Left Back Football

It is ironic that Calvin Stengs loathed playing in central midfield as his youth coach, Lee-Roy Echteld deployed him in a variety of positions. The irony lies in the fact that his multifunctionality is what will make him valuable to Ronald Koeman and the Dutch National Team. AZ have a clever philosophy of not tying youth players down to a single position until professional level as Teun Koopmeiners has deputised in midfield and defence, Owen Wijndal and Thomas Ouwejan have moved in between midfield and defence while Myron Boadu can also be influential out wide.

Ronald Koeman utilises a system where his wingers rarely act as contemporary wingers, instead moving inside as auxiliary midfielders while the fullbacks establish width. In the defensive phase, they press the half-spaces while making vertical runs into the central positions while the fullbacks will be tasked with marking players in the wide areas. This is where Stengs thrives, receiving the ball in the central lines, connecting play and looking to play clever through-balls into runners in behind. Koeman trusted the 20-year-old with a start against Estonia as he was greatly encouraged to provide creativity in the central spaces.

Stengs began his debut against Estonia in industrious fashion as he attempted two through-balls but lacked the proper understanding with his teammates for his distribution to truly be effective. His lack of proper understanding with his teammates was a reoccurring theme in his debut as he attempted many clever passes in behind to find that a teammate had held a run when the AZ attacker had played the ball into space. However, Stengs thrived at receiving the ball in the central areas, constantly making astute blind-sided movements to the player in possession while opening his body to receive possession.

He also stung the palms of the Estonian goalkeeper after receiving the ball in the ten space. Stengs let a Frenkie de Jong pass roll across his body to his right-foot, before driving the ball and working a through-pass as Luuk De Jong expected to receive the ball to his feet with his back to goal rather than turning his shoulders for a run in behind. The ball rolled harmlessly through to the goalkeeper as De Jong is a vastly different striker to Stengs’ teammate Boadu. At club level, every time Stengs receives the ball in between the lines on the break, this triggers a run in behind from Boadu who will be expecting a well-weighted through-pass from his afro-haired teammate.

Memphis Depay who usually plays as a central striker to great effect at Dutch National Team level struck up an instant on-field rapport with Stengs, even giving the youngster a reassuring cuddle before kick-off. Depay enjoys dropping deep to demand possession from the centre-backs but will at times lack a central counterpart to connect with once he receives possession. Against Estonia, he dropped deep to receive possession swivelled to Stengs’s ball-far left flank before swerving back inside to work a pass to de Jong who laid a pass for Stengs to elegantly flick for an onrushing Depay to take the ball in-stride and drive into the box. Before, Stengs received a pass from the ten space from the right-flank as he attempted a through ball to Depay whose run was not in-sync with the trajectory and pace of the pass. This would not be the last time that Stengs and Depay linked up in the game.

Frankie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Calvin Stengs linking up.

Stengs was constantly in motion, presenting an open body shape to receive possession as while the ball was on the left flank, he gradually progressed to the opposite flank for Patrick Van Aanholt to win possession for Georginio Wijnaldum to work a pass to Stengs in the ten space for the youngster to receive the ball with his right foot to then strike a shot on target while he was slipping with his favoured left-foot. A wrong-footed winger cutting into the centre is as Dutch as windmills and canals as Johnny Rep did it to a great extent at Ajax, Saint Etienne and with the Dutch National Team before Arjen Robben perfected the craft. Stengs is similar but different because he is more elegant creative hub than rapid wide force as he has a long way to go to reach those lofty heights.

Stengs then took two steps to his right to receive a line-breaking pass from Davy Propper as he worked a pass to the overlapping Quincy Promes for the Ajax attacker to cross for Luuk De Jong to have a header saved. Stengs also thrived at winning possession on the break and shifting possession quickly to teammates in space for his team to create high-quality opportunities. Stengs showed his ability as a master manipulator of space and ball-progressions as he opened his body to receive a pass from Propper who spread the ball to Promes which triggered a Stengs run into the half-space for Promes to pass back to Propper who worked a through ball to Stengs in space. The AZ Alkmaar winger drove into the box and worked a chip that narrowly missed the head of Depay.

Propper, Stengs, Promes and De Jong combining.

Stengs’ proficiency in three-man passing sequences in the wide areas was crucial as he received passes from the wide areas in the half-spaces and central areas. His movement when creating passing angles for his teammate and moving into space was exceptional as he constantly received the ball and attempted to create an opportunity for a teammate. Frenkie de Jong worked a pass into the wide areas for Promes which triggered a run into the wide area from Stengs, Promes played the ball back to de Jong who drove into the opposition half attracting three markers while Stengs sidled back into the half-space as the Barcelona midfielder played a back-pass as Promes prodded a pass to Stengs who turned to drive the ball while Promes continued his run as Stengs worked a pass into an alley containing a stationary Luuk De Jong and an onrushing Promes. The Sevilla striker adjusted to the pass too early and stepped offside as both players left the ball for each other creating confusion as the ball bobbled out for a goal-kick.

Stengs continued by assisting a Wijnaldum brace as the first was due to his defensive work and hustle rather than creativity. He pressed an Estonian centre-back to win possession and flick a pass through for the Liverpool midfielder to bag his second goal. He then received a pass from Wijnaldum on the break to jink back into his own half instead of driving forward, allowing the Liverpool midfielder the time to make a run into space. He played one of his trademarked spell-binding through balls into Wijnaldum who went through on goal to finish with aplomb as the Dutch captain had a hat-trick of goals while Stengs had a brace of assists.

Stengs has accumulated 8 goals and 11 assists in all competitions as we gradually approach December as he has 11 goals and 15 assists since returning from injury at the beginning of this year. He has picked up where he left off as an injury deprived him of over a season and a half of football as he is finally having his breakout season. Koeman is blessed with ample young inverted winger options as Steven Bergwijn plays centrally for PSV Eindhoven while Justin Kluivert is being used in a similar position for Paulo Fonseca’s Roma. Stengs is unique as he brings an attacking midfielder’s special awareness and guile in the central areas.

“They have bravado in their game but are also very modest. They fit very well in this group of players and can take further steps in their development in the coming months. We will see later whether they will also experience the European Championship. We also have more to choose from in an attacking sense,” said Koeman of Boadu and Stengs after the Estonia match in quotes obtained from the Algemeen Dagblad.

Stengs finished the game with 2 assists and 9 chances created in a very encouraging debut as if he continues on the rich vein of form he is in, he will certainly be in the running for a starting role next summer. He suits the demands and creative responsibilities that Koeman places on his wingers as he was almost honed specifically for them at AZ Alkmaar. It is highly plausible that Teun Koopmeiners and Owen Wijndal could follow Boadu and Stengs into the Dutch National Team as AZ seek to develop UEFA Champions League level youngsters. Stengs has only enhanced his standing as Holland’s most exciting youngster with his Dutch National Team debut.