Good Player Guide #18 – Nolito

Nolito
(Benfica / Spain)

Signing a Barcelona player would, in itself, normally suffice to excite fans of any club. However, the fact the Spanish forward was just one of a plethora of new signings at Benfica this summer, which included the much heralded Bruno César, Enzo Pérez and Axel Witsel, meant that when the 2011/12 season kicked off, Nolito was considered anything but the star turn.

A sensational start to his Benfica career soon changed that. A goal in each of his first five games saw Nolito quickly adopted as the new darling of the Estádio da Luz. Indeed, such an achievement has already written the 24-year-old into the history books of Portugal’s biggest club. In over a century of history, only one man ever managed a similarly blistering start to life in the famous red shirt – a certain striker called Eusebio…

“I was surprised to score four goals in four consecutive games. I’d never done anything like that before. I hope the season continues to go well for me, but if I don’t continue to score that will be no problem, provided the team keeps winning,” said Nolito after notching goal number four.

Although continuing to find the net on a regular basis (7 goals in 10 games, eight in total this season so far), nobody is suggesting Nolito is the ‘new Eusebio’. His fast feet, jinking runs and positioning on the left flank – despite being a heavily right-footed player – has drawn comparisons with another huge favourite of the Benfica faithful, Simão Sabrosa. Just like Simão, Nolito’s ability to cut into the box and shoot across goal has proven a potent weapon for the Lisbon club. On the other hand, unlike the former Portugal international, it is rare to see Nolito hit the by-line and cross into the box.

He has even been accused of being somewhat selfish, preferring to put his head down and make for goal rather than linking up with his team-mates. Coach Jorge Jesus publicly voiced such concerns after Nolito’s goalscoring debut against Trabzonspor in the Champions League. The very next day Portuguese sports daily O Jogo took it upon themselves to emphatically disprove such notions, providing statistics showing that Nolito was among the Benfica players with the highest passing ratio in the match. And his ability to pick out striker Oscar Cardozo with incisive throughballs further dispels claims he is a ‘one-trick pony’.

Given that Jesus is increasingly adopting a 4-2-3-1 system, it is vital the goalscoring burden is not heaped squarely on the shoulders of Cardozo. Nolito’s return of seven goals from his first ten games suggests the player is determined to prove Barcelona were wrong not to give him more opportunities. Not that he harbours the slightest bitterness towards the Catalans.

“I left Barcelona a much better footballer. But my time there had finished. I believe I did the right thing moving to Benfica. I was tired of playing just 20 minutes, or watching the games going by without me being in the squad. Barcelona offered me another two years on my contract

“Pep (Guardiola) spoke to me and told me that Barça was the best club in the world, and was counting on me and wanted me for the first team. But I thought about it, thanked him and made my decision. If I was 20 years old I would have stayed. But at 24 a footballer wants to play – it’s not just about the money.”

Barcelona’s loss is very definitely Benfica’s gain.

Tom Kundert is a new contributor to Just Football and the man behind the excellent Portugoal.net, the go-to site for all things Portuguese football.

(Photo credit: Helena Poncini on Flickr)

Benfica, Good Player Guide, Nolito, Portuguese Football