Analyzing Rúben Neves: What Makes The Portuguese So Good, And Is He The Answer To Man United's Midfield Problem

 Wolves' Midfield Maestro


When Rúben Neves moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers from Porto in the summer of 2017 aged just 20 years old, it was a move that confused many. The Portuguese was seen as one of the hottest prospects in European football, and hence the astonishment of watching such a player move to the second-tier of the English football pyramid seemed justified. Ever since that move however, Neves has wowed the fans at the Molineux through his immense technical ability, his screamers from outside the box, and his excellent ability to hit long, diagonal balls like some of the best midfielders that have graced the Premier League in the past.

He has formed an excellent partnership with fellow Portuguese veteran João Moutinho, anchoring the centre of the pitch to let the likes of Adama Traore & Raul Jimenez to cause havoc in the final third. His ability on the ball and to spray long passes for fun has caused some United fans to speculate he could be the heir to Michael Carrick's throne, acting as a deep-lying playmaker and allowing the likes of Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba to do their work ahead of him.

So that is the question I will be attempting to tackle in this article - What are Neves' qualities, both good and bad, and can he really be the "defensive midfielder" that can work at United.

His Role at Wolves

The arrival of Bruno Lage at Wolves has given the fans an uplift once again, as the team seemed to have reached its ceiling under Nuno Espírito Santo. The former Benfica coach has considerably improved them, and has set-up an excellent system while using the 3-4-3 formation. José Sá has instantly not only replaced the outgoing Rui Patricio, but as also proved to be an upgrade on him. The development of Max Kilman into one of the best young centrebacks in the league is also something to be optimistic about from a Wolves point-of-view.

Neves, under Lage, has often been playing as the deepest midfielder.  Having 3 centrebacks in a system that doesn't look to dominate possession has allowed Wolves to operate without a 'destroyer' profile, and has allowed Neves and Moutinho to sit in midfield and dictate play.

A look at Neves' progressive actions will give a clearer idea as to how he operates in this team -


Neves isn't much of a ball carrier, but his passing ability is really good. He can receive the ball under pressure and keep it simple, circulating possession using his centrebacks and midfield partner. Alternatively, and what he's become known for, he can switch the play quickly by hitting long cross-field balls into the feet of running wingbacks or wingers. This is what makes Neves so dangerous especially in a team that relies on quick counters - his ability to release the ball with speed and accuracy to set up the forwards. These qualities mean that the Wolves players can trust Neves on the ball - and this can be validated by the fact that Neves leads the squad in terms of touches, passes, progressive passes, and passes into the final third. He truly keeps the team ticking.

Neves is also a good defensive player, and has made the third-most tackles + interceptions in the Wolves squad this season. Because of the security provided by the back-three, Neves also has the freedom to sometimes step up and apply pressure in the final third, trying to win back possession for the team closer to the opposition goal. However Neves does this when there's enough cover behind him and in the process makes sure the team isn't left exposed because of this action. This is something where Fred and McTominay really seem to struggle - they try to apply pressure higher up the pitch and commit to challenges leaving space behind them which the opposition can exploit just by one line-breaking pass. 

Here are the zones where Neves makes his defensive actions -


His Qualities

Now let us discuss a little more about his qualities and what he could potentially bring to Old Trafford if Manchester United were to sign him. As established before, Neves is excellent at receiving and making passes under pressure. This can be seen by the following graph -


While he may not look to be the metronomic passer the likes of Rodri or Jorginho are, we must keep in mind that this Wolves side keeps under 50% possession on an average per game. If Neves were to play for someone like United, who keep around 54% of the ball on average, Neves' passing numbers will shoot up - not only will he get more time on the ball, but he also solves one of the biggest problems holding back Manchester United currently, which is that neither Fred nor McTominay are good enough on the ball to dictate possession from deep. McTominay often hides behind opposition players while United are building up, which means the centrebacks are forced to funnel possession down the wings making it easier for the opposition to trigger their press (since the fullbacks are already handicapped on one side by the outside line). Fred, on the other hand, does show for the ball more often but is prone to some erratic passes and loose touches which again allows the opposition to turn possession in United's half. This is a problem Neves would instantly solve and would make United's build-up more effective.

If given time on the ball to look up and pick a pass, Neves can be a nuisance for the opposition. He can easily play line-breaking passes behind opposition defences with good accuracy. Here is an example in a match against Tottenham -

1. Neves pinches the ball off Eric Dier

Game Footage Credit: Premier League & NBC Sports

2. He has the time to look up and play an excellent through ball to Adama Troare

Game Footage Credit: Premier League & NBC Sports

3. Well, if Adama could finish, that would have been 1-1. Instead, Wolves lost the game 1-0.

Game Footage Credit: Premier League & NBC Sports

Even in the final third, Neves can pick out some lovely passes and find space even the narrowest of defences. Look at his assist against Brighton for example -

Video Credit: Wolves YouTube Channel

While I wouldn't call Neves a great 'playmaker', but he certainly is a great 'passer'.

