Why Morgan Schneiderlin might not be the player you think he is

Wanderers have signed a midfielder with huge EPL experience – and who could be a creative force if he can play the sort of role that first attracted numerous top clubs, writes Tom Smithies

If Western Sydney’s new signing may prompt some to ask, ‘What did happen to Morgan Schneiderlin?’, then the answer is an interesting one about football choices at the top level.

It’s worth remembering that eight years ago, clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Manchester United were seriously interested in a midfielder who was a key part of a vibrant and successful Southampton side establishing itself in the upper reaches of the EPL.

Schneiderlin had actually been signed by the Saints when they were in the Championship, and promptly got relegated to League One. But the then-20-year-old, who had signed from French side Strasbourg after just a handful of professional appearances, helped to drive successive promotions and was quickly at home in the EPL.

It’s important to understand his role in that team; a dynamic No 8 with licence to get forward and combine with intelligent players like Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana. There were other midfielders around him with more obvious defensive duties, most notably Victor Wanyama; yes Schneiderlin tackled and harried, but his value lay in the ground he covered, the energy he brought to the team and the chances he helped to create.

Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin playing together at Everton in 2017.

Under Mauricio Pochettino Schneiderlin really thrived; a coach he has said since who allowed him to play creatively, to play with instinct, and tailor his role to the dynamics of a particular game. That intuition was part of the reason France called him up and why he earned 15 caps for Les Bleus.

Inevitably the spending power of a top club would be directed his way. Manchester United pursued him hard, and though the Saints initially rebuffed offers, he moved to Old Trafford in 2015.

This is the point about career choices. Pochettino wanted to take Schneiderlin to Spurs, and the player now says he felt little connection with United boss Louis van Gaal – but he still went to United, lured by the prestige.

Vitally, though, his role changed. Van Gaal’s instructions were very specific; his new midfielder had an essentially defensive brief, with Michael Carrick favoured to be the creative midfielder. You could debate for a long time whether Schneiderlin just wasn’t quite at the level to bestride Old Trafford, or whether the prescribed role simply curtailed many of his qualities.

There was a similar story at Everton, after Ronald Koeman – who had also managed Schneiderlin at Southampton – got sacked. The football of David Unsworth and Sam Allardyce hardly suited a ball-playing midfielder, and Schneiderlin believes his card was marked with Everton fans due to negative stories in the local media.

The question now for Wanderers fans is whether, at 33, Schneiderlin has the legs to play a role further forward than the No 6 role performed so adroitly this year by Calem Nieuwenhof, though Milos Ninkovic has proven that mental speed is many times more important than physical pace in a No 10.

It would be perverse for the Wanderers to bring Schneiderlin to the club only to displace Nieuwenhof; far more alluring is the prospect of the two in tandem, with the intelligence to kickstart Western Sydney’s style beyond the caution that has been the hallmark so far this year.