Richard

Carbine’s run deep in stoppage time, ghosting in at the back post to get on the end of Zanotti's diagonal ball is the kind of attacking action only him & Zanotti (of the current fullback/WCB options) have that capability of producing. Hopefully they persist with him against GCZ.

I don’t think it is a surprise Lugano’s results have stalled since Zanotti moved to RWB from RCB, as they have lacked dynamism from their back 3. They would have been better suited starting Carbone or Zanotti in the back 3, though I understand they were short of WB options.

He conceded a very soft penalty for a foul on Traore, and he is not yet suited to dealing with tricky wingers. His lack of experience was notable, as the minimal contact was needless due to cover in behind.

He is better defensively as a WCB than as a fullback; he tends to foul in wide areas after being too overzealous when marking upfield. He is better as a box defender, tasked with marking space or less mobile strikers; Traore should have scored from him not marking tight enough.

Carbone struggled defensively against Basel after coming on against half time at LB. His introduction also signalled a change in shape for Lugano; his signing allows for so much tactical flexibility (similar to the use of Zanotti).

Whilst Behrens will no doubt be a loss to Lugano's structure & overall play, Koutsias is an excellent replacement. I Have said previously he has the makings of a top 5 league player; his lack of minutes may have slowed that reality, but I maintain his ceiling is incredibly high.

The equaliser is not a goal that Behrens is capable of scoring; his starting wide position, touch inside & left foot finish to the near post is not in Behrens' arsenal, with all of the German's goals this term being scored from less than 10 yards out.

The direct balls Saipi plays to Behrens to get Lugano out of pressure, & the striker's ability to link up play with his first touch to onrushing teammates is almost unmatched in the league. Whilst not as effective & being a different profile, Koutsias is still decent aerially.

Whatever you think of Kevin Behrens, his withdrawal after 15 minutes against Basel was a blow to their general structure. Koutsias has been very unlucky to have had so few minutes since the league restart, though his performance against Basel shows they can cope without Behrens.

I wouldn't be shocked if Bouchlarhem made his way back to Swiss Super League level in the future, though his mentality will limit how much of an impact he can make in the top division.

The most frustrating thing about Bouchlarhem's game is his tendency to exaggerate contact & play for free kicks. Per FotMob he still leads the league per 90 in fouls drawn with 4.55, though he would be better served focusing on beating players & impacting in the final third.

He looked promising last term, appearing in 34 out of 38 league games, though his final product just wasn't there. I was shocked to see he is 24 & I only just realised how tall he is; I would have otherwise classed him as a diminutive player due to his light frame.

Theo Bouchlarhem
DOB: 03/03/2001 (24)
Nation: France
Height: 1.84m
Foot: Right
Position: LW
Contract Expiry: TBC
Transfermarkt Value: €600k

Theo Bouchlarhem's leaving Sion for second division side Etoile Carouge was not a shock departure given the lack of minutes he played in the first half of the season. The drop down a division will help both parties as they look to avoid relegation.

Palacio is available again from suspension for their next fixture vs Grasshopper; him or Bangoura MUST start (if not both) to restore both physicality & balance to the midfield. My preference would be with Bangoura & Reichmuth in a double pivot with Tsawa (over Krasniqi) ahead.

Mohamed Bangoura made a big difference coming on as the holding midfielder in the second half. Despite only play 30mins, he made 1/5 of Zürich's total tackles - an indictment on the rest of the lineup. His physicality was a breath of fresh air for Zürich on a poor day.

The first half saw Zürich invert both fullbacks, but this meant that Reichmuth & Krasniqi would be on the ball (often under pressure) in traditional fullback spots. The eventual changes enabled Zürich to at least get their central players on the ball in the middle of the park.

Zürich’s midfield was filled with technicians, though they did not play to their strengths, with seconds from long balls towards Keny being swept up by Abe & Owusu. It is no surprise Zürich's first 4 substitutes all significantly increased the physicality of those they replaced.

Reichmuth was the most mis-profiled in this setup; he cannot play as a long holding midfielder. Countless times Luzern threatened on the transition & he was unable to track runners (particularly Kabwit). If he is to play in midfield, it MUST be in a double pivot or as a number 8.

Reichmuth, Krasniqi & Tsawa as a midfield trio lacks physicality, especially the ability to cover ground effectively when defending counters. The basketball nature of the game saw Luzern generate repeated chances on the counter due to Zürich's lack of transitional running.

FC Zürich lacked bite & physicality, & they are lucky to have only lost by 3 goals. The lack of balance in the lineup was astounding, mainly due to the mis-profiling of their midfield:

Kacuri has to start against Lugano at the weekend if Basel are to control the game. Grgic & Mahmoud are back from suspension for Lugano, & whilst Bislimi is still out, Lugano will look to control the game; Basel’s solution should be a double pivot of Leroy & Kacuri.

Whilst Koloto was very smooth on the ball when coming deep to link the play, he was less effective closer to goal and Sion’s CB pairing manhandled him in the box. The presence of Leroy in these situations would have made a major difference to Basel’s final third play.

Leo Leroy was competent linking the defense and attack during the first half as the deepest in Basel’s midfield, though his natural role is more as a number 8, and Basel sorely missed his ability to crash the box with the lightweight frontline selected.

Dion Kacuri made a big difference to Basel’s general play after coming on at HT. He naturally looks for a high volume of touches which suited Basel’s midfield & he is a better scanner, more composed with the ball & more press resistant than Bacanin at the base of midfield.

Grgic is the only player averaging more touches per 90 than Kabacalman. I think both will make excellent coaches in the future (should that be the pathway they choose after retirement).

Kabacalman only 'wastes' the ball when attempting speculative balls into the box, though most of these balls are incisive & require clearing. The only other holding midfielder in the league possessing the same ability to control the tempo of games is Lugano's Anto Grgic.

In possession, he has the ability to control the tempo of the game from all areas of the pitch. He typically drops in between the CBs to receive uncontested, though he also has the flexibility to drift wide to create overloads, particularly on the left with Hefti & Chouaref.

Kabacalman is physically unimpressive. He lacks burst and mobility, particularly without the ball & whilst he is not a liability out of possession, he is best paired with a space eating partner in a double pivot. He is solid in duels without it being a feature of his game.

Ali Kabacalman
DOB: 27/09/1995
Nation: Switzerland
Height: 1.76m
Foot: Left
Position: DM
Contract Expiry: 30/06/2027
Transfermarkt Value: €600k