Football writer Harry Hanlon brings you an in-depth look at new signing Havard Nordtveit…

Football is a game obsessed with numbers. Every game you’ve ever watched is dictated by one simple numerical comparison – the number of goals a particular team has scored compared to the other. With this notion in mind it is possible to explore the reasons why certain results occur. Many have said football is a simple game, yet I believe it to be quite the contrary. Like the old adage of a Swan drifting across a lake, behind every good football team there is often far more going on than meets the eye.

Over the next few weeks I’d like to have a good look at the numbers and tactical uses of our new acquisitions. Without doubt the two marquee signings to this point have been Nordtveit and Feghouli. Since neither Norway nor Algeria has played much football this summer, most of this analysis stems from their respective performances at club level over the past 12 months. I’m sure that this isn’t the best indicator of how they can adapt to the English game, but Bilic has proved he is more than capable of effectively utilising a players full potential during their debut season.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of these transfers is the fact that both players arrive for free having turned down moves to other large clubs. From this very early stage I’d like to go out on a limb and suggest that Håvard Nordtveit is a potentially magnificent capture for West Ham. The ex-Arsenal man was instrumental in guiding Borussia Mönchengladbach (a team that I’ll call BMG for the remainder of the article for obvious reasons) to a fourth place finish in the Bundesliga last season and his teammate Granit Xhaka has just signed for Arsenal for around £30million. Comparing the raw statistics of the two players highlights what a bargain we’ve had.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of these transfers is the fact that both players arrive for free having turned down moves to other large clubs. From this very early stage I’d like to go out on a limb and suggest that Håvard Nordtveit is a potentially magnificent capture for West Ham. The ex-Arsenal man was instrumental in guiding Borussia Mönchengladbach (a team that I’ll call BMG for the remainder of the article for obvious reasons) to a fourth place finish in the Bundesliga last season and his teammate Granit Xhaka has just signed for Arsenal for around £30million. Comparing the raw statistics of the two players highlights what a bargain we’ve had.

Nordtveit 2015/16

From the Bundesliga figures above we can see that Nordtveit racked up more league minutes than Xhaka, as well as scoring more goals and matching his assist tally. Overall the numbers across the board are very similar, and whilst Xhaka is 3 years younger, Nordtveit at 26 should be entering his ‘prime’. In my opinion, Xhaka’s value is being raised considerably by monikers in the media such as “the Swiss Schweinsteiger” (@goalimpact has made some interesting statistical comparisonsbetween him and Danny Drinkwater here [https://twitter.com/goalimpact/status/713983210363990016]).

Nordtveit’s stats are even more impressive when you analyze the system and position in which he is playing. During his time at BMG he has been used as both a Centre Back and Defensive Midfielder.

Nordtveit as Defensive Midfielder…

…and as a Centre Back. (from @fussballradars)

(Note – It’s important not to merely compare the coloured areas of these radars since each peak represents different parameters).

What is interesting about this versatility is how seamlessly he may be able to fit into systems that have already been employed by Bilic. One of our most impressive performances last year was the outstanding home game against Tottenham at the start of March. Rivalry aside, we were effective at scoring an early goal, and defending our lead against a very creative, potent squad. In my opinion this was the finest example of our 5,4,1 formation at play.

BMG recorded a similarly impressive 3-1 victory to end Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run earlier in the season. Nordtveit acted as the leftmost centre back in the pendulum system shown below.

This system, particularly in a defensive, “off the ball” scenario, is similar to the tactic we used used against spurs. When the ball is played wide, the closest full back presses higher up the pitch whilst the centre back drifts across into the vacant space left behind. As such it is often called a “pendulating back 4”, since there are effectively only ever 4 defenders present at one time, whilst one remaining full back is pressing.

How could this work at West Ham? For all of his attacking adventure, Antonio has been defensively suspect since first being thrown into the right back slot and Byram is inexperienced at Premier League level (although I firmly believe he will develop into a great player). This formation can provide each of them with the defensive cover they require at this stage in their career. The 5 man defence also allows us to send our attacking fullbacks higher up pitch. Nordtveit’s excellent passing ability and familiarity within role will enable him to initiate attacks from the back and any attack stemming from Nordtveit, Cresswell and Payet would be a world class base for offensive phases.

Nordtveit’s map from this game shows how effective he was defensively (green circles/diamonds) and with his passing game (blue arrows)

Potential XI for a Pendulating Back 4?

It’s hard to find any negatives associated with this signing. As we embark on a European adventure we need a stronger squad, and tactically Nordtveit is the perfect fit. Song is leaving, and our defence was shaky in the second half of the season. His arrival on a free would be beneficial if he was just destined to be merely this utility player, but given his ability, champions league experience and age he could well become the signing of the summer…