2024-11-25, 07:16 PM - Word count:
Some players get lost in their identity on the field. They are a keeper, a striker, a midfielder. The role they play is who they are and always will be. Not so for Chef Gagne, not in the kitchen and not on the pitch. To get a feel for his mental versatility, come visit his family's restaurant in the offseason. You can and will find Gagne all over the building depending on the night and the needs of the business. He could be relegated to prep work in the cellar, plating salads as garde manger, or running the whole damn line if need be. On the pitch, Gagne was a central attacking midfielder until he wasn't. His elite passing attributes made him quite the weapon on offense, but that's not why Uni Sao Paulo selected him. They wanted a gamer, a true midfielder with the hustle and grit to be everywhere and do a little of everything - and yes - to be an absolutely elite passer. On this particular squad, it is unlikely they will be on offense very often. Opposing teams are simply too strong while they are a young and scrappy lot. Gagne was asked to change his role from attack, to defend, albeit still positioned in the middle of the field and still tasked with involving himself in as much play as possible. He's still a long way off from being able to match the form of the stiffer competition, but in the short term Gagne has a few tools at his disposal that might spice things up a bit. In particular, his proclivity for taking risks while passing combined with the technique, vision and strong decision making to capitalize might make for a few unlikely goals for Sao Paolo. Time shall tell.
