, Opinion: Why this striker will fire Reading to the Premier League

Opinion: Why this striker will fire Reading to the Premier League

In a week where Reading have all but secured their spot in the Play-Offs, French Target Man Yann Kermorgant has emerged as the Royals’ key man.

13 league goals seems like a modest tally for a man who has started week-in-week-out for a promotion chasing team, but don’t be fooled by that stat, as the Frenchman offers so much more than just goals.

The former Bournemouth and Charlton striker showed against Leeds that whilst he may not score as many goals as Chris Wood, he adds just as much as to the side, and even bagged the winning goal.

Playing as a Target Man or Defensive Forward in Jaap Stam’s fluid, possession-based 4-3-3 system, his main role is to bring the likes of Roy Beerens and Garath McCleary into play with his aerial prowess.

Kermorgant has won more headers, interceptions and made more clearances than any other attacker in the league, and these stats emphasise just why he’s so important to Jaap Stam’s system.

The Royals don’t have the technical quality of the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, so it’s necessary for Kermorgant to drop deep and contribute defensively as well.

Reading’s success this season has been largely down to their ability to grind out wins by small margins, and the defensive work of Kermorgant has been crucial to picking up these wins, as having one of the biggest aerial threats in the league digging in is always useful.

A WhoScored average rating of 7.28 statistically makes him the best striker in the division, having won Reading more points than any other individual.

Neither Lewis Grabban or Joseph Mendes can offer the same threat of Kermorgant, and Grabban’s performances have proven that Kermorgant’s role is much harder to replicate than most would imagine.

If the Royals are to gain promotion, be that through an outside automatic promotion bid, or through the Play-Offs, you can guarantee “Kermo” will be at the heart of it.

 

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