Scouting Malachi Boateng: Hope in the Academy for Palace’s Rebuild
While Crystal Palace have at times been devoted to adding veteran and experienced players to the first team squad, their success in the academy is well represented by Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nathaniel Clyne, Noni Madueke, Victor Moses, and Tyrick Mitchell. Most of these players have developed into Premier League regulars, with Zaha propelling Crystal Palace as a key player with 41 goals in the past five league campaigns. The academy talent produced at Beckenham Training Ground is certainly a testament to the depth of young talent in South London, where Palace has also looked in their past loan recruitment of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and promising transfer Ebere Eze. Both players were South London-based, played for London clubs, and emerged as dynamic midfielders that could progress the ball down the pitch for Palace. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Emile Smith-Rowe are also successful products from South London and also fit the category of performing at a high level for a London club.
Dissecting the young pool of South London talents can be fun, for sure, but for Crystal Palace, a period of crisis awaits them. The train of departures following the disappointing end to the season means that incoming manager Patrick Vieira will have to define a master plan that enables youth integration and smart financial decisions in the transfer market in order to successfully rebuild the depleted squad.
It is certainly an unappealing task on paper, but one bright hope that could spark a new generation of successful Palace academy graduates is Malachi Boateng, a Ghanaian-British defensive midfielder who’s become a regular for Palace U23 in the Premier League 2 Division 2. Before the 2020–21 season, Boateng had won team accolades for U18 Player of the Season in 2018–19 and U23 Player of the Season in 2019–20. After winning the U23 award, head coach Steve Derry had this to say about Boateng:
“A midfielder who has so many strings to his bow… He shows aggression, he shows quality on the ball, he can get around the pitch — wins the second ball and can dictate play.”
“He’s a fine young man and one that represents the football club in a way we want the football club represented.”
Derry had high praise for Boateng as a model of the academy, also emphasizing how Boateng has “brought so many highs to [the] training group” as a “pleasure to work alongside”. To receive commendation for his character as a 17 year old, Boateng displays the maturity of a well-established professional player despite playing for the U23s.
Understanding a player’s off-the-field attributes is always important when evaluating the potential for regular first-team football, especially given Boateng’s success in rising up the academy ranks through his outstanding performances. With Palace in need of an extensive squad rebuild, there is always the potential that Boateng’s positive character can rub off well in the first team. Hopefully, when the time is right, he will be considered for an academy promotion.
Style of Play
As a self-described leader, communicator, and polished passer, Malachi Boateng is a commander of play on the pitch with a preferential role as a 6 in a double pivot 4–2–3–1 or 4–4–2. His tall frame at 182 cm helps him enclose players in ground duels and get stuck in on challenges. In addition to his physical size, Boateng displays athleticism with his speed in recoveries, as he can turn on the jets to cover ground out wide. This energy brings a dynamic element to Boateng’s defensive ability, coupled with positional awareness to cut passing lanes and angles when required to defend in transition.
In Possession: Ball Retention and Passing
As a 6 in a double pivot, Boateng’s defensive positioning usually drifts towards the defensive third or halfway circle to recover possession. While his midfield partners move forward, Boateng sits back in front of the backline to help string possession across the pitch. Where Boateng generally finds his action on the ball is following possession recoveries and attacking transitions, in which he gets his head up quick to either play a forward pass for a counter or restore calm build-up with a backwards pass.
Looking at Boateng’s completed passing map from the November 2020 game against Leeds, the midfielder mostly found success stringing progressive passes in the first half, while increasing his distribution across the pitch in the second half when Palace fell behind in the game.
A strength of Boateng’s ability on the ball is noticeable during counter-pressing situations such as the scene above. Pressure up the pitch from Palace forces an errant pass which Boateng pounces on. He quickly plays a short vertical to his close midfield partner, allowing for Palace to retain possession up the field.
As Boateng’s teammate returns a short pass, here we can observe a promising aspect of the midfielder’s off-the-ball movement. Boateng angles his body well to quickly pivot and receive the pass on a full turn, allowing him to progress into space away from the oncoming opposition player.
