Cork City currently sit atop the LOI First Division and are targeting promotion back to the top flight. To lead the charge, manager Tim Clancy has turned to the young players within the Cork ranks. I have previously discussed one of those players, Jaden Umeh, which you can read here.
This scout report will focus on another young Irish player making a name for himself at Turners Cross, namely Cathal O’Sullivan. The 17-year-old has stood out with his performances so far this season and looks set to become one of the most sought-after talents in the League of Ireland.
So, in this scout report, we will analyse O’Sullivan’s individual skillset and consider what he brings to the Cork City tactics.
Biography
- Name: Cathal O’Sullivan
- Age: 17 (05/03/2007)
- Club: Cork City
- Nationality: Republic of Ireland
- Primary Position: Attacking Midfield
- Secondary Position: Central Midfield / Right Winger
- Preferred Foot: Left
Physical Profile
O’Sullivan possesses an impressive physical profile, despite his young age. He has a wonderful burst of acceleration, especially over short distances and is a very agile player which means he can carry the ball forward at speed and change direction easily whilst retaining possession.
The 17-year-old is reasonably strong in the duels and demonstrates that he understands how to use his body to shield the ball from the opponent. Additionally, he is more than capable of battling for possession against a stronger opponent.
Attacking Phase
Cork City typically line up in a 4–2–3–1 system with O’Sullivan deployed on the right so he can cut in onto his favoured left foot. Clancy asks his fullbacks to stay wide and really stretch the pitch which allows O’Sullivan the opportunity to operate within the right half-space.
Here, we can see Nevin is virtually on the touchline which stretches Athlone’s defence and creates space for Cathal O’Sullivan to run into. The positioning of the Cork City attacking midfielder creates a dilemma for the opposition’s defensive structure.
This strategic positioning, between the fullback and central defender, allows him to receive the ball in a pocket of space where he can either run down the line and isolate the centre back 1v1 or turn back inside and potentially look to shoot himself.
Under Tim Clancy, O’Sullivan appears to have the freedom to roam, mostly due to his astute positioning which gives him the flexibility to influence the game. By drifting into these areas, he can create overloads and numerical advantages in addition to combining with the fullback down the right side, thus increasing Cork’s fluidity in attack.
The 17-year-old displays some very impressive tactical intelligence and is very aware of his positioning on the pitch, as a result, he is constantly shifting and interchanging positions to create space and opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Furthermore, the Cork City youngster is incredibly adept at making runs in behind the opposition’s defence. We can clearly see here that O’Sullivan has identified a space behind the defensive line and is making a run for his teammate to play him in.
These runs stretch the opposition’s defensive line and defenders are often drawn out of position to track O’Sullivan’s movement which in turn, creates space for his teammates to exploit.
The Republic of Ireland U17 International displays a wonderful first touch which often allows him the ability to turn away from his opponent. His speed, coupled with his quick feet allow O’Sullivan to retain possession well, especially when receiving the ball with his back to goal.
Moreover, O’Sullivan can play intricate passes to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. In this instance, he threads a nicely weighted pass between the opponents for the Cork City forward to run onto.
So far this season, the Cork City starlet averages 4.16 passes to the final third per 90 and 1.91 passes into the penalty area per 90. Additionally, he averages 3.99 progressive passes per 90, showing his ability to act as a creative force for his team and progress their play forward, taking the game to the opposition.
O’Sullivan can navigate through congested spaces with precise passes to unlock compact defensive structures and break down stubborn defences. This also enhances Cork’s ability to capitalise on transitional moments and counter-attacks.
When the team is quickly transitioning from defence to attack, O’Sullivan’s competence in delivering incisive passes into the box can catch the opposition’s back-tracking defence off guard and create goal-scoring opportunities for his team.
It has to be said that the young midfielder’s long-range passing is not always the best, more often than not when playing a long pass, O’Sullivan doesn’t quite get it right and it’s easy for the defender to intercept.
The Irish midfielder is very attack-minded and constantly looks to rapidly transition from defence to attack, sometimes via a long pass, however, this is not always the right choice and there are occasions where these passes are hit purely in hope rather than because a teammate is making a run for him to aim for. So, it would be beneficial if he could just recognise there are occasions where he would be better off retaining possession and allowing Cork to patiently build an attack.
At 17 though, he has plenty of time to develop and these are just a couple of minor points I noticed regarding his overall game which should take nothing away from his attacking prowess.
