Why Cardiff Should Steer Clear Of This QPR Powerhouse. Transfer Scouting Report.
Cardiff City are on the hunt for a midfield destroyer. According to The Sun, having already missed out on Victor Wanyama and struggling to secure a deal with Toulouse’s Etienne Capoue, the Bluebirds are now set to turn their attention towards QPR midfielder Stephane Mbia.
But is the 27-year-old really the best option for Cardiff to pursue this summer? After all, Mbia only made 21 full appearances last season in a QPR side desperate to avoid relegation and he finished the year without a single goal to his name.
Is he really the next-best alternative for the Bluebirds after missing out on the likes of Wanyama and probably Capoue in the transfer window?
You’d have to think not.
Mbia is a robust tackler in central midfield, whose defensive attributes lend himself to being an effective defensive midfielder. The Cameroon international won an impressive 80% of his attempted tackles last season and 48% of his headed duels. He also made 78 interceptions.
Yet while those numbers might seem strong, in comparison to others, they are well below where they should be for Mbia to be considered an effective “midfield destroyer”.
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Stéphane Mbia: Duels Won
Mbia averaged just five Defensive Actions per game last season—numbers that, given the sheer volume of defending that QPR were forced to do, really should have been much higher. Rangers’ players such as Ryan Nelsen (15) and Clint Hill (13) averaged well over double to what Mbia managed.
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Stéphane Mbia: Average Defensive Actions
That’s not to say that Mbia’s total of 153 defensive actions is woeful. But in light of the defensive positions that QPR were constantly in, those numbers should have been much higher.
The same goes for the 27-year-old’s potency as an attacking force in midfield.
Mbia didn’t manage a single goal from his 29 shots last season, and created just 20 chances in that time as well. He was there in midfield—and managed to complete plenty of passes—but he simply didn’t have the impact required, which was shown to be true when the Londoners took on Fulham late last season.
Stéphane Mbia: Passes v Fulham - 40/45 (01/04/13)
Statistically speaking, Mbia completed 40 of his 45 attempted passes, he won four tackles and made two interceptions. However, as his Individual Heat Map (below) shows, he was more of a scattered midfielder, and isn't quite the “destroyer” that Cardiff are looking for. Compare his Individual Heat Map to someone like Schneiderlin in his best game of the season (against Wigan) and the difference is clear—one is an all-conquering force in central midfield, and the other is Stephane Mbia.
Morgan Schneiderlin Heatmap v Wigan (02/02/13)
In fact, when Schneiderlin came up against Mbia in February, the difference was astounding. The Saints’ midfielder won all eight tackles, made 10 interceptions and completed 52 of his 60 passes attempted while Mbia made just one tackle and 13 successful passes.
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Morgan Schneiderlin Duels Won v QPR (02/03/13)
Could Mbia work as a central midfielder at Cardiff? Of course, but the Bluebirds must understand the type of player that they’d be getting. Mbia is a serious step-down in terms of attack and defence from that of Wanyama and Capoue, and it’s hard to see that changing in the space of just one season.