29th Feb 2024 • Written by Cory Woodthorpe

What's next for Naouirou Ahamada?

In January 2023, Naouirou Ahamada was signed by Crystal Palace on a three-and-a-half-year deal under the guidance of Patrick Vieira. In the thirteen months since his arrival, Ahamada has seen very little football. The Frenchman has played just 199 league minutes this campaign out of the 2,070 available to him. Under the management of Roy Hodgson, the veteran boss preferred players such as Will Hughes, Jeffrey Schlupp, and even Matheus França to Ahamada.

In Germany, Ahamada was a huge success in the first half of the 2022–23 season, prompting Palace to spend €12 million (£10.6m) to secure the Frenchman’s signature. 

At Stuttgart, Ahamada played as part of a midfield trio. This gave him the freedom to move the ball and play in a more advanced role. The coverage provided by his midfield partners, Wataru Endo and Atakan Karazor, allowed him to play a more progressive role than he has been accustomed to in Red and Blue. He played a crucial part in aiding Stuttgart’s survival in the Bundesliga - with the club’s form taking a downward turn after Ahamada’s departure in January.

Since making the switch to SE25, Ahamada has been deployed all over the pitch for the Eagles, with the young Frenchman finding himself in midfield, on the wing, and even at full back. Primarily, Ahamada was used as an advanced eight during his time in Germany with Stuttgart - game time in this position at Palace has been limited due to the differing systems between the two clubs.

As previously mentioned, other players within the Palace squad have been trusted with the midfield roles - mainly Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doucoure - before the Malian’s injury. This injury could have seen Ahamada integrated into the squad, but again, players like Will Hughes and Jeffrey Schlupp were preferred by Hodgson.

Following the appointment of Oliver Glasner last week, the club has seen another systematic change - adopting a 3-4-2-1 formation for the Austrian’s first game in charge against Burnley. If Glasner’s past is anything to go by, the 3-4-2-1 will remain the primary formation deployed by the Eagles under his stewardship.

Ahamada may find it hard to break into the side at first due to the absence of his preferred progressive role within the tactics. However, he could find himself deployed as the left-sided wingback, or within the pivot, in the defensive midfielder role.

Within the pivot, Ahamada will be asked to play a more defensive role than he has become comfortable with. The shift in focus does not mean he will be incapable of producing high-quality performances, as he has played as a defensive midfielder previously. The only difference would be the attacking freedom that Ahamada would have, having to rely on counter-attacks as an opportunity to get forward rather than the free-roaming role that he is traditionally more comfortable in.

Adam Wharton and Jefferson Lerma are likely to be Glasner’s preferred pivots for the remainder of the season - with Cheick Doucouré hopefully being reintegrated into the side when he recovers from his achilles injury. This midfield depth drops Ahamada to fourth in the pecking order for the pivot - which will likely see him receive valuable minutes from the bench. He could, however, slot in at wingback if required.

In Glasner’s 3-4-2-1, the wingbacks operate within the half-spaces, creating chances for the team by either tucking in or staying wide - depending on the system deployed by the opponents on the day. The wing-back role is the closest thing to a ‘traditional eight’ within Glasner’s system. They often find themselves with the ball in advanced midfield positions - something that Ahamada is very comfortable with - for this reason, Ahamada could see himself rotated with Daniel Muñoz or Tyrick Mitchell, allowing for either player to get a rest as depth in these positions is scarce within the Palace squad.

However, at wingback, Ahamada will find himself having to get up and down the wing to provide support on both ends of the pitch. This is not something he has been tasked with before - so an adaptation period may be expected before Ahamada is asked to play the role.

Due to the strength of the starting eleven at Palace, Ahamada will more often than not find himself on the bench, but as seen against Burnley, he will see more opportunities. In that game, Ahamada was introduced in place of Wharton in the pivot, producing a solid performance in the final half hour, which saw Palace score three goals to run out eventual 3-0 winners in a dominant performance.

The early signs of Glasner’s reign at Palace are incredibly positive, and players such as Ahamada and David Ozoh will have to capitalise on their chances when they are handed to them. This is because of the quality of Palace’s midfield options; players will have to impress to displace the starting pivot.

So what does the future hold for Naouirou Ahamada? 

It is more than likely that Ahamada will be used as a rotational player in the near future, whether that’s in the pivot or at wing-back. During his time at Palace, he has shown that he is more than capable when asked to play, and this is unlikely to change within a more positive system.  

Ahamada would find himself at home in the pivot, as this is the more traditional position the Frenchman has played in his career so far. Although he may see himself re-trained as a wingback to accommodate the team’s needs. As previously mentioned, however, the time to learn the role will be significantly less than in a traditional wing-back role due to the requirements of the position within a Glasner system.

0 comments