Disasi Signs | First Interview and Player Analysis

[stubbo-admin]

--------------------------------Analytics United on behalf of the Official Website------------------------------------
West Ham have confirmed the loan signing of Axel Disasi from Chelsea until the end of the season. After initially earning a move to west London thanks to his fantastic form with AS Monaco, the French defender will hope to quickly recapture that level as he crosses the capital to help Nuno Espírito Santo’s team throughout the second half of this season.

While Disasi’s challenges at Chelsea may initially seem concerning, Hammers fans will remember the success Kurt Zouma had in Claret and Blue after leaving the Blues in 2021 due to his own lack of consistent game time. Zouma wasn’t the first, nor the last, to blossom after leaving Stamford Bridge either. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah confirmed their status as two of the world’s best players after their time at Chelsea and West Ham benefited again when Emerson also made the move across London, with the Italy international joining Zouma in the West Ham side that won the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The current Chelsea squad is stacked with talent at centre-back. Recent Africa Cup of Nations winner Mamadou Sarr has played the first half of the season out on loan with Strasbourg, while other young talents like Aarón Anselmino and Josh Acheampong have also struggled to break in and take a consistent first-team spot. Even Disasi’s former Monaco centre-back partner, Benoît Badiashile, hasn’t been able to nail down a permanent place in the team after he was also signed following the pair’s success together on the French Riviera.

Returning to Disasi’s first season in the Premier League to assess the data, the Frenchman’s impact on the ball immediately becomes apparent. Disasi ranked in the top 19% of Premier League centre-backs for progressive carries (1.37 per 90) and in the top 28% for progressive passes (7.94 per 90), showing his ability as a two-way progressor of play from central defence. Having starred for one of Ligue 1’s most dominant sides before joining Chelsea, Disasi has years of experience of being a playmaker for his side from defence, evolving in these conditions to become a positive initiator of attacks.

One of his strongest traits in build-up is his direct carrying, racing into gaps left by pressing opposition players and dribbling through tight spaces before supplying dangerous passes into the wingers. When on loan at Aston Villa last season, Disasi also showed a clear understanding of the importance of controlling the tempo in build-up, slowing down to bait overcommitments before bisecting the first line of opposition pressure with passes inside the opposition block. Disasi’s accuracy on the ball is also unquestionable as he ranked in the top 15% of Premier League centre-backs for overall pass completion (92.6%) in the 2023/24 season, matching this relative level of success when attempting to break lines and progress play (77.3%).

In defence, Disasi’s physical qualities stand out above others. The Frenchman is a giant at the back and uses his height and strength to enable a good level of success in aerial duels (58.8%, top 34%), regularly winning battles against strikers as soon as he is able to draw them into a physical duel. His speed is also an underappreciated part of his profile. Over his time with both Chelsea and Villa, he has proven himself capable of racing back to make vital interventions and stop forwards from playing dangerous cutbacks or taking shots when one-on-one against the keeper. He recorded 0.27 sliding tackles per 90 (top 50%) in the 2023/24 season, but the data doesn’t truly capture his ability to cover wide space in behind, where he consistently makes vital recoveries when the full-back is beaten or caught too high in transition.

As a former vice-captain of Monaco and one of the 18 French players to feature in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, Disasi brings experience and leadership to the West Ham squad. These are vital qualities for Nuno’s side and will prove crucial at the back, when the team finds itself under pressure needing to defend a lead or hold out through a period of intense pressure. Like Nuno, Disasi also knows how to help his team exceed expectations and make extraordinary achievements. Before joining Monaco, it was his impressive partnership at the back with Stade de Reims stalwart, Yunis Abdelhamid, that helped Les Rouge et Blancs to a fifth-placed finish, their best performance in the league over the last 50 years.

Finally, Disasi also brings flexibility. Having featured as both a right-back and a centre-back across his career, the 27-year-old is more than capable of filling two positions in the backline and adding his physically aggressive defensive approach wherever the manager requires it. As Jean-Clair Todibo is currently suspended, Disasi will hope to hit the ground running and help Nuno’s side sustain this run of positive performances against Burnley this weekend, where the Frenchman’s incisive on-ball contributions could prove the crucial difference-maker, converting performance into points.

[El Scorchio]

Won't happend but I would start him against Burnley.  

Same. If he’s got a reasonable amount of fitness and not too much rust I absolutely would. 

He’d have to have a foot missing to be shitter than Kilman

[Tomshardware]

Won't happend but I would start him against Burnley.  

[Swiss.]

It's a Disasi waiting to happen 

[honky cat]

Maybe we'll all be suprised - and that includes the player - and he'll fit in and be decent. Must be an improvement on Igor. Nuno/Paco have already dropped kilman, after he looked untouchable so he might be getting straight into the team.

[El Scorchio]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

I'm nothing if not a try-hard!

Also, in my earlier days, I didn't feel the need to hunt around the web for West Ham content...WHO was a one stop shop.

Just trying to bring to our community things of potential interest (although of course it might not be for everyone).

Fair play to you as well.

[the exile]

That's an impressive write-up. Ok, so he's not match-fit but there's no question he'll be fit and capable of at least an hour. Question is, which is worse - Disasi having played nothing for a while, or Kilman having played almost nothing for a while? I know which one I would choose, but what about Nuno? And has he learnt not to bring Kilman on unless we're at least 3-0 up?

[stubbo-admin]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

I'm nothing if not a try-hard!

Also, in my earlier days, I didn't feel the need to hunt around the web for West Ham content...WHO was a one stop shop.

Just trying to bring to our community things of potential interest (although of course it might not be for everyone).

[Alan]

Disasi looking pretty decent here

[El Scorchio]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

He’s putting in effort to try and drive traffic to the website to stop it dying. 

Fair play to him for taking the time to do so. 

Yes I get that, but in that case start a crisp thread instead.

 

 

An in joke is not going to get anyone new coming in though is it. Threads like this are much more likely to if someone sees it.

[Mad Ferret]

Turn it in Manuel, you clown.

Go back into hiding.

[Manuel]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

He’s putting in effort to try and drive traffic to the website to stop it dying. 

Fair play to him for taking the time to do so. 

Yes I get that, but in that case start a crisp thread instead.

[El Scorchio]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

He’s putting in effort to try and drive traffic to the website to stop it dying. 

Fair play to him for taking the time to do so. 

[Manuel]

You are trying hard with these new threads, Stubbo

Nobody gives a hoot what this fella has to say.

[twoleftfeet]

Not fit, wont be fit in time to be any real value is my current feeling. He will be on the bench watching the woefully out of form, slow Kilman snd think he dannit di worse is the one positive. Whether he does or not remains to be seen. One word, “underwhelming”.

Fuck me you are such a miserable cսnt. 

[El Scorchio]

Im here to fight….

hes two days too late. 

Well played sir

[Sir Alf]

Not fit, wont be fit in time to be any real value is my current feeling. He will be on the bench watching the woefully out of form, slow Kilman snd think he dannit di worse is the one positive. Whether he does or not remains to be seen. One word, “underwhelming”.

[Massive Attack]

[Trilby55]

Im here to fight….

hes two days too late. 

[Fortunes Hiding]

Im here to fight….

hes two days too late.