Is Swansea's Leon Britton one of England’s most underrated players?

Leon Britton

Gus Poyet was thrown into the Sunderland hot set a few weeks ago in what would be judged as demanding circumstances even by the most established managers in the Premier League. The Uruguayan’s first taste of topflight action as a boss was away at Swansea on Saturday and the Black Cats’ problems continued as the Welsh outfit trounced them 4-0. But while the game was written off as just another limp performance from bottom of the table Sunderland, it was clear to see just how the home side controlled the game.

Swansea are a side who thrive down the flanks, but in order to maximise their effectiveness they require their central players to keep things tightened, and that’s just what happened at the Liberty Stadium at the weekend.

Despite being an individual who strives for football to be played the right way, Poyet came into the game knowing full well that Swansea had the technical advantage and would control the game in large parts. He deployed Lee Cattermole and Craig Gardner to stifle the slick Swans and squeeze them out of possession, but in reality that couldn’t have been further from the truth and there was one man who stood out in terms of keeping things ticking in favour of the hosts – Leon Britton.

Sunderland lacked any sort of urgency in the middle of the park and it enabled Michael Laudrup’s side to flourish. Swansea completed 584 passes during the game, with Sunderland completing just 293, and were sparking of the presence of Britton in the middle of the pitch.

The 31-year-old has never been one that steals the headlines, nor does he generate a buzz around the ground when he picks up possession, but what he does do he does effectively. Britton has completed 92% of his passes this season – a percentage that surpasses any other player in the Swansea squad.

Swansea’s Most Accurate Passers This Season

While his midfield partner Jonathan De Guzman is often the ball winner – he won 2 of his 2 tackles against Sunderland and made an interception – Britton is the one who keeps his side operating at the high tempo that is demanded of them. He receives the ball to feet and searches for the option that drives his side forward, and the Sunderland proved another stage for the little midfielder to strut his stuff. Britton completed 87/93 (94%) passes against the strugglers and continually created space for those around him.

Leon Britton Passes v Sunderland (94% Pass Accuracy)

Standing at just 5ft6, Britton poses no real aerial threat to his midfield opponents. However, this season he has won two of his two of his four headers and also four of his five tackles, which will be welcomed by the likes of Chico Flores and Ashley Williams who are sat behind him in the heart of defence.

It’s easy to criticise those who sit in the middle and do the gritty jobs, but Britton is essential to how Swansea operate. More often than not he floats balls into the wide areas for Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge, or pinging the ball to Michu’s feet.

This season Jonjo Shelvey and Jose Canas have been Laudrup’s preferred pairing in the pivots and both deserve their spot, but while the duo receive the plaudits for generating the engine of the Swansea side, the wee midfielder donning the number 7 shirt certainly deserves a bit of credit for his role at the club.