We've discussed his defending, and we've discussed his passing. Let's take a look at his shooting - 


As I am writing this article, Neves has scored another gem of a goal against Watford last night (also his first from inside the box), taking his goal tally for the season in the league to 4 goals -

Video Credit: Wolves YouTube Channel

Neves loves his long shots, and has scored some absolutely beautiful goals since arriving at the Molineux. His technique while shooting is excellent, and even when shooting from such far distances, he usually has good control over his body posture and ball-striking. He is always an option from set-pieces, either when he is taking freekicks, or when someone else rolls the ball into his path for him to shoot. Even from corners, Neves is always on the lookout for any loose headers or clearances falling into his path so he can quickly shoot before anyone has had the time to react.

How Neves Would Fit In At Manchester United, And Is He What We Need

Credit: Chosen11.com

This is how most fans would probably imagine United setting up next season considering the only signing of Neves. When playing this system, the pros that the Portuguese would bring to the side is the ability to get on the ball regularly, circulate possession, and most certainly great distribution and progression of the ball. This would allow United to build attacks better, sustain attacks better, as well as allow Bruno and/or the likes of Pogba or Donny to operate in the final third instead of always having to drop deep to get on the ball. When faced with low blocks, United can overload one side of the pitch, pass it back to Neves who can hit a long diagonal to switch the point of attack to the opposite side - thus unsettling the opposition defence allowing the United players to exploit the subsequently created space. This is something United often lack, as apart from Pogba, no one can switch attacks quickly and accurately. Fred can't do it consistently, McTominay doesn't seem to have the ability to do so, and Bruno often hurries his passes and ends up misplacing those long diagonals which immediately lead to opposition counters. Neves fixes this to a great extent.

The issues with this formation lie defensively, though.  Because Wolves play a back 3 on top of not really being a possession-dominant side, Neves isn't exposed to deal with 1v1s as United's midfielders are.
When adjusted for possession, here's how Neves stacks up against other midfielders in the league -


While Neves is a capable ball progressor especially through his passing, he falls behind a lot of other midfielders when it comes to his defensive capability. It's known to fans that neither Bruno or Pogba are great defensively, and hence if we want to play Neves in a single-pivot behind those two, or even Donny, it'll massively expose Neves when possession changes hands and opposition teams counter United. If United want a player to sit behind the other offensive-minded midfielders, Neves doesn't fit that profile. Even if it just about works (still doubtful) against teams like Burnley who completely surrender possession and look to play long into the channels, United will get caught out against most teams in the league. If we look at the likes of Chelsea, and the way they protect Jorginho by having Kanté or Kovacic (also factoring that they play a back three), it shows a blueprint of how United would have to supplement Neves with someone like Fred or McTominay who can contribute well defensively. 

Simply said, leaving Neves alone to face opposition counters, especially in United's system where the press is still not completely coherent which leads to massive gaps in midfield, would be suicidal. In Lage's side, this is mitigated by a deeper defensive line, a midfield partner, and an overall more defensive system.
 
While no single midfielder in the world can completely fix United's midfield issues, someone in the profile of Aurélien Tchouaméni (read more about him here in an excellent article by The Devil's DNA) would be a better fit than the Portuguese. In reality, Neves would probably suit Arsenal more, as a replacement for Granit Xhaka where he can play alongside Thomas Partey who is a more defence-minded midfielder.

Conclusion


To sum it all up, Neves as a sole-pivot won't work at Manchester United according to me due to the profile of midfielders we have. The likes of Bruno & Pogba have offensive capabilities but fall short with their defensive responsibilities. McTominay & Fred are decent defensively but aren't proficient offensively to help breakdown deep opposition blocks. United lack top-tier two-way midfielders who can supplement Neves playing in a single pivot, and that is why I feel Neves is not the answer, certainly not as the sole deep midfielder in a 4-3-3. While it may work against certain oppositions, such a midfield three cannot be relied upon to start the majority of games in a full season.
With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, and with a valuation of £36m, Wolves will demand at least £45m for him which is a sizeable fee for United. At that price, United should be looking at a different profile of a midfielder, especially for that single pivot. If they could get him for a cheaper fee as the secondary midfielder, I would be more in favor of the move. Until then, Manchester United should do better.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, feedback, and criticism with me via Twitter.
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Data for visualizations taken until 09-March-2022.

Resources -

fbref.com
whoscored.com
transfermarkt.co.uk
youtube.com

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