As mentioned previously, O’Sullivan is very comfortable receiving the ball under pressure and with his back to goal, this also plays an important role in his link-up play.
We can see here that he receives the ball into feet and due to his awareness, he knows that the opposition defender has stepped out to follow him therefore leaving space for Nevin (Cork’s right back) to run into.
Consequently, O’Sullivan plays a first-time pass into the feet of his teammate who executes another first-time pass to Nevin who has charged forward, making use of the space available.
Due to his quick feet and trickery, opponents can often feel that they have to mark O’Sullivan closely, however, due to his constant movement the opposition mostly finds themselves dragged out of position which allows Cork City to take advantage of the extra space. Conversely, if an opponent allows O’Sullivan too much space then it is equally as dangerous as he has such close control, combined with his speed and agility, he can beat his man in the blink of an eye.
Personally, I don’t envy any defender charged with the task of marking Cathal O’Sullivan.
Defensive Phase
Whilst he is hugely dynamic in the attacking phase, the Cork City man is not one for shirking his defensive responsibilities.
We can see here, that O’Sullivan uses his speed to track the opponent and then his awareness and agility ensure that he can get his body between the player and the ball, therefore recovering possession for his team.
The Cork City midfielder averages 6.94 ball recoveries per 90, this hard work defensively is part of the reason why the First Division leaders have only conceded two goals so far this season.
Moreover, O’Sullivan shows excellent tenacity and strength in defensive duels, which is what enables him to win back possession in key areas of the pitch and disrupt the opposition’s attacking play, as shown above.
He enjoys engaging in physical battles and applying pressure on the ball carrier, knowing he can force turnovers and regain possession for his team, halting the opposition’s momentum and preventing them from building attacks effectively.
With a PPDA of 6.43, Cork City look to press their opponents high up the pitch to prevent them from playing out of defence. O’Sullivan also plays an important role in this.
Once again, his speed and agility are important as they allow him to cover ground quickly and apply pressure on the opposition’s defence and midfield, disrupting their build-up play and forcing turnovers in dangerous areas of the pitch as shown above.
Due to his ability to cover ground quickly, O’Sullivan is very effective in closing down space to deny the opposition time and space on the ball, making it difficult for them to play through the Cork City press.
Moreover, his tactical awareness and ability to read the game effectively enables him to anticipate and intercept passes and close off passing lanes, increasing the likelihood of Cork City recovering possession high up the pitch.
Transitions
During the attacking transition, O’Sullivan is extremely proactive and likes to drive forward with the ball at his feet.
We can see here, that he weaves in and out of opposition challenges with one thing in his mind; get into the penalty area. His ball-carrying abilities can sometimes catch the opposition off guard, allowing him to exploit space ahead of him upon recovering possession.
Cathal O’Sullivan drives forward with purpose and intent, advancing his team up the pitch rapidly, putting pressure on the opposition’s defence and midfield, forcing them into reactive defensive positions.
His proficiency in carrying the ball forward during transitions adds dynamism and unpredictability to Cork’s transitional play, making it incredibly difficult for opponents to defend against.
In the defensive transition, Cork look to counterpress aggressively upon losing possession. In this situation, O’Sullivan shows his tenacity once again by tracking back and closing down the opponent to limit his passing options as he looks to play out from defence.
He uses his physical presence to put the opponent under pressure and whenever he senses any sort of hesitation from the player, O’Sullivan gets his foot to the ball and recovers possession for Cork.
Character
In terms of his character, Cathal O’Sullivan displays no red flags whatsoever. He shows a phenomenal work rate in all areas of the game. He is tenacious, aggressive in all the right ways and amazingly, never seems to stop running.
He works hard for the team but also shows that individual flair and confidence which has made him such a stand-out player this season. The 17-year-old plays with a maturity that makes you forget about his age within seconds.
O’Sullivan appears to have an exceptional mindset and a high level of intelligence which ensures he often makes good decisions on the pitch.
Conclusion
Cathal O’Sullivan is a wonderful talent. He has flair, trickery, excellent technical skills and tactical intelligence. Plus, he is physically very strong and willing to put in the hard work.
In the near future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him move abroad after this season, perhaps to England, Italy or Germany which are three popular destinations for players from the Republic of Ireland.
Overall, the Cork City teenager has the potential to play at the highest level. He is without question a very exciting player.
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Originally published at https://bethlimb.substack.com.
