Matt Jarvis

[Cajun]

Would be a waste for him to go to Spurs then, better than Dawson anyway!

[Baggio]

Would be a waste for him to go to Spurs then, better than Dawson anyway!

 

He's better than Dawson in every aspect of his game apart from heading.

 

If the fee was right I'd have Davies here.

[Delima]

The Guardian

Scouting report: Matt Jarvis, Gillingham

 

Steve Claridge

Tuesday December 19, 2006

The Guardian

 

Matt Jarvis is an intelligent player. I don't mean you should expect him to be the winner of Mastermind, rather that when you have a part of your game that is strong, you should make the best of it. With Jarvis that is his pace and the way he uses it in League One with Gillingham can be devastating.

 

He is as quick mentally as he is on the turf and he has worked out exactly what he needs to do to prosper in the lower leagues. So many times watching football at that level I have sat there thinking: "Why doesn't that lad just knock the ball past the full-back and run?" That is exactly what Matt does. It isn't complicated but, for his fellow players, and his centre-forwards in particular, it offers an easiness to read his game that is invaluable.

 

Jarvis plays on the left, although he is primarily right-footed, and is anything but the jinky, Peter Beagrie-type winger. Instead he makes up his mind if he is going to beat the full-back on the outside or cut inside and do his best impersonation of Franz Klammer, dropping his shoulder and side-stepping his opponent. At his level many full-backs simply cannot cope against such raw energy.

 

He has learnt the art of crossing at pace and, though his left is technically his weaker foot, defenders and opposing managers quickly realise there is no point just sending him down the line. Jarvis can deliver with either.

 

It is no coincidence that Gillingham have been slow starters this season - I would put that down to the fact that, as the game wears on, it opens up and Jarvis gets more space to run at his marker. They are a far more potent threat going forward when he is granted that time and space.

 

Such is the 20-year-old's value to the side. He can play up front - something I can vouch for because I played alongside him last season and it worked well. I would come short and hold the ball up, while Jarvis provided the threat for the ball over the top with his pace. Given that he is not entirely comfortable with his back to goal, it was another valuable example of how he knows where to use his pace to good effect.

 

There are aspects to his game which increase his attacking threat. He has a nice habit of being in the right place when the ball is on the opposite side of the pitch, allowing him to close the space at the far post. His anticipation when the ball goes into the box is particularly good for second-phase balls, meaning that on Saturday against Bournemouth he had numerous half-chances. It would also explain why he boasts a strike rate of one goal in every four matches this year.

 

At 5ft 8in he is competent in the air with a decent spring, though he is not the person you hit with free-kicks. He is fine defensively, an aspect to his game that was far more evident in the first half on Saturday, and he always has the security of knowing that anyone who is going to beat him will have to do it with skill rather than pace.

 

He is a product of the Gills' youth policy, the little diamond that every club at this level hope to uncover. He will undoubtedly leave Priestfield at some stage but after starting barely 70 games in his career another season as the "main man" would do him and the club no harm.

 

It will be interesting to see how he copes when he does come up against quicker, better defenders, and whether he has enough flexibility to flourish. My instinct is that he is enough of an all-rounder to do well.

 

How he rates

 

Age 20

 

Born Middlesbrough

 

Position Midfield

 

Height 5ft 8in

 

Weight 11st

 

From Trainee Attitude 8/10

 

Tackling 7/10 Passing 7/10

 

Awareness 8/10

 

Shooting 8/10

 

Pace 9/10

 

Team responsibility 9/10

 

Valuation £500,000-£800,000

[Cajun]

Hmm right footed then. Still not sure whether it would be worth spending money on a winger when the defence needs to be added to (well to everyone else except NE5 this seems to be the case).

 

With Solano at the end of his career and Dyer with his injury problems maybe another player who can do a job on the right with Milner would be a good thing on the cheap.