an attacking system was always in place and the Swede’s 1v1 ability would come to the fore.
At Parma, Kulusevski did play in a wide role under Roberto D’Aversa but he had the freedom to constantly attack on his own. While that brought a lot out of him, it is under Postecoglou that Kulusevski is looking like someone who is constantly involved and is using his ability to go past defenders, play the final ball and operate in the half-spaces.
Always involved and doing the dangerous work
An example of how well he can perform in a central role in the current Spurs setup came against Manchester United last weekend, against whom Kulusevski opened his account for the season.
He created three big chances, two more than anyone else on the pitch. He was also in the top-five in the game for accurate forward zone passes and created xG of 0.39 in the game.
In fact, no one has created more chances in the Premier League than the 24-year-old in the Spurs side this season. He stands at 20, seven more than second-placed Son.
He is also at second for the most amount of possession won in the final third, which suggests that he is more than just about chance creation. For a system that relies on structural play in attack and a high press, Kulusevski is becoming a perfect player because of how he likes to win the ball back high up the pitch and also attacks quickly while finding the right space.
Ange’s system working wonders for Kulusevski
In general, there have been question marks about the sustainability of Postecoglou’s system in the Premier League. It is a completely different ball-game from what he faced in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic, as teams in England rarely defend deep and the freakish pace of the game makes sure that ultra-attacking systems can be undermined.
Postecoglou has faced those problems already, with Spurs’ defensive shape often found wanting while defending in transition. But just when some other managers would make a defensive change, Ange has gone the other way. He has made an attacking change, making sure that Kulusevski and James Maddison operate as higher No. 8s, with the full-backs inverting and making sure that the team can pin the opposition well back.
There is an issue around the 1v1 ability of many players out wide but the setup allows Kulusevski to always be around the half-space and finding the pockets between the opposition’s backline and midfield. He has enough support around him to combine with players instead of doing it all on his own, which is something he was prone to trying a lot when playing out wide.
The future is bright
A case can be made that things can yet get better for the ex-Juventus man, but a lot of it depends on Tottenham themselves.
The lack of the ability of wide players to win 1v1 duels is an issue which impacts the whole attack and many times, Kulusevski suffers from it too. When it works, it works wonders – as it did against United.
There might still be concerns about the Sweden international’s consistency but this is a player who probably hasn’t hit his peak yet. If Spurs persist with the current setup, Kulusevski plays centrally, and the wide players improve, he could become their most important player this season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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