Placid Bijol's slow at running, we will have one of the slowest CB pairing in PL.
But the data I saw for him highlighted the obvious; 4th in all 5 top Euro leagues for aerial duels won for the past 3 seasons (which we all knew, as that was the secret sauce they used to sell him to the fans).
Then the not so obvious; In a comparative analysis of CBs in Serie A, Bijol ranks 25th in Serie A for completed progressive passes (passes that go at least 10 yards forward towards the opposition half), nothing to write home about!
But then he jumps up to 9th if you add passing distance (passes over 10 yards moving into the opposition's half), he's mainly behind players from top 3 teams, so Napoli, AC, Inter.
In terms of progressive carries (running with the ball for 10 yards towards the opposition goal) he placed 7th in Serie A and this data set includes some FBs listed as CBs.
The data indicates that Bijol functions as a strong ball-playing defender, who frequently advances play into attacking opportunities.
Despite much fewer touches (than our CBs like Rodon), he often redistributes the ball forward, even when a sideways pass is on, suggesting Leeds are looking at a much higher tempo in gameplay.
If you're looking for a CB who will snuff out crosses more often than not, then find space with the ball he's won to give him the opportunity to put in a forward pass to MF or FW, then he's a pretty good candidate, as that's what he does.
