Zachary Elbouzedi (M AIK b.1998)

[Razors left peg]

Hopefully he kicks on next season but from what I've seen of him he's not overly skillful or quick for a winger

[ifk101]

Hopefully he kicks on next season but from what I've seen of him he's not overly skillful or quick for a winger

Vilka kvaliteter tänker du på då?
- Jag skulle säga att det är hans fart när han driver bollen. Jag tror att det är få spelare i allsvenskan som har den farten. Han är väldigt snabb utan boll också, men det är många spelare i allsvenskan. Just med bollen är han oerhört snabb och han utnyttjar den väl. Det är det första jag tänker på.
https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsv...ar-den-farten/

You can google translate the above.

Looking at Swedens national squad, theres loads of Swedish league players making their international team, and they're probably half a step higher than ourselves atm.. so if Elbazoudi is able to play and excel there, theres no reason he shouldn't at least get a look in here.

Sweden usually plays internationals in January with a domestic/ summer league based squad (cancelled for this January), and hence the high number of players in the league with caps. Few would have competitive caps - typically established international players finishing out their careers in Sweden.

[elatedscum]

There was a viral video a few years ago, I think when he was playing for Waterford, where he showed insane pace running the pitch, think he finished it but he could have laid it to another player for an open goal.

As for skill, he’s got a bit about him. For the 21s group under Kenny - Connolly was clearly the most dangerous player used out wide, followed by Farrugia and Elbouzedi who both looked impressive at that level. The rest of Scully, Barrett, Mallon, Power etc etc didn’t really impress. Obviously Scully seems to have come on significantly since then.

For Elbouzedi, he’s maybe a little lightweight but you’ve always got to be cautious about bulking up as a winger and losing pace. He has that winger thing of, when it doesn’t click, looking a little brain dead and frustrating a lot but overall I rate him, I think he’s a guy where the more you see, the more he grows on you. he’ll need luck to have an international career but in some respects he’s not a million miles behind Ogbene, O’Dowda etc etc

[elatedscum]

Don’t think this is the one I was talking about but 4 mins in (pace)

https://youtu.be/Zhf9Jt38YVE

[Olé Olé]

As I say this I'm not sure if it sounds silly but giving him a run would be a good example to other lads as to the benefit of getting out and playing outside of England. There's an opportunity to find a league or a style that suits you better than League One. Would Ogbene fare better elsewhere?

[Stuttgart88]

I think he’s got something about him that warrants a serious look in 2022.

[liamoo11]

As I say this I'm not sure if it sounds silly but giving him a run would be a good example to other lads as to the benefit of getting out and playing outside of England. There's an opportunity to find a league or a style that suits you better than League One. Would Ogbene fare better elsewhere?

I don't see the point of that surely you get picked if your most suited to the role required regardless of who you play for.

Ogbene is fast strong and direct English league football would seem to me to suit him well, it certainly is not his technical ability that's going to bring him to a higher level in the game

[tetsujin1979]

First goal of the season for Elbouzedi on Sunday in a 4-0 win for AIK in the Swedish Cup, see 1:05 below
Takes a massive deflection

[Kingdom]

Fwiw, I'd have Elbouzedi in any finalised Ireland squad now. I think he's a class act and is only going to get better. I think he's one of those players who will perform better with better players around him. He's quick, his touch is excellent, and he whips in beautiful crosses. He just needs to add goals. Hopefully the one above is a portent for the season to come.

He's absolutely worth giving the full game against Lithuania at the end of the month.

[Razors left peg]

Fwiw, I'd have Elbouzedi in any finalised Ireland squad now. I think he's a class act and is only going to get better. I think he's one of those players who will perform better with better players around him. He's quick, his touch is excellent, and he whips in beautiful crosses. He just needs to add goals. Hopefully the one above is a portent for the season to come.

He's absolutely worth giving the full game against Lithuania at the end of the month.

Id still like to see more of him this season before going that far. He only had a couple of assists last season and is not that far removed from hardly being able to get a game in L2. No harm in calling him up to squad to have a look at him in training but Im not sure Id have him near the team yet

[tommy_c12000]

Agree, I wouldn’t quite be as hyperbolic. Playing in a pretty average league and appears to be doing ok, hardly tearing it up. Deserves a earnest chance this year for sure, but wouldn’t hang my hat on him being a future senior irish stalwart. But may make a telling contribution here and there, who knows

[Exgrad]

Id still like to see more of him this season before going that far. He only had a couple of assists last season and is not that far removed from hardly being able to get a game in L2. No harm in calling him up to squad to have a look at him in training but Im not sure Id have him near the team yet

Yeah he couldn't make the Bolton team a lot of the time in L2. Swedish league may not be great but its better preparation for the style of football you'll have to deal with at international level.

[nigel-harps1954]

To be fair, style of football sometimes outperforms standard of football. Some players simply aren't suited to the rough and tumble of League One/League Two football and are better suited to a more technical league. Elbouzedi proving to be one of them.

[Razors left peg]

To be fair, style of football sometimes outperforms standard of football. Some players simply aren't suited to the rough and tumble of League One/League Two football and are better suited to a more technical league. Elbouzedi proving to be one of them.

Maybe..... he still only had 2 assists last season. I'm not saying I dont think hes any good, I just think he needs to more to get a call up

[paul_oshea]

To be fair, style of football sometimes outperforms standard of football. Some players simply aren't suited to the rough and tumble of League One/League Two football and are better suited to a more technical league. Elbouzedi proving to be one of them.

I've been to a few games in Sweden. It's fairly poor fare. To compare to what I've seen in English league football Barnet maybe 15 years ago.

[ifk101]

I've been to a few games in Sweden. It's fairly poor fare. To compare to what I've seen in English league football Barnet maybe 15 years ago.

True - the standard is not great, the top division is beefed out with some tiny clubs, but he is with one of the traditional top clubs in Swedish football with an established professional infrastructure. I think where he is currently at is comparable to League One and we are currently picking players at that level ...

But he keeps doing well, he probably has a better chance of advancing to a higher ranked European league playing with AIK than in League One.

[Kingdom]

We're picking Daryl Horgan, who isn't starting for Wigan, and who will never be anything more than a fringe player at best for us.
For me the argument ends there. He's worthy of a call-up now, because let's be honest, we're not going to be doing too much experimenting in June.

[Razors left peg]

We're picking Daryl Horgan, who isn't starting for Wigan, and who will never be anything more than a fringe player at best for us.
For me the argument ends there. He's worthy of a call-up now, because let's be honest, we're not going to be doing too much experimenting in June.

Except I think we'll be replacing Horgan with Ebosele whos done more to justify a call up. As I said Im not against calling him up to have a look at him in training etc, but I think hes behind others in picking him in team

[samhaydenjr]

We're picking Daryl Horgan, who isn't starting for Wigan, and who will never be anything more than a fringe player at best for us.
For me the argument ends there. He's worthy of a call-up now, because let's be honest, we're not going to be doing too much experimenting in June.

Well you can't really criticise Horgan for not getting minutes at Wigan...

[Kingdom]

Well you can't really criticise Horgan for not getting minutes at Wigan...

I said Wycome in my head (so no idea why I wrote Wigan!), but in saying that I nearly caused a diplomatic incident here on Monday by misprouncing Czechia as Check-ia, to which everyone thought I was saying Checnia.