Daehli a mini Iniesta?

WalesOnline
16/04/14

Paul Abbandonato: Why Mats Moller Daehli reminds me of Andres Iniesta and I think he will be sold for more than Aaron Ramsey

January 11, the media conference room underneath the main stand at Cardiff City Stadium, around 6.30pm.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his first Premier League game as Bluebirds boss behind him, had just explained away his team’s 0-2 home loss to West Ham when the Press, keen to input his words into their laptops, were asked by a club official to wait behind for “some major news.”

WIlfried Zaha, Manchester United’s £10million man, really was coming to provide new impetus into City’s relegation battle, we surmised?

Not so. Not yet, anyhow.

Having momentarily left the room, Solskjaer suddenly walked back in with a fresh-faced, blond youngster next to him who barely looked as if he had come out of school.

The two sat down together as Solskjaer, grinning from ear to ear, proudly announced the signing of a player he knew well and who had turned down Manchester United to join Cardiff.

He didn’t actually name him and none of the media present wished to embarrass Solskjaer by posing the simple, but entirely relevant question, ‘Excuse me Ole, but who is he?’

To be honest, few of us had heard of Mats Moller Daehli back then, let alone knew what he looked like.

It will be the last time the Norwegian teenager walks into a signing Press conference unrecognised, for he is fast establishing himself as the best young Bluebirds talent since the emergence of a 16-year-old called Aaron Ramsey.

Apt analogy that one. I predict that one day Daehli will eclipse Ramsey as the most expensive footballer sold by Cardiff City.

Solskjaer raised a few eyebrows when he revealed Daehli had rejected a return to the Premier League champions, his first club, to sign for Cardiff. Those hairs stood up even more when the City boss made an analogy between Daehli and the Manchester City title-winning duo of David Silva and Samir Nasri.

In for a penny, in for a pound, after three months of watching Daehli I’m going to raise eyebrows to another level again by stating the world-renowned footballer he reminds me of isn’t Silva or Nasri, but Spanish World Cup winner Anders Iniesta.

That is NOT to say, let me emphasise right here, that Daehli is as good as Iniesta, the free-flowing midfield magician who, next to his mate Xavi, transformed the way modern football was viewed with their tiki-taka for Barcelona and Spain.

But Daehli’s silky play, composure on the ball, wonderful balance and ability to twist and turn either way to confound defenders is utterly reminiscent in its style to the way Iniesta plays.

If Daehli can supplement those qualities with Iniesta’s dribbling skills and directness – and he does sometimes threaten that, without quite delivering – then Cardiff City are going to have one heck of a footballer on their hands.

Daehli clearly needs to bulk out, but seeing him perform so coolly under pressure was a joy to watch at Southampton.

In the previous match, the abject 0-3 home loss to Crystal Palace, Daehli was just about the best of an awfully bad Bluebirds bunch, but was still muscled off the ball too often.

Southampton pressed high up the pitch, harried and hassled Solskjaer’s team. But with Daehli, Peter Whittingham and Kim Bo-Kyung in the starting XI, backed up by Juan Cala and Fabio at the back, this time the Bluebirds had footballers who didn’t panic in possession.

Time and again Daehli received the ball in tight spots, two or three Southampton opponents swarming around him. On pretty much every occasion he jinked one way, then the other and invariably found a blue shirt with his pass.

It was exactly the type of pass-and-move football Solskjaer has stated from day one he wants from his team.

After Daehli had formally put pen to paper with Cardiff back at the beginning of the year, we thought it was time to find out a little bit more about this unknown youngster from Norway.

Two things stood out from our enquiries. The first being that Daehli, not Adnan Januzaj who was setting the Premier League alight at the time, was viewed as the most promising young player on Manchester United’s books before leaving Old Trafford to join Solskjaer at Molde.

The second was that back in his homeland, Daehli was being dubbed as potentially the greatest Norwegian footballer in history.

Okay, this is not a nation which which developed the likes of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Best or Giggs.

But Norway has had its share of UEFA Champions League winners and World Cup finalists. Not least Solskjaer himself.

