Jonathan Gradit’s agent rails against Will Still’s management | OneFootball

Last season, Jonathan Gradit (32) was one of the key pillars for Franck Haise’s three-man defence but he has seen his role at RC Lens decline dramatically this season. Game time has been limited under head coach Will Still, and Gradit has not played since November.

A swap to a back four alongside the emergence of Abdukodir Khusanov has seen Gradit’s role reduced. It was thought that he would still have a part to play for Still as a useful backup option for when either Khusanov or Kevin Danso were injured.

However, Gradit was not selected in the 1-0 defeat to Toulouse FC over the weekend when both Khusanov and Facundo Medina were absent. Still instead went with Malang Sarr, as he explained in his press conference it was a tactical decision, “[I wanted] a left-footer and right-footer in defence… We also needed passing angles to find certain players in certain positions with a left foot, it’s as simple as that.”

Jonathan Gradit’s agent annoyed by his player’s limited playing time

This did little to calm the dismay of Gradit’s entourage at the defender’s new role. Gradit’s agent, Stéphane Courbis, stated “It’s incomprehensible. Jonathan is capable of playing in a four-man defence. He was trained in this system. I don’t understand the management of a player like him, who is invested and in love with the club, and who has had the best start to the season of his career.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland