Outside90’s A-League top five series continues with a look at the pick of the strikers.
Bruce Djite (Adelaide United)
Bruce Djite is not your typical striker. He rarely scores and more often than not is lambasted for this. However under former Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau, Djite underwent a transformation that saw him become a great striker, but not for the usual reasons.
He regularly receives the ball and then brings United’s wide men into play. Djite’s ball possession and distribution allows the wide men to exploit the spaces wide of and in front of Djite, which then provides some of the foundation for United’s flank play.
The principles in bringing the wide men into play also apply to the support Djite receives from his central midfielders. Sergio Cirio and Marcelo Carrusca both benefit from Djite’s ability to hold the ball while both regularly attempt to play between the lines.
Djite’s role is not about solely about scoring, but it is a bonus when he does. Djite’s importance is in holding the ball while others attempt to make decisive runs to create goal-scoring opportunities, where on occasion Djite is the assist provider or instigator of the passage of play that leads to a United goal. These are the foundations that Gombau built in the 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 formations that he used.
Given the foundations of United’s football philosophy, Djite’s role should not alter too much under new coach Guillermo Amor.
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