All-action style draws comparison to Robbo
COVENTRY’S Ben Sheaf is a player who rarely commands headlines yet according to OPTA is the best central midfielder in the Championship.
Is this a statistical anomaly? Or a true reflection of his quality? And why does the 26-yearold rank so highly?
Sheaf is now in his fourth season at Coventry, including an initial loan spell in 2020- 21. He had come through the ranks at Arsenal and, despite not making a Premier League appearance, was highly valued by ex-Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
“There is something in him that I believe will allow him to progress,” said the Frenchman. “He analyses well what’s happening to him, he assesses well what is going on and that’s why I believe he will have a good career.”
Wenger also remarked that Sheaf was “always ahead of the game” and that “his anticipation quality is absolutely huge”.
Those skills frequently saw him deployed in defensive positions for Arsenal’s youth and Under-23 sides, but midfield was always Sheaf’s preference and that is where he has made the majority of his 136 appearances for Coventry in all competitions.
Though he occasionally opts for a three-man backline, Mark Robins tends to use Sheaf as one half of the defensive double pivot in his 4-2-3-1 system.
He is ideally suited to the role, largely due to the game-reading qualities Wenger described, but also because he has the ball-carrying ability and passing range to instigate attacks once possession has been secured.
In short, Sheaf’s main focus is to win the ball in midfield and play it forwards quickly, enabling Coventry to hit their opponents in transition.
Defensively, Sheaf is unquestionably one of the division’s best ball winners. Aggressive and relentless in pursuit of the ball, Sheaf’s rangy 6ft 1ins frame makes him a formidable opponent in any physical tussle.
No player - in any position - has made more tackles than the Coventry skipper, who averages 3.6 per 90 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, this places him in the 99th percentile when compared to other Championship midfielders, and he also takes top spot for both successful tackles and tackles attempted in the middle third of the pitch. Though slightly lower, he still makes the 87th percentile for interceptions.
In isolation, these numbers are highly impressive. Yet Sheaf has gradually developed into an effective all-round midfielder, who appears t
