When Brighton brought in Yankuba Minteh and Brajan Gruda this summer, most fans wouldn’t have expected a record signing coming in the form of another left footed attacker- Georginio Rutter from Leeds United.
However that is what transpired, and it is a blessing to have him here. However with blessings come curses, and the curse of expectation from hefty depth in attack, a hefty price tag and not so hefty investment defensively meant that Rutter came to Brighton with more of a point to prove to fans than I think he may have liked. Or perhaps he isn’t so privy to fan expectation.
Regardless, my job today is to outline why that hefty price tag was worthwhile, do a bit of myth busting on some unrealistic expectations that Brighton fans have had of Rutter whilst outlining his strengths and weaknesses and how he can be a useful tool in the arsenal for years to come.
I think it’s important when ‘setting the record straight’ to start from the beginning. Because the player Rutter is now is vastly different from the one in Germany.
For Hoffenheim he played as a 9, scoring 11 goals across 3 campaigns for the south-west German outfit. This seems pretty insignificant, especially to justify the £30–35m fee that Leeds paid to bring him to the UK, but as I’ve said in articles on my medium page, judging Bundesliga players off goals and assists is futile.
In the Bundesliga you learn your trade- in many ways it is a development league. You learn the full extent of what you can and can’t do- testing the limits and applying yourself at a higher level than previous. You’re also surrounded by less quality both creatively and finishing wise when you look down the table, so a 10 goal contribution season in 21/22 for a then 19 year old who played across the front line is quite a good return.
You also get a lot of athletic development from playing in the Bundesliga- fast pace, high intensity, high pressing and speedy transitions. Would Rutter be the same player as he is now if he stayed at Rennes? Not necessarily a worse player, just different.
The second half of 22/23 was spent at Leeds, with just an assist in 11 games as they whimpered to a 19th place finish. The quality of that team and the spirit within was in dire straits, and I don’t think those numbers are a reflection of his quality. Especially given the numbers he posted in the championship the season after.
7 goals and 15 assists last season earned him his move to Brighton, garnering a reputation as a player that will get you off your feet, give 100% in every game and put in show stopping performances on a regular basis.
The biggest weakness, as we’re probably all aware by now, are the underlying finishing numbers and just generally his composure in front of goal. One of the statistically poorest finishers in the championship last season playing across the front 4, but in every other aspect of his game he excelled. He has his moments of quality in the 18-yard box, but overall he’s on the poorer end of the spectrum.
What stands out is his chance creation, high proficiency in dribbling (as both a means of driving the ball forward and 1 v 1) and his infectious energy. This is his X-factor trait. Assuming he is a goal scorer is a dangerous assumption given what I’ve already said, and his attacking contribution stems from his freakish ability to take defenders out of the game with his top ball control and link up play. Rutter is hardly the most devastating passer but his intelligence raises him above his peers; deft touches, neat associative play, lifted passes in behind, switches and one-twos- it all adds to his portfolio of how to break down a defence. These attributes help against a range of opponents too, given he looked the most likely to be the difference against Ipswich Town’s low block, but was also unplayable against the high line of Tottenham.
One of the biggest misconstrues I’ve seen people make about Rutter is blurring the line between mentality and temperament. One of my biggest pet peeves in football analysis, especially by fans, is judging players based off the way they come across in club social media content and interviews. Rutter, like Jan Paul van Hecke, like Carlos Baleba, comes across as quite outgoing and a tad eccentric. Does this mean that he has a weak mentality? Absolutely not.
Mentality can be judged off of Rutter’s willingness to chase every ball, engage in every duel, celebrate passionately, and fight to control every blade of grass on the pitch. Recently Hürzeler echoed this sentiment in a press conference. Should it be judged off of an interview where he’s a little soft spoken or a video of him on a r0llercoaster? No, the answer is no. Temperament and mentality are mutually exclusive. Recently Hürzeler echoed this sentiment in a press conference.
On the finishing point, his lack of composure in front of goal and instinctive goal scoring isn’t a problem if a) he is still scoring goals, b) he is creating ample opportunities to offset the chances he can waste and c) if his overall game impacts the team in a positive way. All 3 of these are true for Rutter, so concerns over his achilles heel in front of goal are way overblown.
I’ve been asked how he will fit in the team with his opportunities arriving from other absentees (such as Pedro, Ferguson) and how he would work with those two, as well as the aforementioned emerging Minteh and Gruda. The good thing is that he doesn’t have to play every week, and he can play anywhere across that front 4. With Pedro and Ferguson he can be offset them as a right winger cutting in (or holding width competently), and whilst his best position is as the second striker/10, he can play as a false 9 if Hürzeler so chooses, which would facilitate Matt O’Riley’s return in to the starting 11. So there are plenty of options and opportunities for him to work his way in to the starting 11.
To summarise then, yes, he is worth his weight in gold (x10). Not only does he raise the level of our attack and improve the attacking patterns when he plays, but as a bench option there’s not many better in the league for impact to come on against tiring legs. He’s a dying breed of entertainer (like Mitoma) who will only get better (still just 22!) and for that alone, in this industry, he is worth whatever it takes. Having players with his personality, work rate and positivity going forwards is vital. Not only is he a valuable asset, but he has all the tools to be the focal point going forward and the Albion’s star man for years to come.
To the next few years then, Mr. Georginio Rutter; to all the laughs, the tears, of joy, of despair, of hope, of prayer. Life is a rollercoaster, sometimes you’ve just got to ride it.
