At just 17 years old, Lamine Yamal has taken the football world over with his phenomenal flair, composure, and fearless attacking intent. Being the next generational talent, Lamine has been the talk of the town due to his close ball control, dazzling dribbles, outstanding vision, and on-field maturity. He has already started to collect individual accolades to his name. This collection includes the Golden Boy, Fifa Pro XI, The Kopa Trophy, and the Laureus Award. As with all youngsters, certain weaknesses have been exposed as opponents adapt and pressure them to make major mistakes. These weaknesses are a path of improvement for any youngster including Lamine.
Physical and Stamina
One of Lamine’s most observable weaknesses is his physicality. He is phenomenal with his technical ability but when it comes to a physical challenge, Lamine comes in second place. He is often seen struggling against stronger and more experienced fullbacks. Over the 90 minutes, his presence can be seen dimming, especially in high-intensity games. A recent example of him not being able to cope was the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund. Another example was Betis game, where Lamine went to the ground due to exhaustion.
To improve this, he needs a well-structured diet plan so he can gain a bit more body mass with reduced fat percentage. He needs to work on drills focused on endurance and core strength so his balance improves to get past strong opponents. Hansi Flick and his staff can certainly help the youngster, we have seen some crazy transformation of Bayern players under Hansi Flick. Examples include Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies who transformed into beasts.
Defensive Contribution
Like many young wingers, Lamine’s defensive rate is still inconsistent. His pressing is on point but when the opponents progress further, his positional discipline gets a bit shaky. Against stronger opponents, his positioning gives opponents space at his position which could result in counters.
For improvements, he needs to train how to effectively track back with his teammates. He should focus on drills based on positional awareness without the ball. We have seen Raphinha helping the team at defense, especially when the offside trap fails. A recent example of Raphinha’s defensive contribution was against Leganes, where the defense’s offside trap was caught. Raphinha saved Barcelona with a brilliant tackle disrupting the opponent’s 1-on-1 chance to take the lead.
Decision-Making in the Final Third
There is no denying the fact that Lamine is brilliant with his dribbling, passing, vision, and pace, but his 1-on-1 ability needs a big boost. We have often seen him making wrong decisions in crucial moments during the final third. It feels like when Lamine gets a clear 1-on-1 chance, he gets confused about what to do, it is like he has a thousand scenarios going in the back of his head. Due to this, he takes a lot of time, so he ends up messing up the chance. Two clear examples include his chances missed against Real Madrid in the 1st half of the La Liga El Classico. Another recent one is his miss against Mallorca where he had a clear opportunity to go in the bottom corner and put his shot straight towards the goalkeeper.
Sometimes he also becomes a little selfish in these positions, he opts to shoot himself with options present inside the box. To improve this he should be trained to always go for the clearer chance and think with a free head. These chances are extremely crucial, especially in high-pressure games.