The final sequence of play following the counter-press involves Boateng turning with the ball, illustrating his comfortable touch while in movement. He takes advantage of the vertical space down the halfway circle to create separation from the oncoming opposition player, allowing him to attempt a progressive pass breaking the lines. Although his pass was not successfully completed, this sequence demonstrated Boateng’s ability to quickly switch play following counter-pressing and possession retention. Having balance in a pivoting movement allows Boateng to control possession when receiving the ball on either the half or full turn, enabling passing opportunities across the pitch.
Out of Possession: Hard-Working Ball-Winner
In defensive situations, Boateng demonstrates his capabilities in winning duels on the ground and recovering possession. Boateng’s tall frame again helps him shield the ball in tight spaces in the midfield, enabling him to provide support on the flanks in close-range duels.
Across the defensive half, Boateng made important recoveries, including interceptions in the penalty area and in the defensive third half spaces. His ability to win ground duels close to the touchlines emphasizes his recovery speed in getting out wide to win the ball back.
The clip above highlights Boateng’s ground duel dominance, as he is able to use his body to recover possession close to the touchline. Boateng’s patience in ball recovery allows him to stay tight with the drifting ball carrier without diving in and letting the carrier dribble past him. He shows good strength to maintain his positioning in front of the opposition player to close down the ball, and uses his supporting teammate to play a quick outlet pass.
In another example of Boateng’s recovery duties, he quickly closes down the space at the edge of penalty area to defend a potential shot. Boateng stands his ground against the opposing carrier, and gets stuck in on a well-timed tackle through the player. This successful tackle also promotes Boateng’s ability to cleanly dive in on challenges, using his long legs to wrap around the carrier and pluck the ball out from their feet. In 1v1 situations on the ground, Boateng stays on his feet and waits for the ball carrier to commit to an action before making a challenge on the ball.
Room to Grow: Flexibility on the ball
With the support of another defensive midfielder in a double pivot, Boateng is generally not a visible presence in the attacking third. He doesn’t have a particularly confident eye for goal, and his passing distribution remains progressive mostly in the defensive half rather than up the pitch. Where Boateng can help support attacks lies in his counter-pressing ability, serving as the furthest midfielder back to challenge for possession recovery when the defense is forced to clear. On the ball, Boateng isn’t significantly gifted technically, but has good agility to change the shape of his body when both receiving and passing. His height and strength allows him to dominant in loose ball and defensive duels, which is expected for his age level.
Another positive attribute of Boateng’s ball retention is his ability to shield the ball with his body. The clip above showcases how Boateng deals with an aerial challenge on the ground, guarding possession by making his body wide. He follows through with a quick pass to allow the team to settle into possession.
In the clip above Boateng maneuvers through two opposing players, then saves his touch before turning and extending his leg through a pass. His ability to use his length at the youth level is again exhibited, helping him in both attacking and defensive areas.
While these clips demonstrate the positive aspects of Boateng’s abilities in close-range duels, what still remains a limiting factor in his game is in the attacking side of the pitch where his involvement lacks at times. Improving his shooting and shot-creating ability could add another dimension to Boateng’s play, enabling him to progress forward more often in support. This can also increase Boateng’s tactical versatility, helping him to feel more comfortable playing as a free role midfielder or in different midfield setups without the support of a double pivot.
Conclusion: Potential Futures
Malachi Boateng has now completed two seasons of regular football with the Palace U23s, cementing his place as a starting defensive midfielder in a double pivot. While Boateng has demonstrated promising traits in both possession retention and ground duel wins, he still has room to grow and develop into a more complete midfielder. Improving his overall technical ability can make him a very influential player on the ball with his length, and this could potentially open the door to first-team action in the Premier League. Palace will need significant reinforcements before the season starts to have a team that can avoid relegation, but one avenue for youth exploration will definitely include Malachi Boateng as a potential contributor.
