Since the arrival of Tonny Vilhena and his starting role against Athletic Club, Javi Puado has changed his position on the pitch. He has left behind that left-handed winger in which he sometimes acted as a second striker or playmaker, leaving the side for the climbs of Adrià Pedrosa, and accompanying Raúl de Tomás in attack. Now, Puado plays on the right, his natural leg, and has seen his offensive ability reduced to the detriment of his constant help to Óscar Gil. His middle position has fallen behind, as well as his attacking numbers. Another role for the youth squad, which is not new to Espanyol.
Puado’s position and his defensive sacrifice reminds that of José Callejón in his time at Espanyol with Mauricio Pochettino on the bench. The forward from Granada, who later made a career in Champions clubs like Real Madrid or Naples, with seasons in which he scored 15 and 14 goals like in Italy, He also had to stand out more for his tireless work than for his goals, since he scored just ten in 97 league games.
Puado started as a cyclone attacking from the right. In San Mamés, an internship for the ended with an assistance to Vilhena when they had barely two minutes of play. But the striker has not been able to contribute more attacking actions in the games played against himself Athletic, Barcelona, Seville, Villarreal and Getafe. Other players like Herrera or Darder have been more decisive in this facet.
Puado has gone from averaging 1.77 shots per game in the previous 14 games to staying at 0.62 after changing position. He also averages fewer dribbles per game, at 3.72 and 1.64. In summary, he has gone from carrying out 6.14 attack actions to 3.49. The Barcelonan participates more in the construction of the game, averaging five more passes per game, also because he has played more minutes.
Despite this, Puado’s defensive actions have not increased, remaining at ten per game with a lower success rate. A footballer with another mission on the field who has helped, with the exception of Vila-Real, Espanyol reinvent itself to ensure salvation as soon as possible.