The Kid's alright - Getting the last L'OL: Tanner Tessmann at Olympic Lyonnaise

it is hard not to think about 6'4" Keaton Parks, who was played as a midfielder at all his clubs both domestically and abroad, but when he got his first USYNT callup, he was listed as 'defender' and made 2 appearances in friendlies as a CB. They were passable but not great performances.

6'3" is on the taller end of the CM spectrum, but it's not hard to come up with a list of great midfielders who were around that height: Pogba (6'3"), Rabiot (6'3"), Milinkovic-Savic (6'4"), Rodri (6'3"), Busquets (6'2"), Zidane (6'1"), Socrates (6'4"). Even when you take a step down and think about players who had good careers in top-flights but weren't world beaters, you have players like Steven Nzonzi (6'5"), Matic (6'4"), Fellani (6'4"), Abou Diaby (6'3"), etc etc

IDK, maybe it's just because I'm 6'7", but I think it's weird that we (US Soccer nerds) tend to pigeonhole players based on build and not ability. There are pros and cons to deploying height at just about every position on the field.

 

Pique (6'3) was a forward, that was moved to CB. For that matter, so was Maschereano, a midfielder who was only 5'9. But does make a difference when both played for Barca when tiki-taka was all the rage.

 

Pique was a CDM / CB as a youth player who sometimes got moved into CF if his team was chasing a match, but that's neither here nor there, as he made his senior debut at United as a defender. I'm not denying that players can change positions during their career, I'm just remarking on the phenomenon of calling for position changes based on nothing but physical attributes (or assumed physical attributes... I've seen nothing that suggests TT will have mobility problems as a CM at this level, but I get it, he "looks slow" because of his size). Parks and Tessmann both played their way into senior club sides as central mids only for fans (and, in Keaton's case, one YNT coach) to decide "nah, you'd definitely be better playing a different position because it's how you're physically built".

 

Tessman remained on the bench for game against Lille on Nov. 1. Perhaps being saved for UCL in a few days.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/20...ng-club-metropole/olympique-lyonnais/4372832/

 

Socrates was 6’4? I don’t remember him being a giant. Good player that

 

Starts in the Europa League match vs Hoffenheim:

🦁 Notre 𝗫𝗜 𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲́𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 pour affronter Hoffenheim 👊🔴🔵#TSGOL pic.twitter.com/YTbc9pEyZV

— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) November 7, 2024

 

yup! Zico was a respectable 5'8":


And there are a handful of shots when Socrates was Captain where he's standing next to a keeper who is shorter than him:



But you'd never know it when you watch him play with the ball at his feet.

 

His brother Rai was also tall and lanky.

 

Besides, all of the CBs and Gks in the pool suck out loud with the ball at their feet, and crap themselves when the ball comes to them. It would be a welcome change to have someone among the defenders and GK who can successfully trap the ball, and complete a simple pass.

Move him to CB. Why not?

 

Tessmann starts! Lyon visiting Hoffenheim in the Europa League League Stage.

​

 

is OL throwing in the towel in the EL or do they just think this is an easy match? It's a quick turn-around for their match on Sunday, but they haven't played since last Friday?

 

85 in - tied 1-1. Tessmann still on. This one is streaming if anyone want to watch the last few minutes.

 

This was a game with a lot of running. Tessman was unsurprisingly dragging a little in the last minutes. At the death, OL's gk did one of those dumb passes Doyle remarked on where the gk sends a laser right down the middle, it is intercepted after hitting Tessman in the back and comes "right back at ya". You look at it and wonder why. Because Tessman was jogging slowly up the pitch without looking back at gk? iirc, Doyle was discussing something he saw in MLS but also referenced Turner for Nat team (when 3g's was coaching).

Bizarre stuff.

 

Because he's a crap defender?

OK "crap" is probably a bit strong, but after 8 years in a pro environment I doubt the "shit, he's really good on the ball. We should try him at CB" idea hasn't occurred to anyone.

He just may not have a defender's brain, in which case he could "do a job there" in extremis, but he'd get found out pretty quickly if he did it for more than a few games.

 

Meh, if Aaron Long can get looks at CB, why not Tessman? And Dest isn't exactly Maldini, either.

They all suck at defending, but at least Tessman can complete a pass. [Shrugs]

 

Just for the record, Dest doesnt suck at defending.

 

While we're all entitled to our own views, Barcelona and Milan say otherwise.

 

Actually, that's not true. Xavi had trouble with many players and got fired. Dest simply wasn't Xavis guy but remember that Koeman liked him and played him a lot. Hansi Flick likes attacking fullbacks so it's a shame Dest isn't there now.Dest attacking is super good but his defense has improved a lot also.

 

Milan certainly didn't rate him, either.

And Koeman got fired, too. Dest lost his spot to converted CBs Araujo and Kounde, and then Barca loaned in another non-defending FB to take his spot, because he wasn't up to Barca's standard.

Xavi getting sacked wasn't down to "trouble with many players," so much as it was him having trouble with the board and the entornos inside that club.

There's no shame in this, but while we all agree that Dest is a good player, he isn't Barca quality. And sure, his defnese has "improved," but in the netherlands, he also wasn't being tested as regularly. [Here's hoping for a quick return to health for him.]

 

For the USMNT, it looks like there are at least 2 #6s that are ahead of him, in Cardoso and Adams. At the CB, there don't seem to be as many proven options. In a 3 man line, I think he'd fit in. In any case, there should be some middling CONCACAF tomato can at home to test it out, if Poch is so inclined.

Maybe it was confidence? And I would also say that when I saw him with Barca, his defending looked to be the weaker part of Dest's game, by a mile.

But Barca also don't seem to miss him much, and they let him go for free.

 

People look at his tackles/interception numbers from Dmid as a backdrop to defensive ability. Plus when watching him, he isnt a strong tackler vs playing space and then cleaning up loose balls.