Player Focus: Soldado Rediscovering Best Form Following Return to Spain
Roberto Soldado’s Tottenham career will forever be remembered as a failure. The Spaniard may have made a relatively bright start to life in England, but he ultimately failed to live up to expectations at White Hart Lane. His form for Valencia convinced Spurs to splash the cash on the striker in the build up to Gareth Bale’s inevitable move to Real Madrid, but it was certainly not money well spent by the North London side.
As a result, a move back to Spain was always on the agenda this summer. His departure leaves Spurs short of attacking options following the close of the transfer window, but his exit has certainly benefitted his new team. Villarreal have made a strong start to the new season, taking four points from a possible six, and they have Soldado to thank for that. The Yellow Submarines have netted four league goals this season, with Soldado having a direct hand in all four, with two goals and two assists to his name, with each figure unbeaten in Spain's top tier this term
Only a handful of players in Europe’s top 5 leagues have been directly involved in more goals than Soldado this season. A move away from England was the only way to reinvigorate the Spaniard’s career and while much was made of his presentation, punting footballs into the empty stands at the Estadio El Madrigal to the amusement of many on social media due to the lack of accuracy shown from the striker, his early season form has helped endear himself to his new supporters.
Only former Premier League duo Gareth Bale (8.65) and Thomas Vermaelen (8.51) have gained a better WhoScored rating than Soldado (8.50) in La Liga so far this season. Under Marcelino, the 30-year-old appears to be rediscovering the form that made him such a potent offensive threat during his Valencia days. Of course the main reason for this is a change of system to which he is better suited. During his time at Valencia, Soldado was often deployed as the lone frontman, a role he excelled in. However, as he aged, the spark of pace that rendered him such an effective forward deserted him and, as such, limited his impact to perform a similar striking duty to full effect during his time at Spurs.
Morever, the North London side’s approach differed significantly from Valencia and Villarreal, with Spurs favouring a more patient build up style. As such, Soldado’s main asset – waiting on the shoulder of the last defender to help find the back of the net – was wasted, especially with the deployment of inverted wingers limiting his impact. Soldado thrived on early crosses into the box, but this just did not happen during his time at White Hart Lane.
With Villarreal, though, the system is near perfect to help Soldado thrive. In the opening two league games of the season he has been partnered with Leo Baptistao, who prefers to drift wide, dragging attention away from Soldado who is then free to do what he does best. A free-flowing 4-4-2 formation, where widemen Nahuel and Samu Castillejo are given the license to push forward and tasked with putting the ball into the box at the first opportunity, suits Soldado’s game to a tee.
Furthermore, Marcelino has adopted a more fluid approach, allowing Soldado to enjoy a fine return to Spain in the process. An average of 47.5% possession ranks among the bottom 10 teams in La Liga and while it’s a very small sample size, it provides an insight into the difference between Villarreal’s gameplan and Spurs’. Comparatively, the latter are averaging 53.1% possession this season and while it’s a relatively negligible difference, the Yellow Submarine are keen on moving from defence to attack as swiftly as possible in order to score, something Spurs struggled to do during Soldado’s time at the club.
This has seen Villarreal gain a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘counter attacks’ and having scored four goals from just 22 shots this season, Marcelino’s side have developed a strength of ‘finishing scoring chances’, with Soldado crucial to both aspects. While his departure leaves Spurs short in attack, his style of play certainly didn’t suit Mauricio Pochettino’s high-pressing game. In Spain, though, Soldado is beginning to find his best form once more as Villarreal look to better their 6th-placed finish from last season and progress in the Europa League.
The striker finally looks to be enjoying his football once more after a disappointing two years in England. Marcelino has implemented a system that brings out the best in Soldado, with the frontman repaying the faith shown in him from the 50-year-old manager. Having quickly developed an impressive understanding with fellow summer arrival Cedric Bakambu, Villarreal have started the season commendably with Soldado spearheading the attack. Given the calibre of creative personnel in a system ideal for the striker, there’s no reason why he cannot maintain this form after the international break.
What do you make of Roberto Soldado's start to life at Villarreal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
It's because La Liga is nowhere near as good as the Premier League. How many players have come to the Premier League and struggled because of the rise in competition? There's too many to count.
