Elliot Anderson: An effective passer who may be exactly what Thomas Tuchel needs

Elliott Anderson has been in impressive form since joining Nottingham Forest last season. His performances for England in the recent international break have further highlighted his capabilities and the potential for the former Newcastle United player becoming part of the England starting XI come the 2026 World Cup.

The radar below highlights Anderson’s passing output, using Kognia’s defined positional template for a central midfielder.

Elliot Anderson has performed highly across a number of passing metrics this season

The radar maps Anderson in the context of all Premier League players, but as we begin to compare the player against others in his position, we learn more about his output.

Playing with a striker who doesn't overly stretch defences

Despite ranking highly across a host of passing statistics, Anderson is yet to complete a pass behind the defensive line this season. This may not come as a surprise given Anderson’s primary centre forward target is Chris Wood, who can be considered more of something like a “target man”. Of the top 10 players in the Premier League to have received the ball after moving behind the defensive line, two are from Forest, but unsurprisingly neither are Wood. Dan Ndoye ranks 4th (10 receptions), and Hudsdon-Odoi ranks seventh with nine receptions, level with Elanga and Mitoma.

Like Wood, England striker Harry Kane is unlikely to spend 90 minutes stretching defences by running the channels, so Anderson's ability to break the defensive line with that final pass may not overly matter in the context of better understanding his England chances, but his ability to thread the ball to those attacking players may be just what Thomas Tuchel’s system demands.

Interestingly, Jordan Henderson - perhaps another contender for that position - has already hit 13 of these passes, ranking him in the 98th percentile across all Premier League players.

With Tuchel’s England setup likely to favour midfielders who can orchestrate rather than gamble, Anderson’s profile could be exactly what’s needed. When paired with wingers who provide their team’s creativity, Anderson’s ability to manipulate space and deliver into feet or half-spaces is undoubtedly a huge tactical asset.