The New Blue Report: What can Mangala bring to Everton's midfield this season?

09/26/2024 03:40 PM

We spoke with two knowledgable folks on all things Orel Mangala, with two very different takes.

With transfer deadline day loan signing Orel Mangala now having made his Everton debut, we spoke with Jeremy Smith, Brighton fan and football writer and podcaster at French Football Weekly.

RBM: Straight off, tell us about Orel Mangala and what makes him a player that Everton would covet? Please give us his background, his last season, and his profile if you would!

JS: To be totally honest, as a French correspondent, I am in less of a position to tell you about him than, say, a Stuttgart or a Nottingham Forest fan would as he was at Lyon for such a short space of time. But he's an all-action midfielder who is good on the ball, not particularly adventurous but useful in keeping the ball, can use his physicality well, a Belgium international which speaks to his pedigree - a good player to have in your squad. Part of me thinks he's a good Dyche player as he's happy to get stuck in; part of me thinks that as Dyche teams don't always play the ball through the middle, perhaps he is not the kind of player that Everton need.

RBM: What were the player's strengths and weaknesses? Does he possess much positional flexibility? How will his fit work out in the middle of the park do you wager?

JS: For me he is the box-to-box transitional midfielder. Not a true defensive number 6; not a kind of 8 and a half who will give regular support to the attack - although he has the ability to do both those jobs too. He is more about receiving the ball, resisting the press, giving it to someone more creative - keeping everything ticking basically. I guess the flipside of that is that he doesn't really have weaknesses but doesn't stand out hugely in any area - he can tackle but isn't a full-time defensive shield, he can score but not very often at all. He does everything well but nothing stand-out brilliantly.

RBM: How did Lyon play last year and what part did Orel play in their campaign and tournament play?

JS: The first half of Lyon's season was horrific and he was one of the players who came in in January as Lyon outspent everyone else in Europe in order to save their season. The second half of the season they played 4-3-3 and Mangala looked set to be a regular but he had a couple of injury niggles, the team hit some form and he struggled to become a regular starter for the rest of the season, so although the second half of the campaign was great for them, it's hard to give him much of the credit for the turnaround.

RBM: Why is the player no longer with the club?

JS: I have to admit that the situation is bizarre to me. He came in on loan, didn't do amazingly, Lyon signed him permanently as their record signing and now they're immediately loaning him out? Maybe it was a purchase obligation so they had no choice. And they certainly needed to sell and/or cut their wage bill in order to bring people in this summer. Maybe they think that a year in the Premier League will help him come back even stronger next year. But I have to admit that to me it all seems like more PSR- and - even worse - John Textor-based shenanigans (in case it's not obvious from that, I think Textor is bad news).

RBM: What type of supporting cast does a player like Mangala need to be at his best and improve on Merseyside and Goodison Park?

JS: I think he needs a coach that will keep the ball down and played through the middle, otherwise he might just be bypassed. I think it's important that he is not thought of as a like-for-like Onana replacement. And I just think expectations need to be tempered as frankly, as much as he is a Belgian international, to me he is not a stellar midfielder who will be the difference-maker for you this season. As I said, a very good and reliable squad player who can fill a few holes as needed, a good guy to have around, but - if you get into a relegation fight - I don't think he is going to be the crucial difference between staying up or not.

Our thanks to Jeremy for his time.