@Raptors887 Tell me more about that. Last 5 seasons in UEL and UCL: La Liga - 6 trophies, EPL - 2. But... but... but the Premier League is better, isn't it? Want more? Atletico beat Chelsea 4-1 and 3-1 in the last 4 years. Barcelona eliminated City from UCL two times in a row now. So on and on...
@hindy This argument is so flawed it's not even funny.. so what La Liga teams have more europeans trophies.. just shiows how top heavy La Liga is and there's no real competition other than the top 3 teams
@MiguelSuave 1) There was a two-point gap between last season's 3rd and 5th in La Liga to be precise, that's for one. 2) If you tell me that EPL is better because anyone can beat anyone - Barcelona lost to Malaga and Celta at home last season for example (of which there were many). 3) Is there a huge quality gap between the top- and bottom-half of La Liga? Surely. Premier League also sees scorelines like Everton 3-6 Chelsea, Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa, Southampton 8-0 Sunderland and so on, though. 4) Is La Liga a more free-scoring one? You tell me how many goals did Man City and Liverpool score during 2013/14 season then. Come on.
@MiguelSuave so how much Inklish Fa is paying for promoting epl? I hope ur being paid. Becoz if ur doing for free ur pathetic. U really have no clue what football is all about. Top 3 teams only competive? How much did epl had besides chelski who were knocked out by psg despite cheating alot. Oh what about Sevilla winning Europa League. You mentioned this entire thing not being funny. The funny thing is ur stupidity combined with stuborness and lack of knowledege of football in general makes u very funny.
@hindy That's the problem though. La Liga has the 3 major teams, 2 okay teams, and then the rest is a heaping pile of crap. In the Premier League, even the teams fighting the relegation battle are solid clubs.
@Raptors887 Last season's La Liga table - 3) Atletico - 78 pts, 4) Valencia - 77 pts, 5) Sevilla - 76 pts. No, there isn't a solid team outside top three though. Are Sunderland, Wigan or QPR solid clubs by the way? Wouldn't say so. Finally, let me tell you this - if Spanish clubs were better run and there was a just split of TV revenue, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
@Raptors887 i agree with you,because that league is full of competitiveness. even new-promoted team can beat title contender with a great margins.
@Raptors887 again ur wrong. If so why has spain highest coeffiecent in uefa. Plus why La Liga constantly winning CL and Europa league as well. Both tournaments. 3 team i think not. It inklish team that crap.
@Raptors887 Or some just hate the weather and the lifestyle, so play rubbish and get their move back to the sun.
@Raptors887 Yes that is why Sanchez...Aguero ... Fabregas and other average players in the La liga tore up the premier league.
@gamer_dude- Sanchez & Fabregas were just 2 of many world class players misused by Barcelona. Henry and Ibrahimovic also. I suppose they aren't world class either? There is a reason why Barcelona is seen as a clique. As for Aguero, he was signed by City at 23. How many 23-year olds are the finished article? I remember at the time him being the most touted young player in world football, good enough for any team and he has proved it since. There's also the blatant elephant in the room which is Cristiano Ronaldo. He is no better, no more consistent, no more potent a finisher (probably less so in all honesty), has no more a free role with Real as he did at Utd but regularly scores a goal per game or more in La Liga. He had 1 season in the prem where he had a similar tally (31 in 34) then defences got used to his style of play, countered it and he returned 18 in 33 the following season. Did you see a drop in quality? Real didn't.
@SteveHyland still bet they score freaskish number like ronaldo? Is cr7 only a finisher what about his 16 assist last seasons. Plus he already in list of top assist provider in la liga. He has more assist than ozil.
were david silva, juan mata, pepe reina(one of the finest gk in liverpool history so far they not been able to replace him.), fernando alonso(from real sociedad), alvaro arbeloa(after he left liverpool were tormented by glen johson awesomeness and so arbeloa has not been replaced by liverpool as well) were all misused by barca? Who considers barca a clique besides you? 23 old aguero not a finished article? You memory must be really bad. Then why would citeh buy aguero for 45 million euros?(U ur self critisized manure utd Anthoney Martial deal.) The answers he was already a world class at atlectico madrid. Ah on sanchez he was second highest scorer in barca after messi and hence he was bought by assnal for huge money heck money. Barca got him for 26 million euros. And they sold him 35 million pound. Last time i checked sterling is artifically more inflated than euros. Ronaldo the blatant elephant u must be fat hiney pig then? If rooney and kane were given such free role would
@Raptors887 while i love English football and don't care much for Spanish cause of the duopoly thing ,losing 1 game from real or barca mean their doom, your statement is not a valid argument, you could ask "How many players went to la liga and struggled?" the answer is very little because English clubs don't sell home grown players out, why would they when other local clubs will play millions for a player just cause he is home grown.
