Position: Centre-Back/Right-Back/Central-Midfielder
Age: 25 *
At Club Since: Summer 2023
Total Club League Appearances (Goals): 74(2) *
Joel Latibeaudiere’s time at Coventry City can be best summarised by the phrase ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. While there are things to like about Latibeaudiere, from his technical ability, pace and forcefulness in the challenge, he has yet to find a position where he can be at his most effective. A little too short to be a centre-back, he has been tried at full-back and central midfield and never quite convinced. A player that Mark Robins clearly wants to find a role for, the question with Latibeaudiere is whether he is talented enough to tailor the team to his skill-set.
The best role for Latibeaudiere looks to be as part of a back three, where he can operate in his preferred central defensive role while being able to share in physical battles with his defensive colleagues. Whether it’s in using his pace in the central centre-back role to act as something of a sweeper, or to operate on the right side and look to be involved in bringing the ball out of defence and helping get Milan van Ewijk up the pitch, Joel Latibeaudiere stands to be the biggest beneficiary if Mark Robins sticks with the current experiment of three at the back. Nonetheless, there remains a concern with Latibeaudiere whether he has the concentration and assertiveness to be a reliable defensive presence.
Almost all of Joel Latibeaudiere’s shortcomings relate to having rarely been given a run of games in any one position. While he will remain a useful option for the manager to have because of his ability to fill in across three spots in the team, the present switch to a back three provides Latibeaudiere with a huge opportunity to make a position his own. If he doesn’t grasp this chance to finally establish some consistency in his game, then it may be a long while before Joel Latibeaudiere gets his next one, possibly at another club.
*As of 04/05/2025
Previous Profiles: New Signing, 10 Games In, 25 Games In
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