The case for Jorge Cuenca to start against Newcastle

Is it time we see a little more of our Spanish centre-back?

I have been meaning to write this article for a little while now, but Jorge Cuenca’s performance against Arsenal has pushed me to finally do it.

The Spaniard has taken some time to settle in since his arrival last season and has faced stiff competition in the talented Calvin Bassey.

However, the pair’s contrasting form, as well as strengths and weaknesses, have now forced Marco Silva to seriously consider if Cuenca should start when we head to Tyneside on Saturday.

Past and present performances

It’s never easy to have your game time restricted to cup fixtures or be dropped into the occasional league match to fill in for an injury, both mentally and physically, but Cuenca has nearly always been reliable when called upon (bar a couple of perhaps understandable shaky cup performances last season).

Take his first league start - away to Anfield - against the eventual champions that season. He probably couldn’t have faced a tougher challenge. Yet, despite us conceding two goals, which is nothing to be ashamed of given the challenge, Cuenca took like a duck to water.

Facing a front three of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, he made 12 clearances and one interception that day, winning all his aerial duels and completing 87% of his passes.

Fast forward to this season, he perhaps unexpectedly started in our opening game away to Brighton, putting in yet another solid performance. He completed 89% of his passes, once again won all his aerial duels, made two clearances and a successful tackle. Not bad. While admittedly against lesser opposition, he also played the full 90 minutes in both of this season’s Carabao cup games, which we secured clean sheets in.

On Saturday, against this season’s expected champions, Cuenca made eight clearances and three interceptions, with a pass success rate of 85%.

Stats are not everything. Cuenca’s clear aggression to his game, ability to win aerial duels, calmness on the ball and slight edge to Joachim Andersen’s pace are what make him a more than adequate replacement for Bassey. The above stats just underline that.

Granted, Cuenca doesn’t have Bassey’s speed to make those extraordinary recovery tackles. Yet, as a certain Paolo Maldini once said, ‘If I have to make a tackle, then I’ve already made a mistake.’

Cuenca is not Maldini – in case that needed clarifying – but herein lies the key advantages he has over Bassey: positional nous and winning aerial duels.

Back to basics, Bassey

Silva has consistently referred to these problems of Bassey’s, underlining he must improve his concentration and aerial duels, but as mentioned, both are where Cuenca excels. In fact, the fee Fulham paid for Bassey’s services raised a few Ajax eyebrows because of these known weaknesses, so these problems are not new.

The Ollie Watkins goal a few weeks ago is a good example of them. Andersen took the rap for that one for (very unusually) misjudging the header, but Bassey should have realised earlier it was too late to play the offside trap, dropped to cover Watkins’ run and won the second ball. Sure, Watkins still had a lot to do, but Bassey should have been more alert to the danger.

In the Bournemouth game, which should be said was under wet conditions, he lost his only defensive duel and failed to make a single interception.

It’s the combination of these stats, Silva’s comments and the noticeable downward trend in recent performances which have exposed Bassey’s weaknesses.

The football merry-go-round

It’s clear Bassey is comfortable on the ball and possesses great technical skill, but his execution has let him down in the past and indeed this season. His reliance on pace to bail himself out of a mistake is reminiscent of Antonee Robinson’s early years at Fulham. However, Jedi eventually cut this out of his game and has now become one of the top players in his position in the Premier League.

Bassey can do the same. He may have a higher ceiling than Cuenca due to physical advantages, but his recent performances do not stand up to his excellent debut season at Fulham. He has the ability to regain that form though, fix these weaknesses and become a top class player.

For now, Cuenca has proven if you do the basics well, consistently, your moment will come. As such, it’s now Bassey’s turn to make way.