Why is Tomas Suslov so popular on the market?

The Slovakian attacking midfielder conquered Verona.

The first time I saw Tomas Suslov invented for the field was during Verona-Empoli. The game was intriguing: Djuric who only took 3 minutes to do what he does best, goring the ball into the net; Zurkowski he had equalized the scores, scoring on his debut after his return to Empoli; Fatigue brought Verona back into the lead, effectively closing the match.

At Bentegodi there was a thick fog which made it difficult to enjoy the game even on screen, with the ball and some players who could hardly distinguish each other amidst the haze. Unlike Djuric, whose size was almost impossible to confuse, with short players it was more difficult to understand who was who. One of the shortest players on the pitch was this one Thomas Suslov: never heard of it, I rarely followed Verona closely.

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Distinguishing his plays was a difficult task for the vast majority of minutes, but it intrigued me: with a low center of gravity it drew interesting movementsevading the pressing of the defenders and then making use of his own Sliced ​​left-handed to communicate with teammates; other times, he picked up the ball low and aimed at the opponent’s area with quick footwork to disorientate Empoli’s defense; in the first half, from what little I was able to see, It seemed like a good prospect to me.

From that moment on I followed Verona more often, and the most important reason in this sense was to learn more about Tomáš Suslov. Never was a more appropriate choice: he is now one of my favorite players. Let’s be clear: he is still quite immature and has ample room for improvement, but he is one of those who can kidnap with a flick or an invention.

Thomas Suslov arrived at Verona in September 2023, at the beginning of a very particular season for the Scaligeri. Hellas essentially played two Serie A in one, with one rather grotesque winter market: 16 players sold (record in the history of Serie A?), 10 purchased to make up for the farewells. Furthermore, the departures were anything but irrelevant: Djuric, Hien, Doig, Ngonge and Terracciano said goodbye.

Nice foot, already at Groningen.

One of the survivors was indeed Thomas Suslov: his stay in the gialloblù beyond 1 February 2024 contributed to the unexpected feat (given the radical upheaval that the squad has undergone) of saving Verona. At the halfway point, Baroni’s Hellas remained in third-last place following the daring and undeserved defeat against Inter at San Siro.

Thanks to the management and emotional intelligence of the Florentine coach, Verona picked up another 24 points in the second round, improving the result of the first leg and reaching mathematical salvation even a day early. Also thanks to Suslov: although with a gradual impact and with not immediate ownership, the Slovakian got on the scoresheet 3 goals and 5 assistsbecoming the best player for participation in Verona’s goals behind Noslin, who has 9.

Suslov is equipped with aexcellent techniqueof a marked one ball control and it’s effective one-on-one: for Sofascore, 1.63 dribbles per game with a success rate of 57%. The ability to create an advantage with the ball and his movements to disorientate the opponent are very effective, so much so that he earned many fouls (2.41/90 minutes). The position within the camp is so far extremely variable: he knows how to play as a technical element of a midfielder, in the midfield as a director and, if necessary, also as a wide player on the wing.

Suslov compared to wingers and attacking midfielders vs Suslov compared to Serie A midfielders

Since the Scaligeri are a team that this season has not made maneuvering their main focus (22 minutes and 47 seconds on average in possession, 18th in the championship according to Lega Serie A), the direct and vertical climb has not seen any great plots. Suslov didn’t touch too many balls in absolute terms (36.4 per game for FBref), completing a few steps for what the potential qualities are (17.9).

The Slovakian’s numbers are greatly influenced by Verona’s style of play: Most of the attempted passes are medium and long, a factor that significantly lowers passing percentages (only 6.67 tips per game are under 11 meters in length). We are certainly not talking about a player equipped with Iniesta’s technique, but a game more focused on phrasing could significantly raise the level of his already excellent performances.

It is no coincidence that one of Tomáš Suslov’s most significant plays of the year is a pass against Lecce. After bending down to receive, all he needed was one oriented control by stroking the ball with the left foot to put it to sleep, raise your head, analyze the pitch and serve Folorunsho between the lines. Thus he eluded the pressing of Gonzalez and Ramadani, who had doubled him in no time.

A subtle but very effective play: he freed a teammate to shoot with a simple and elegant oriented control, which allowed him to scan the field in the blink of an eye and quickly choose the decisive play. At that point, Folorunsho unloads his left foot, the ball is deflected, Falcone can do nothing.

Although Tomáš Suslov is a fine and technical player, he doesn’t disdain the non-possession phase: the data in contrast is more than fair (1.81 per game), with a notable number of offensive actions from defensive recoveries (0.13): in the Slovakian game, quality does not limit quantity. Suslov is one of Verona’s strong points in offensive terms: he is one of the players who finishes most towards the goal (2.2), but finalization remains an aspect that certainly needs to be refined. He still scores little for the amount of shots he produces (0.04 is his goal/shot ratio, one of the lowest in Serie A).

Tomáš Suslov is a player of quality and quantity, useful in multiple areas of the pitch. It would be important for him to play in a tactical context that highlights him more and allows him to touch more balls per game, so as not to remain extraneous to the game and highlight his excellent left-footedness: that can be Zanetti’s Verona or the next team whose 2002 Spišská Nová Ves will wear the shirt?

Thomas Suslov is still an immature player from more than one point of view, particularly in finishing. However, it represents a excellent prospect capable of igniting matches through his fine play and his bursts of the ball, as well as being able to play almost anywhere. A player still in the process of training but with excellent hopes: at Euro 2024 he has so far always taken over towards the middle of the second half, but that doesn’t mean he can’t prove to be the decisive resource for a surprise result for his Slovakia.

And make up for mistakes like this…

Own Suslov’s performances attracted interest from several teams: Lazio, Rome and Bologna, at least according to local rumors. In all these contexts it could well figure: the Giallorossi, with De Rossi, have abandoned verticality mourinhana to try to impose his maneuver; at Lazio he would find Baroni, who has already asked Lotito for more than one player from Verona; at Bologna he could cover the role of the unredeemed Saelemakers, who could be inserted across the entire front of Italiano’s three-quarter line. The statements of his agent are heartening the Serie A fans: Tomáš Suslov wants to stay in Serie A. An Italian experience, paradoxically, that is anything but quick and elusive.

2024-06-27 13:07:34
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