Charting Dan Ndoye’s improvement at Bologna this season | OneFootball

The 2023/24 campaign was Dan Ndoye first ever season in the Serie A. While he did play an underrated role in Bologna’s march towards the Champions League under Thiago Motta, his performances at the European Championships last year really put him on the map.

The world witnessed the Switzerland international’s tireless running ability, tendency to take on defenders and use his body to create a gap between himself and the defenders. While he scored only once at the Euros, his workrate was always superb.

This season, Ndoye has come leaps and bounds under Vincenzo Italiano. Last season, his application in the final third was a constant issue as he grabbed only a goal and an assist, but that has changed this season.

Bologna are pushing for another Champions League spot this season under Italiano and so far, Ndoye has a tally of seven goals and three assists. His stock has risen to a point where Napoli and Inter have emerged as candidates to land the wide player, who was linked with Manchester United last summer.

But the 24-year-old’s improvement goes beyond just goals and assists. He has become more mature, calmer and more decisive when it really matters, having scored his seventh of the season in a 5-0 win over Lazio at the weekend. He has had some fitness problems so far, but that hasn’t stopped Ndoye from getting better.

Numbers behind Ndoye’s improvement

There is one major difference between how Motta and Italiano operate. While the current Juventus boss relies on breaking the press and using spaces left by the opposition, Italiano is known to be more sustained with his in-possession approach. Sometimes, that helps players more as they get on the ball more and they’re found in the box more.

As per FbRef, Ndoye has received 4.28 touches per 90 minutes inside the penalty area this season. That number last season stood at 3.76 per 90. He now gets a little over 24 touches per 90 minutes in the final, which is a big improvement on 21.5 touches per 90 from last season.

As a result, he is also dribbling less and receiving in the final third more. He has attempted around 1 take-on less per 90 this season but he has received 10.2 progressive passes per 90 minutes. That is quite higher than how things were last season.

This doesn’t mean that he is getting on the ball less, though. Out of regulars in the Bologna squad, no one has made more progressive carries than Ndoye (5.67 per 90). He has also received more progressive passes than anyone else.

Italiano’s usage and setup helping Ndoye

A big reason for the 24-year-old’s improvement is down to Italiano’s usage. His heatmap is a good reflection of that.

Last season, Motta used him for the benefit of the system. Ndoye’s running ability made the system function better and it used the player’s running ability. But at the same time, it didn’t bring the best out of him as he played primarily on the right and was constantly shunted wide in a labourious role.

Under Italiano, things are different.

There is a lot of emphasis on him as he is playing on the left and he often comes into central areas from his preferred side, also carrying from deep at times. That is because Bologna now play in a more possession- oriented system than they used to and they used to be last season. Players just get more time on the ball in the final third and that is certain to make them better.

Big move coming for Ndoye?

This season is a very fair reflection of what setup suits Ndoye best and it isn’t to say that he will not thrive in a counter-attacking setup. He has the skillset for that too – as he did so tirelessly under Motta.

Those abilities and the ability to cover ground make him a very good asset even at wing-back and that is why Antonio Conte also likes his profile. At the same time, Ndoye can also easily play as one of the tens behind the striker in a Conte setup.

Even at Inter, he can easily slot in as a wing-back on either side under Simone Inzaghi. Liverpool have previously been mentioned as an interested party and they absolutely love raw wide players and runners like Ndoye and Manchester United, who can make do with wing-backs under Ruben Amorim, can also use Ndoye well.

All in all, the Swiss star’s future looks bright and his talent is finally shining through.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN