Why Pascal Gross is the future of football

Since Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League, pundits, fans, and opponents have struggled to predict which of their players will start and where they’ll play on the pitch. 

Pascal Gross has been the poster boy of Brighton’s tactical fluidity, shown by the number of positions he’s played. When analysing his time at Brighton, it’s clear why players will be more like him in the future. 

Who is he? 

Pascal Gross is Brighton’s crown jewel. He’s a technically gifted German player who has 12 goals and assists in 16 appearances so far this season, more than any other Brighton player. He’s also been one of their star performers for the past six years. 

What makes him unique? 

Pascal Gross has played almost every position for Brighton since joining the club… and we mean every position.  

Below is a visual breakdown of all the positions he’s played over the past seven seasons, per Transfermarkt.  

The bigger the circle, the more minutes he’s spent playing that position.

Does he change position from game to game? Yes. Does he switch position mid-match? Yes. Is this the future of football? Yes.  

Why everyone will become a Pascal Gross in the future  

After analysing the history of football tactics and formations we discovered a trend: players are being asked to do more, meaning the demand for players who are competent in all aspects of the game is on the rise.  

Defenders are expected to attack like wingers, strikers are expected to defend like defenders, and goalkeepers are expected to pass like midfielders. 

Modern football focuses on control, possession, and balance. But that hasn’t been the case over the past 100 years as each era has specialised in either attacking or defending.  

In future, teams will start with six or seven players who can play in any position at any time. Pascal Gross is the perfect example of that prediction coming true right before our eyes. 

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