Leo Ostigard was brought in over the summer to much acclaim from the analytics community, and it’s been clear to see why that was the case. Aggressive in the challenge and confident in possession, Leo Ostigard clearly has all the attributes to play at a high level in the future. In the present, the reason why Leo Ostigard has dropped out of the team recently is due to a lack of control in his game, he is a bit too aggressive in the challenge and a bit too confident in possession, which made him too erratic in an area of the pitch where the team has needed calm and composure to keep opposition teams out.
Although Ostigard is currently out of the team, it’s obvious that he will eventually win his place back in the side and go on to be an important presence for us in defence. With just a little more composure, his aggression in the challenge could make him a dominant presence at the back, while his ability on the ball will make him a key part of how we play out from the back. Ostigard seems like he would be more effective in a back three than a back four because that extra cover around him would allow him to take more risks in the challenge and in possession, but there is no reason why he couldn’t demonstrate his positive qualities as part of a central defensive partnership.
The next month or so are about Leo Ostigard taking the opportunity to demonstrate he has learned to tone down the impulsiveness that has gotten him into trouble at times this season. For the team, having a mobile and aggressive presence in central defence to replace Kyle McFadzean could help us push higher up the pitch in an attempt to sustain periods of control. Leo Ostigard isn’t far away from being a very good defender at this level of football, but he isn’t quite there yet.
Sideways Sammy 