Johann Berg Gudmundsson – Underrated? Surely Yes!
Burnley FC have absolutely set the Premier League stage on fire. Having narrowly escaped relegation with the help of a fantastic home form, they were the favourites to go down according to many pundits and analysts. Not only are they avoiding the danger zone, they are beating teams with some character. The Clarets have shown resilience and Sean Dyche’s men have gone about their business in professional fashion.
His side is clicking together as a unit and out of all the bright talents in their armoury, one is Johann Berg Gudmundsson. The winger has been extremely consistent with his play down the left flank and has contributed enough for his team to be where they currently are, 4th position with 31 points, above Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool (at the time of writing). They have seen more of the ball this season and have looked more daunting while going forward, hence proving to be more decisive.
Dyche has marshalled his troops in a highly disciplined manner, as they are very well structured and compact, the result of which they are the third best defence in the league. Gudmundsson has come up with key assists this season, the ones which have helped them secure narrow 1-0 wins and keep fighting. He has cemented his spot on the left wing and has excelled in a convincing manner.
More On The Player
The Iceland winger started his career at the youth set up of Breiðablik, where he bettered his football for a span of 9 years. For the next two years, he represented Chelsea and Fulham. In 2007, he shifted to his hometown and started his career from where he began – Iceland. He made his senior debut in 2008 and after impressing with 6 goals in the season, he caught the eyes of Hamburger SV and Coventry City.
However, he joined Dutch club AZ Alkmaar for whom he scored 24 goals in the course of four long seasons. He then joined Charlton Athletic for two years. In 86 appearances, he bagged 17 goals. Although his side was relegated to the third division, he was the Championship’s joint highest goal provider in the 2015-2016 season.
Burnley then scouted his talent and he scored his first goal for them in November, against the Eagles. This season, he has 5 assists to his name in 17 appearances (joint 5th highest) but is yet to contribute by scoring a goal.
He was a part of his U-19 and U-21 national team and has already made 63 appearances for Iceland and has chipped in with 7 goals. At the mere age of 17, he made his debut and created a goal. He was a part of the Euros where they went on till the quarter-final.
Why Is He Underrated?
With their best player last season – Tom Heaton, the stunning defensive duo of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee, and the goal scoring talent of Chris Wood and Scott Arfield around, the critics often miss the attempts and influence of this man.
He is very skilled on the ball, has got good feet while dribbling and crosses with purity. More importantly, he knows when to do what’s required and how to get past players. The 27-year-old doesn’t just operate from the wider areas, he exploits the spaces provided in the final third. His lay-offs, one-twos and through balls can be one of the best if he’s on song. A mastermind when it comes to picking his pass, not everyone realises that he has provided more assists this season than the best in the business, like Mesut Ozil and Cesc Fabregas. He creates at least 1.2 clear cut chances per game on an average.
His defensive contribution is top notch too, as he is on par with the best defensively sound forwards such as Alexis Sanchez and Roberto Firmino. No wonder Burnley’s defence is so well protected! Johann Gudmundsson is one of the silent but effective servants in the Burnley line-up.