Kundai Benyu – The Golden Shot? Written by BehindBlueEyes on Tuesday, 18th Apr 2017 18:49 Having now returned to the UK from the land of the clog, I thought the Easter break would be a good opportunity to head off to Aldershot, around 15-20 miles from where I now live, to see how Kundai Benyu is progressing. Cricket fans among you might remember Bumble’s 'Trott Watch' in the Test matches a few years ago. This is the approach I thought I’d take with reporting on Kundai, just watch him, his movement, touches etc and not the game as a whole. I saw him recently in a game against Torquay where he shone and deservedly received the man of the match award. You can see the equalising freekick he scored below. His footballing brain and quickness of thought were definitely a factor in this goal as he checked with the referee, took the freekick while the Torquay goalkeeper was still forming his wall and out of position.
It was a great strike and his fifth goal in just 17 games for the Shots. I targeted the game with Dover given it was a top of the table clash and Kundai would face a stiffer test. I spent some time talking to Shots fans before the game to gauge their opinions. All were very enthusiastic about ‘Benny’ as they affectionately call him. Time and time again I heard “Cracking player, too good for us and destined for a much higher levelâ€, “Future Premiership playerâ€, “Been the difference between a possible relegation scrap and being in with a real shot of the play-offsâ€, “Just qualityâ€, “He floats around the pitch and always looks to have so much time†and “Very talented, head and shoulders above anyone else we have.†I think it’s fair to say the Shots fans love him and are just grateful to have him there. So, onto the Dover game and ‘Benny Watch’. Aldershot started well but Benyu was struggling to get involved. This was mainly due to the Dover management targeting and man marking him; first with a big lad twice Benny’s size and later in the first half by the more mobile Tyrone Sterling. Gary Waddock and his coaching staff were desperately trying to buy him more space to get on the ball by moving him from central midfield, left wing, right wing and also up top, joining their lone striker.
There were brief flashes of what he can do, deft little touches, a stirring run from the halfway line to the opposite edge of the penalty area and a sumptuous through ball leading to a shot just past the post. There was certainly no lack of effort on his part with a few decent sliding tackles, interceptions and tracking back with a runner from midfield. First half ended in a stalemate with Kundai looking a little frustrated. Waddock changed things around at half-time bringing on another striker and pushing midfielder Bernard Mensah further forward in an attempt to push the Dover defence back and loosen the shackles. Benny started the second half in what Football Manager fans would know as a deep lying playmaker and it certainly suited him. Sitting just in front of the defence, he now had the space and began to run the show as Aldershot pressed forward in wave after wave of attacks. The Shots were given a freekick in virtually the same place as Benny’s Torquay goal but this time the referee made him wait and his attempt was deflected over. He was constantly urging his team-mates on. He wasn’t involved in the penalty which was scored by Matt McClure whom you may remember him from spells at Wycombe Wanderers and Dagenham & Redbridge. Dover offered little in way of a reply apart from a couple of shots after Aldershot had been reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute and the Shots fans were celebrating a win that had taken them back into the play-off places, although Dover can overhaul them if they win their game in hand.
Summary He looks very comfortable on the ball with most passes short and accurate and mainly looking to move forward. Good vision and definitely has an eye for the killer pass. He takes all of the set pieces for the Shots, freekicks and corners, and always wants to be involved. Waddock’s team like to play the ball on the ground and they also have a fair amount of pace so probably the perfect set-up for young Benyu. Thanks to Aldershot’s link with Chelsea (their U23s play there), the pitch is absolutely superb and that can only help his natural passing game. His heading could do with a little work as could his tackling but that can be worked on. He can play anywhere in midfield but he looked especially effective in the deeper role he played in the second half on Monday. One other thing I did notice. He’s the outlet when Aldershot concede a freekick anywhere near their area or a corner. Not once did he go back and cover, just stayed in the centre circle waiting for the clearance, usually with two Dover players covering him. He looks a good prospect and I can’t help thinking had we had a better season he may well have been one of the youngsters MM wanted to give a game to see how he would adapt in the tougher Championship arena. I’m now thinking of going to their final game against Braintree at the EBB Stadium on the 29th April and see if I can have a chat with the man himself and see what he makes of his time there and his future at ITFC. All in all, there’s a lot to like about young Kundai Benyu! Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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