For pundits to be speaking of someone of such tender years in such glowing fashion was a testimony indeed.

At first glance, Daehli appeared far too lightweight to deal with the hurly-burly of a Premier League relegation dogfight. It’s okay looking good with time on the ball, but impacting a game by producing where it really matters – in the final third of the pitch – was another matter entirely.

However, Daehli’s equalising goal against West Brom could prove the making of him in that respect.

He has a key role to play in the Bluebirds’ final four matches, where his extra creativity could give Solskjaer’s team the edge they need.

There have been plenty of question marks raised over the quality of Solskjaer’s January transfer signings. I think we can each agree, though, that a previously unheard of Mats Moller Daehli represents fantastic value for money.

He will go on to be sold for triple what Ramsey got in a couple of years, hopefully he's still with us next season.

Pack it in, ganders of delusion are on show, he is far from Iniesta, he is Mats Moller Daehli, no one else. Don't compare him and don't put added expectation on him, instead just back the team, back the manager, write less stories to disrupt us and pull together as one you Eggo bastards

He is nothing like iniesta , what a strange comparison

Oh god not this. He has only started a few games for us (2 I believe) and made a few sub appearances and shown some promise but comparing him to Iniestia at such a young age is ridiculous. Let's see him after a full season in English football first, no need for stupid comparisons which just add unwanted pressure.

:?
He is nothing like iniesta , what a strange comparison

Don't get me wrong calling him a mini Iniesta is unfair on the lad but he does play in a similar style. He has a low centre of gravity like Iniesta, drops his shoulder to beat his man, really good close control when running with the ball, class first touch, can see a pass (execution isnt quite there yet). He does have similar traits and I love watching players like Iniesta, Matts is a million miles away from him at the moment, his quality isn't quite there yet but that's the beauty of having time on his hands.

I think we have a top talent on our hands.

Reminds me in look and stature of Chris Burke, who went on to the dizzy heights of Birmingham, not Barcelona.

April fools was two weeks ago..

Didn't read it as the writer is a joker.

He has done well though, most impressively against Palace is he didn't go missing and kept looking for the ball.

Glad we have him. I also think he will have a bright future with us.

Not really that difficult to be sold for more than what Rambo was as it was daylight robbery although I appreciate we needed the money at the time

Obviously he is not saying he is anywhere near as good as Iniesta but the set of skills and playing style is similar. He is compared to these playmakers all the time because of his style and flair. For instance Patrick Barclay compared him to Silva and Modric in a recent article. At ManU they viewed him as the new Scholes. Imo he is more comparable to Silva, who is less direct than Iniesta and assists and creates more than he scores.

Hopefully Daehli has a good head on his shoulders and makes the most out of his talent its always dangerous to be hyped up too much too soon, certain players believe their own hype and get lazy with their talent ( see Zaha).
I think Daehli will be bought by a top club by 21-22 provided he continues his development and works hard on his game.

"To be honest, few of us had heard of Mats Moller Daehli back then, let alone knew what he looked like."

A football journalist and hadn't heard of one of the most touted teenage talents in the game? How is this guy paid to write these pointless flatuated blabathons?

In other news Welsh Media are arse Backward and wouldn't know a talented footballer if one took a shit on their face and volleyed it into their arsehole.

More like a Nigel Vaughan

I like him but calm down. He's quick tricky and shows great awareness for his youth, but he needs a lot of strength training for the uk game as he gets pushed off the ball too easy in the way noone wouldnt. But great prospect for sure.

Ridiculous analogy.

This journalist must have run out of ideas for a story.

In other news Welsh Media are arse Backward and wouldn't know a talented footballer if one took a shit on their face and volleyed it into their arsehole.

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Is going to be a very good player, regardless of his similar playing attributes to other players or lack thereof. Well done to Ole for convincing him to come to us.

I like him but calm down. He's quick tricky and shows great awareness for his youth, but he needs a lot of strength training for the uk game as he gets pushed off the ball too easy in the way noone wouldnt. But great prospect for sure.

He's pushed off the ball easily? Ridicoulus statement. Keeping the ball is the thing he does best.

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