Did McAtee Manage to Fill Elliot Anderson's Gap in Midfield?

Nottingham Forest were expected to sign a new midfielder after selling Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116 million. Anderson was one of the club's most consistent players last season. The club was linked with Lucas Bergvall and Tijjani Reijnders. Bergvall stayed at Tottenham and signed a new contract, while Reijnders joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah.

Rather than making a major signing to partner Ibrahim Sangare, Oliver Glasner gave James McAtee a more prominent role. The head coach wanted to use his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. McAtee had joined from Manchester City for £30 million and signed a five-year contract. However, he struggled for game time in his first season. He started only two Premier League matches and came off the bench in 12 others. He started nine European matches.

Captain Morgan Gibbs-White was seen as the first choice, and Anderson was performing very well in midfield. As a result, McAtee's chances were limited. Now the situation is different. With 684 minutes in the Premier League, the player is Forest's fourth most used player. Only Matz Sels and Murillo (720 minutes each) and Neco Williams (714 minutes) have played more. McAtee adapted easily to his new role and filled the gap left by Anderson in a way many did not expect.

Gradient Sports data is being used to examine whether McAtee has truly replaced Anderson. Glasner's ideal setup calls for one of the two midfielders to be a ball winner and the other to be someone who controls the tempo in the area. Finding the right player to balance this is crucial.