Youssouf Mulumbu – The Unsung Heartbeat
Mulumbu has made over 100 appearances for West Brom, but only this season have I seen him really begin to flourish. The Baggies have become an attractive footballing side with Mulumbu at the heart of everything. He may not get on the score sheet regularly, but if fans noticed the simple things in our beautiful game, Mulumbu may get the credit he deserves.
He reminds me of a young Patrick Viera. Very good on the ball, strong in the tackle and distributes the ball quickly. By no means am I saying he is as good as Viera, but he certainly has the potential to be.
Mulumbu is 25 years of age and as anyone who appreciates a defensive midfielder would know, he has years left in him. Unlike a winger or a striker, a defensive midfielder does not need bags of speed. They must be able to read the game and have a simple footballing mind – Youssouf has both of these attributes in abundance.
A host of top clubs nowadays focus too heavily on attack and goals, but what they forget is that it is players like Mulumbu that make a team tick. A prime example of this would be Manchester City. Since the departure of Nigel De Jong to Milan, City have looked vulnerable. Unlike last season they no longer have a solid holding midfielder protecting their back four; they are guilty of having focused too heavily on attacking players.
Youssouf Mulumbu has been the key to The Baggies success this season and I’m sure they are delighted that no other team has noticed.
Tayler Wilson @TaylerWillson
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