Sideways Sammy

The summer addition in attack that didn’t seem necessary at the time, Norman Bassette has managed to carve himself out a role in the side while others up front have struggled. The Belgian has quickly made himself popular among Coventry City fans for his prodigious work-rate and manic desire to compete with opponents but the question is whether he has the talent to convert early promise into becoming a genuine difference-maker. The role of ‘something different’ has suited Bassette but the time will come soon where a more tangible impact will be required from him.

Norman Bassette has immediately caught the eye at Coventry City with his desire to chase any and every lost cause up front as well as a desire to enter into challenges with a similar intensity. With his main competition at centre-forward, Ellis Simms, a more languid style of striker, that contrast has been especially notable. Just how effective Bassette has been is a different question. Just one goal from ten appearances highlights both that Bassette lacks composure when on the ball – hampered by being reluctant to use anything other than his left foot – as well that lack of control over where to focus his efforts, expending so much energy on chasing the ball down that he runs himself into areas from which he is unlikely to score from. Furthermore, Bassette is fortunate that his aggressive, competitive hasn’t yet manifested itself into costly fouls or sendings-off which he runs a fine line in giving away.

While there have been excitable comparisons between Norman Bassette and Viktor Gyokeres, the former is clearly a raw talent with plenty of development to be talked about in the same breath as the Swede. The Belgian has benefitted from arriving at Coventry City with little expectation on his shoulders and at a time where fans have been keen for someone to show work-rate up front. At 20 years old and with little first-team experience under his belt, it is okay that Norman Bassette isn’t the final product. It would be good to soon see some skill and end product to go with his work-rate Bassette puts in.