Recent results – and that late collapse against Swansea – might hint at an idea that Watford are starting to run out of steam. But there still seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank of Richarlison, the young Brazilian who has done so well since joining the Hornets from Fluminense.
His bright start is all the more remarkable given the fact that he has played through 2017 without a break. And he got the year under way in January with the punishing calendar of the South American Under-20 Championship.
There, Richarlison lined up in his customary position – wide on the left, looking to cut in, a mixture of wide striker and centre-forward. On the other wing was David Neres, now of Ajax. In the middle was Douglas Luz, since picked up and loaned out by Manchester City.
And yet Brazil could not even secure one of the continent’s four places in the World Under-20 Cup, where England overcame Venezuela in the final. All Brazil had to do in their last game was beat an already eliminated Colombia. But Richarlison, David Neres and company made little impression; the game finished goalless and Brazil were out.
Back he went to Fluminense of Rio, where he enjoyed some highs and lows. He scored some, made some – but came up short on some of the big occasions. I watched him many times in the stadium, and recall him making little impression on a pair of 2-0 home defeats (in league and cup) to South American champions Gremio, or in the two finals of the Rio State Championship. The presenter of the Brazilian TV show on which I appear (Redacao SporTV) recently reminded Fluminense fans that they not always been patient with Richarlison.
When he started so well with Watford I would always pop the question to the club’s fans, on the underground on the way to the game or in the stadium. Had they expected such a quick impact in the Premier League? The answer was always no, with one exception. One supporter said that he had imagined that the ‘kamikaze intensity’ of Richarlison might be suited to English football.
Win cash prizes for free with our competition!
| User |
Total tips |
Profit | 1 | Yield | Expected prize |
tatembot
|
11
|
202651 | 2 |
+36.59%
|
500 EUR |
Abbe
|
13
|
118598 | 3 |
+19.51%
|
250 EUR |
|
alex_cromby
|
13
|
92845 | 4 |
+17.20%
|
125 EUR |
pimidor
|
15
|
78748 | 5 |
+14.11%
|
75 EUR |
Duuda
|
36
|
75214 | 6 |
+8.24%
|
50 EUR |
Don't miss out - join our December Tipster Competition today
It is a fascinating observation, which perhaps sheds some light on the matter. When I look back at my notes from a 3-3 draw with Flamengo at the start of March, one of the things that stood out that afternoon was the amount of tracking back Richarlison was having to carry out. Indeed, Flamengo snatched a point with a late equaliser, which came from a free-kick on the edge of the area given away by Richarlison. “A punishment,” I wrote, “for making him work so hard.”
One of the big differences between contemporary football on both sides of the Atlantic is that, in South America and perhaps especially in Brazil, the defensive line plays very deep. The centre-backs operate almost on top of their own goalkeeper. This means that the space on the pitch is huge – and that Richarlison, wide left in a 4-2-3-1, was making a succession of lengthy bursts up and down the line.
At Watford things have been different. The team stays more compact, and he is able to use the vast majority of that ‘kamikaze intensity’ running forward. He is fresher to do more of what he is good at.
He has clearly benefited, not only from the presence of Gomes to help him in, and from the fact that coach Marco Silva can speak Portuguese with him, but also from how well he fits into his manager's game plan, based on rapid attacks down the flanks.
Such has been his impact on English football that some in Brazil have been calling for his inclusion in the national squad. There were journalists who predicted that he would get the nod for November’s visit to Wembley. It did not happen – which makes it hard for Richarlison to force his way on to the plane to Russia. There is only one more call-up – for friendlies in March – before the World Cup squad is named. He is running out of time.
He faces two problems. One is the quality and depth of the competition; Brazil are currently weak on targetmen centre-forwards, but produce plenty of strikers who operate from wide. The other is the suspicion left by failure in that South American Under-20 tournament. Richarlison clearly works well in a team built to counter-attack. But this will not be the case for Brazil in Russia. Opponents will sit back against them, denying them room. Can he tip the balance against quality opposition in reduced space? That is the next challenge in the young career of Richarlison.
.png)
