The French Ligue 1 is one of the most difficult leagues in the world to challenge in, what with the huge and unsurpassed financial resources at the disposal of Paris Saint-Germain. However, take a look at the league table and you’ll see RC Lens finishing just a point behind PSG; a team who, according to Le Monde, are punching way above their weight. Indeed, RC Lens have the second lowest wage budget in the league, and their highest valued player is a relatively modest 30 million Euros.
RC Lens is a story of trust and individual gall, and few have exemplified that quite like rising Black Stars talent Salis Abdul Samed, who’s return from injury in February galvanised the team.
Building trust
Samed occupies a very specific role in this RC Lens team, at the base of midfield. A hard worker who needs to pair defensive aggression with a calm head in possession, the role he plays in links back to front and is probably one of the positions most in calling for mature and trusted players. Indeed, building trust is essential in making any team work. While not a vocal leader on the pitch, Samed does have certain qualities in his play that, according to analysts Breaking The Lines, make him ideal for the role.
He combines positional intelligence with a high pass rate accuracy. Firstly, despite his aggressive style of play, he is disciplined. A red card against PSG was a blip in a season that otherwise only saw six yellows in nearly 3,000 minutes on the pitch.
Tactical awareness
Some of the best teams are personified by their defensive midfielders who are simply willing to get the job done – and Samed fits the bill. While it’s ideal to win the ball with every challenge, sometimes it is about conceding low-risk fouls to break up play; something Samed is adept in, as Goal highlights in their profile of the player. That can help to galvanise a team, and give them the maturity in midfield needed to challenge at the top – as Lens did in their end-of-season run.
Solidity in midfield
As well as providing resilience through his style of play, Samed has provided consistency. Only missing from one game this season due to injury, he provides youth and vigour in a position that is in dire need of solidity. Effectively creating the foundation for the likes of Openda, Sotoca and Fofana to flourish, it comes back to trust once again. Knowing he will be available regularly allows the team to build around him and use him as a reference for the rest of the team.
With Samed fit and playing well, Lens can go from strength to strength. Keeping hold of him may be another challenge – reports in Europe suggest Manchester United are circling. For the time being, with a long-term deal in hand, Samed will continue to raise the level of the team.
Samed recently signed a contract extension with RC Lens, tying him to the French Ligue 1 side until 2028.