@Raptors887 That may happen due to the physical levels of the Premier League and the short period for muscular recovery or the style of the team it self. Not because it's a great league where great players look trivial. Oh and keep in mind that Spanish league is the championship that has the strongest teams in the world.
@Raptors887 Ah we got fa representative if italy have another freak season epl is going lose its 4 cl spots italy. Right now La Liga is first then comes Bundesliga and pretty soon the third one would be Serie A. La Liga easy to dominate average number of goals scored in both la liga and inklish league is 2.77 wooohoo. Even with Messi, Ronaldo, Griezmann, Neymar freakish presence(goals) how is it even possible they are both tied. Is not easy to score goals in la liga? The answer is no u dimwit.
Snap him up
More proof that Tottenham are just as Wilshere described them, as if we needed any more proof.
@What4 And there's no need to report me to the police for saying something you don't like, you daft spuds.
Nice article. I always felt sorry for 'Bobby' his off ball movement was probably his best strength in his stay at WHL.He seemed to have a good football brain . With a move to a less pressured league he'll do well.
to all u thinking of thinking that lower team in epl can beat top team in epl is just a myth. Last season alone as per epsn Top four team in in England had least of amount defeat in comparison to top five leauges. If you consider competition and giant killing teams as benchmark then i guess Eredivise is the world best leauge right now. Im quoting espn by the way. So all of inklish fa goons better go back to the hole where u came from. Stop spreading lies. You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Shame on you.
@Ffaris- What little credibility you started with (which was low due to your inability to debate in an adult manner; coherently comment in the native language of the site- "Inklish", your double-figured IQ and the clear bias you show against England and the English which blatantly goes beyond football...) went out of the window when you didn't realise the Bundesliga has only been going since 1963 even though you supposedly 'support' a German club. You are the very definition of a "troll" and I suggest if you want to get anywhere in life, you curb your tongue and speak to people in a manner befitting 21st century society. In response to your Lincoln quote, I give you one by an even smarter man, Kierkegaard, that I've paraphrased- "There are two ways to be fooled: One is to believe a lie, the other is to not believe the truth". Soren would say it's easier to score in La Liga, I'm sure. ;-p
@SteveHyland and show me facts where la liga easier to score. U should check out this out on how la liga easier to score .theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/02/messi-and-ronaldo-are-historys-greatest-soccer-players/385158/ Plus ur talk u and propaganda u know dat. U can never come fact and figures. Infact u invent fake facts. I still remeber ur fake bundesliga stats of bvb and mochenngladbach only winning 5 titles each. Ur existence goes beyond lying. Who the heck is soren is? On the other hand don't tell me. I don't hear ur another lying crap. Some credibility u have.
@Ffaris- Soren Kierkegaard. I'm not surprised you're ignorant of who that is. Do you know when the Bundesliga started? 1963/64. How many titles have Dortmund and Monchengladbach won each since then? 5, I even listed the years in a previous page. ;-)
@SteveHyland i have no credibility? u fa goon. Was it not u who invented fake facts on bundesliga that dortmundd and mochengladbach has not won more 5 titles each. U constantly lie about ur facts. Ur calling me little creditbility. Ur ur insufferable d$$k u know that.
@Ffaris- They haven't won more than 5 BUNDESLIGA titles each.
@SteveHyland Im glad ur answered. I think ur still going through that delusional phase of inventing facts to suit little little world ;)> Check this out it from favourite reserach site called wikipedia "en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_football_champions" and click on "Total German football championships won" you will find something that would shatter little little world. Why forgot to add nurenberg, schalke and hamburg titles?