Left Back Football

Memphis Depay and Jean-Paul Boetius were rated as the biggest talents in Dutch football a few years ago but after Ronald Koeman departed Feyenoord for Southampton, the latter fell out of favour with new manager Fred Rutten. As Memphis Depay finished the season as top scorer and departed for a blockbuster move to Manchester United in a private jet, Boetius and his girlfriend chartered an EasyJet to finalise a move to Basel while their dog travelled by car. A move to Genk restored his career before he re-joined Feyenoord, participating in their KNVB Cup winning season before falling out of favour again. However, a move to the Bundesliga with Mainz and a change of position has made him one of the most enthralling and underrated attackers in Germany.

Boetius lacked confidence under Rutten as he played sparsely, being brought on against Rijeka and missing a sitter in a 3-1 Europa League group-stage loss. He then scored a peach of a goal for Jong Oranje against the German U21s as he trapped the ball on his chest and sent a looping half-volley over the keeper from 30 yards. The Varkenoord youth product began to gain more regular game-time after the mid-season break after an injury to Elvis Manu. In the summer, Giovanni Van Bronchorst was appointed Feyenoord manager as Jean-Paul Boetius was replaced by Eljero Elia as the young manager sought to add experience to the team. Boetius would re-join Feyenoord two years later but his second spell would prove as disappointing as his first before he moved to Mainz in the Bundesliga.

Boetius interception and solo goal against Hoffenheim.

Mainz Head Coach, Sandro Schwarz moved him from the wing to a central attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2 diamond formation as the Dutchman adjusted to his new position well. His close control and mazy runs proved vital in the centre while his ability to work one-two passing combinations in the central zones gave Mainz an extra dimension. Boetius would also drop deep to receive passes from centre-backs and deep-lying midfielders to work the ball out of pressure while he chased lost causes in the wide areas, maintaining the skill in 1v1s that made him such a fascinating prospect at youth level. Schwarz then unearthed a through-ball passing ability which has made him one of the deadliest playmakers on the counter in the Bundesliga as Mainz’ quick forwards, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Robin Quaison and Karim Onisiwo have thrived of his service.

Away to Hoffenheim last season, Boetius released Quaison with a backheel for the Swede to square for Mateta to put the ball in the back of the net but the Frenchman was a yard offside. The trio thrive on working counters as the pace of Quaison and Mateta meshes with the creative instincts of Boetius to create a bounty of goalscoring opportunities. In the season opener against Borussia Monchengladbach, Boetius moved away from his marker to drop out of the ten space as the defensive midfielder played a line-breaking pass for Boetius to flick the ball to Quaison who tried to make a run off the shoulder of the last man. There was another moment where he dropped deep to receive the ball in the ten space to then receive the ball with his right foot and swivel before executing another spin to beat Laszlo Benes as he rolled the ball away from another marker to earn a yard of space before playing a well-angled pass to the wing for the fullback to cross for Quaison and Mateta to miss the delivery.

Jean-Paul Boetius receiving the ball in the 10 space.

Boetius’ through ball ability sets him apart as an attacking midfielder as he can angle a pass to a striker making a run from any area using any part of his right boot. Away to RB Leipzig he received the ball in the left half-space, lifted his head up to Adam Szalai to making a run to work an elegant through ball with the outside of his boot which spun into the Hungarian’s stride as he entered the box. Boetius’ position allows him to have liberation as he uses his passing range to evade pressure frequently as at home to FC Koln, he received the ball in the left back position with an opponent in his face to nonchalantly play a cross-field pass to Jeremiah St Juste.

Jean Paul Boetius evading pressure with a switch-ball.

As an attacking midfielder, Boetius did not shirk his defensive responsibility as he continuously hustled and harried the opposition defensive midfielder. Engaging him when he received possession then moving in front of him when the ball moved out wide to block the opposition passing angles into the six space. Mainz frequently drop into a flat 4-4-2 defensive shape as Boetius can be positioned in the midfield two, closing the passing lanes to the pockets or in the wide areas, supporting his fullback. Boetius is also a threat in the deeper areas as his ability to win possession and quickly transition Mainz into counter-attacks by working quick combinations and making runs into the channels or past his striker allows Mainz to break with pace. Against Koln, he was in the central positions as he showed tigerish endeavour to chase a loose pass into the wide areas to regain possession to play a line-breaking pass for Szalai who laid off for Bote Baku to play a chip to Boetius in the wide channels.

Boetius also gains good tackling angles on opponents to win possession by using his lithe body to shield the ball before spinning away from his marker to progess play into the next attacking wave. The 25-year-old exudes confidence in the ten space but also loves to move into the left half-space to receive possession, work wide combinations or execute adroit turns to work combinations in the centre or switch the ball. He is comfortable in tight spaces as he possesses an internal clock as well as an acute knowledge of the positioning of his teammates to work combinations in between the lines.

Among the Mainz’ fanbase, Boetius is known as the ‘Mainz Messi’ such is his importance to the team as a creator. His assist for Pierre Kunde away to Hoffenheim with Mainz down to 10 men showed how forceful he could be as he drove forward on his right foot after regaining possession on the edge of his own box before working a pass for Onisiwo to lay-off to him before he played a perfectly timed and weighted through-ball for Kunde to go through on goal and score. He then finished the game by intercepting a pass to Ihlas Bebou, before he drove past Sebastian Rudy, rounded Kevin Vogt to progress into the box and lash a shot past Oliver Baumann to score.

Despite Mainz languishing in the bottom half of the table after haemorrhaging goals in big defeats to RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, Boetius has accrued 3 goals and 5 assists while putting together some instrumental performances. He has already nearly matched his tally from last season with 4 goals and 7 assists as he is so influential in the attacking midfielder role, that new manager, Achim Beierlorzer has kept him in the same position and continued to rely on him. Schwarz gave him confidence as Boetius said that he was the first coach to truly put energy and belief into him as he has repaid that faith with consistently strong performances.

“Before I came, Mainz also played 4-4-2 in a diamond with a number 10 . It is a nice system, because you keep the axle closed and you can get a lot of space in the front. The trainer came to me after a few weeks. He had seen me busy during training and thought I could play there. I did agree with him. In the youth I sometimes have played at 10 , in fact, it was my favorite place. For the first time against Hertha BSC we did it this way. It became 0-0, but it went well. Since then that has been my position. I knew I could do it. I have the walking ability, the draft, the scoring ability and I can give a pass. So they also look at players in Germany: what you can do. The trainer simply said to me: ‘You have a sense of pressure and I don't have to tell you anything in possession of the ball. Just do your thing,” explained Boetius in an interview with Voetbal International in December last year.

At 25, Boetius has found his footing in the Bundesliga in a new role as he has excited Mainz fans with his mercurial playing style as a creative force. He may feature in the build-up to Euro 2020 for a Dutch side in need of creative inspiration without Memphis Depay as their career trajectories could intertwine once again. The Varkenoord youth product had to take the scenic route to end up as an integral mainstay in the Mainz starting lineup but he is finally making good on the early promise he showed.