THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR OF RESPECT (& THE INTERNATIONAL CAP) THAT TEJI SAVANIER DESERVES

          French midfielder Teji Savanier has been in the top 5 of most consistent performing players of the entire season: slotted next to Messi, Neymar, Eden Hazard, Ronaldo and Thiago Alcantara, continually proving his worth in midfield as he leads Ligue 1 side Nimes to the top half of the table in only their first Ligue 1 season in a long time. 
           This is also the Frenchman's first ever top flight season.
           So why hasn't he had more plaudits? Why not more credit?
           Mostly, this is due to the fact that as fans, if we don't think we will be seeing certain players performing in Champions League finals, or starting in World Cups, we tend to dismiss them as "part time players", or "functional" players. Teji Savanier has been derided and destroyed all season, even after unreal performances, with online comments like: "well he'll never be in the French team so who cares" etc.
           The man deserves a call up by Didier Deschamps almost as much as City's Aymeric Laporte and Lyon's Houssem Aouar.
           We get it: he's a late bloomer, he's already 27, first season in a top tier league, excuses about the lack of a competitive opposition (absolute rubbish, Ligue 1 isn't as bad as it was even 2 seasons ago, it's become much more intense), not a single senior French cap....we get it....although his all action / robust midfield displays have been absolute fun to watch for a former midfielder like myself: Savanier combines a mixture of rugged defensive heroics and a typical battle-hardened / win-at-all-costs mentality of a destroyer; he then combines this with a dexterous and agile dribbling ability from deep (45 successful dribbles out of 66 attempts), an accurate and devastating passing range and vision (48.9 passes per match in Ligue 1 and 53 key passes on the season proves his creative consistency), an RPG shooting ability from outside of the box (16 shots on target from 42 taken) and a devastating set piece delivery (no Ligue 1 player, including Neymar, Mbappe, Alves, Payet, Fekir, Depay, etc has had 5 assists directly from set pieces, but Teji Savanier from little ol' Nimes DOES).

        Earlier this campaign, in an afternoon match against PSG, Teji Savanier was tasked with shutting down Kylian Mbappe: he couldn't quite shut him completely down (Mbappe 1 goal and 1 assist in the close 4-2 PSG victory) he did more than that, forcing the typically low-key and chill French wizard into shoving him to the ground after a forceful challenge from Teji; both players were sent off with red cards for the incident in the dying minutes, proving Teji can get under the most calm and reserved opponents' skin. To add to his impressive nature this season, Teji even scored a massive penalty to tie that PSG match at 2-2 in the 71st minute. 
           Match after match, week after week, Teji Savanier sits in the teams of the week on websites like Whoscored.com, or transfermarkt.com, sites that track performances, stats and more. Savanier must also be seen to be believed: he's such a fantastic specimen on the ball. While not being Cesc Fabregas or Andres Iniesta, his passing range is fantastic for someone playing in their first top tier league season and he has the escape-ability factory that so many midfielders don't have the strength, power or finesse in combination to excel. 
         Take for example Jack Wilshere, once tipped for the England armband and Arsenal's former #10: His career has taken a tumble due to a nonstop litany of injuries that has cost him years off of the pitch. The reason for Wilshere's downfall was inevitably his small and fragile frame and his expert dribbling ability: together, it was a demon seed that showed the true potential of a wonderful player and, someone who could easily fall prey to injuries when attempting to dribble through tackles deep in his own territory thanks to Arsene Wenger's ludicrous "no defensive midfielder" tactics and Wilshere's very small stature, itself. Unlike Wilshere though, Teji Savanier has the build to last. He may never score another goal as crazy as the one he scored against Dijon just on Friday, but if he continues this meteoric rise, or even 65% of this level, he could be a fantastic player for a bigger club for the next 4-5 years while he hits his prime and then bows out.

Savanier (underneath) pokes the ball loose from Mbappe (above) 

        But after this Friday night's 60 yard screamer from Savanier's boot that ripped the Dijon net and sent them on their way to a 2-0 victory, the Nimes midfielder won't be forgotten too soon.  The match was dominated by Teji: 6 out of 8 tackles, 4 dribbles, 51 passes completed and 2 key passes and topped it off with an aggressive and efficient 2 shots on target. He's been a beast in the center of the park, too with 3.1 tackles a match, 62 out of 108 attempts completed, as well, with his tackling accuracy only getting better as the league season continues.
            Savanier now provided 8 assists in all competitions and has 3 goals (3 assists and a wonder goal in his last 5 matches) from deep in the heart of midfield and with lesser teammates around him than some other players may have at PSG, or even Marseille, Lille, Lyon etc.
        It's these numbers and performances that have made the Frenchman just barely miss the last Assist Kings Quarterly ( https://uninterruptedsportsodyssey.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-assistkings-quarterly-renegades-of.html) and had him just missing out to David Silva in the center midfield spot in the Best XI in the world list we let out this last week (https://uninterruptedsportsodyssey.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-destiny-fate-of-kings-pt-ii-10-best.html).   We even posted an apology to Teji, such was our annoyance at feeling we had to put David Silva in above him: Silva was in just as good of form and City were unstoppable with him at the center, in a tougher league and playing multiple competitions.
           We're not hinting that this is someone who French manager Didier Deschamps neglected to see before the World Cup and it was a huge miss: the French midfield is more stacked, loaded and brimming with talent than the last ten England midfields, in tournament competition, combined. When Bakayoko, Adrian Rabiot, Steven N'Zonzi, Moussa Diaby, Lucas Tousart and outstanding young Lyon pair destined for greatness: Tanguay N'Dombele and the aforementioned Houssem Aouar can't get into this French national side or, let alone the starting XI, it's easy to understand Savanier going under the radar. He was a second league player until this season and, most futbol fans are going to believe that 3 goals and 8 assists from a midfielder in Ligue 1 isn't a huge accomplishment.
           It's not the numbers: you've got to watch the man.
          Arsenal could use someone like Teji badly, although so could a club like Chelsea, someone who will organize, plot and scheme from deep, fight for the ball and then shield, protect and create from close to your own box (or spin the hell away from pressure, as Teji has done) with aplomb ("Hey, Jorginho, care for an assist?") . This isn't someone who passes sideways and backwards all match and plays safe; he isn't afraid to misplace a pass if it's in the name of attacking football, because he can simply track, hunt and harry the ball back quickly and at an expert pace at times.
           Yet, Savanier has gone on a one man quest to ensure his Nimes side are pushing for a Europa League spot.
            It could very well be Savanier's parting gift as he goes to a bigger club.