Matthaus Taferner Scout Report


 

Date of birth: 30 January 2001

Country: Austria

Position: Central Midfiled

Height: 170cm

Preferred foot: Right

Club: WSG Tirol


We often see a young player be thrown into the limelight, being linked to top clubs and being compared to their successful peers only for those moves never to mature and the player themself being forgotten and becoming a "what if" story. However anyone that has forgotten Matthaus Taferner are missing out on a gem.

Currently plying his trade for Austrian side WSG Tirol, Taferner has shown his true football ability despite the fact his club finished second bottom in the Bundesliga. A hybrid midfielder with a true box to box ability, Taferner has got everything the modern manager is looking for, with great passing, work-rate, high pressing, fantastic creative ability among his person.

His stats might not scream great passer with Taferner only putting up 3 assists across 29 league games. However, his passing is simply not being rewarded by his team mates which shows with his clubs poor league position. Averaging 25.8 passes per game at a success rate of 77%, his passes are varied with  a few of them being long balls or more direct through balls. His passes come from his fantastic defensive work, which might come to a surprise to those who followed him in his early career where he was mostly being played as an attacking midfielder. His dribbling ability has certainly helped him transition from attacking midfield to central midfield, with his quick feet helping him create lots of space and avoiding tackles. This season he made 1.3 dribbles per game at  a50% success rate.

Taferner's high pressing puts tremendous pressure on his opponents, leading to a phenomonal ball recovery rate of 6.8 per game. He isn't afraid of putting in a tackle, making 3.5 per game and winning 7.2 ground duals per game. His workrate often leads to him tracking back and making a tackle before looking to instantly break, hence the previously mentioned long direct balls, often coming straight from a tackle. His small stature means he does not fair well in arial duals, winning only 28% of them. Despite his high amount of tackles per game he only commits 1.6 fouls per game and is fouled more himself, getting 2.6 fouls per game. His high pressing style of play has led to him picking up 8 bookings this season which is higher than most managers would like, however I believe a majority of them are through frustration. He is clearly a winner at heart nad does not enjoy losing, causing him to lash out in frustration.

Taferner does not take many shots, only attempting 0.8 on average per game with 0.4 of those hitting the target. Depending on the manager and the system this could be a positive or a negative. For those who play a more pass it in style of play he would fit well. Taferner does like to hang outside the box and make a darting run in. With better players around him I expect his numbers, both shots and goals steadily rise up. 

Ideal Club:

This is an interesting one for many reasons. I think a move to a higher level team is necessary for his continued development, especially for his international prospects, having played at every level for Austria until under 21. 

A move to a club in Belgium, Netherlands or Italy's top division seems like an ideal step for him. I like the idea of him landing at newly promoted Como in Italy. 

Como are expected by many to go back down to Seria B, a move for Taferner is a win win in my eyes. Should Como go back down they should expect to make a good profit on Taferner but I think he is able to be a solid player for Como as they play attacking posession based football where Taferner's high pressing fits like a glove. Como are a team that will surprise a few people this season and signing players that fit Cesc Fabregas's system at a low price is exactly what they will be looking for and Taferner is the man for the job.

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