There are now hundreds of different statistics you can call upon to demonstrate the qualities of a player and to underline what they bring to the team.
But you can go as deep as you like down the rabbit hole of pizza charts, expected goals and peer-group percentiles — and you still would not be able to properly explain all of the things that make Ryan Yates such a valuable asset to Nottingham Forest.
At least not unless some data bod has come up with a way to generate an expected s***housery rating. And, as far as The Athletic is aware, xSH does not yet exist. Give it time.
But if it did, Yates would be in the top one per cent of his Premier League peers, without question. This is very much intended as a compliment, and it has to be said that there is also far more to Yates’ game than merely winding up the opposition.
The Forest club captain is a leader on and off the pitch. The man who makes the most of every single ounce of talent he possesses. But he is also a player who is more than willing to do the dirty jobs. To put in the hard yards. To provide the grit, so that others can produce the glamour and guile.
The 2.58 fouls per 90 minutes he wins on average puts him in the top two per cent of his peers in the Premier League. He is the master of the art of feeling contact and collapsing on the ball, before looking appealingly at the referee, all in one fluid motion. If Forest need to relieve a bit of pressure, Yates is often the man to help.
If the opposition’s playmaker expects an easy ride, Yates will convince him otherwise.
The 0.68 shots blocked per 90 minutes he averages puts him in the 94th percentile. The 1.85 aerial challenges he wins per 90 puts him in the top nine per cent. The 1.76 tackles he averages in the defensive third of the pitch per 90 puts him in the 91st percentile. The 2.98 tackles he makes per 90 puts him in the 85th. This, you’ll know by now, is a very busy footballer.
But if you wish to understand how big an influence Yates has on this Forest side, there is perhaps one telling barometer. The Forest academy product generally stays away from social media, having taken some time to win around sections of his own fans, some of whom were historically quick to judge Yates for what he isn’t rather than what he is. But his doubters and detractors, within his home city at least, are becoming fewer.
It has become a habit among some Forest fans to search the name ‘Ryan Yates’ on X in the immediate aftermath of games, purely to enjoy the reactions from opposition supporters. And after the fixtures at Liverpool and Chelsea, it was a search that returned plenty of results.
My favourite hobby after an away game is to search ‘Ryan Yates’ on Twitter 😂 the bloke lives rent free in so many heads and thrives off their tears, what a lad 😍 #NFFC pic.twitter.com/WuzRWhS94m
— Tria (@TriaNffc) October 6, 2024
It was mainly a flurry of complaints and abuse, aimed in the direction of a player who has played in each of the top five divisions of English football, proving his doubters wrong every step of the way. But, again, Yates should regard this as a compliment. While he may increasingly find himself cast in the role of pantomime villain, it is because of the job he is doing for the team.
An example of this can be seen during Forest’s 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield, when Alexis Mac Allister was embroiled in a physical battle with Yates. When Nico Dominguez ghosted in front of Mac Allister to win a header, Yates collected the ball at his feet.
The Forest midfielder turned towards the penalty area, using his arm to hold off the Argentine.
Who collapsed to the turf, holding his face.
Mac Allister was rattled by Yates, but never more so than when the Liverpool player went in for an aerial challenge of his own.
Yates won the header.
And Yates also won the free kick, much to Mac Allister’s frustration.
“I was at Anfield and their fans were fuming at Yates from minute one — and he was loving every second of it,” says lifelong Forest fan Mikey Clarke, from Linby.
“The series of fouls on Mac Allister reminded me of the way Fernandinho used to break up play for Man City — niggly offences — none of which are worthy of a yellow but all crucial in stopping Liverpool build-ups and disjointing play.
“Mac Allister got subbed after an hour and they moved Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield, and almost immediately Yates fouled him. A different player, but the same outcome.
“When he’s not in the Forest team, you miss that energy and aggression. Arguably, Elliot Anderson and James Ward-Prowse might be technically more gifted players, but none offer the same bite as Yates. We aren’t the same team off the ball when he doesn’t play.
“I can see why he winds opposition fans up — he’d annoy me if he was playing against us — but just as Morgan Gibbs-White is the creative heartbeat of the team, Yates is the engine room.
“There’s so much more to his game than the s***housery but there’s no doubt that he’s a master of it — coinciding with our strong start to the season — and long may it continue.”
Ryan Yates and Ryan Yates https://t.co/K6xIIHtNnY
— Serge Aurier for PM (@AurierForPM) October 13, 2024
At Chelsea, Yates found himself in familiar territory, nullifying the influence of Enzo Fernandez. When Ward-Prowse won a header at the second attempt, the ball was half-cleared by Moises Caicedo.
Who could only loop the ball towards Yates and Fernandez.
And Yates intercepted with a robust challenge that left Fernandez in no doubt that he was in for a contest.
In a previous interview with The Athletic, Anderson admitted that Yates’ name was one of those he never enjoyed seeing on the team sheet when he was playing for Newcastle United. As he more succinctly put it: “He frankly kicked the s*** out of me.”
But, as is normally the case with new signings at Forest, Yates was one of those who helped Anderson settle in. And Anderson appreciates Yates’ value to the side, saying: “You do need a player like that on your team — and I did tell him exactly that. Every team needs a Yatesy. He is a player you love when he is on your team, but perhaps not when you see him among the opposition.”
After loan spells with Barrow, Shrewsbury Town, Notts County and Scunthorpe United, Yates established himself as a first-team regular at Forest during the 2018-19 season. He has made 188 league appearances, scoring 15 goals, for the club. It is possible that he could make his 150th league start for the club against Leicester City next Friday.
The 26-year-old is held in high regard by Nuno Espirito Santo. When asked in a recent press conference if players such as Ward-Prowse, Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi would be pushing for an England call-up, Nuno’s immediate response was “Ryan Yates (too).”
An England cap would be an impressive achievement, but not a surprise to those who helped bring him through. Yates was often used as an example by former academy chief Gary Brazil and continues to be named in the same manner now by Craig Mulholland, the club’s head of football development and talent management.
What has helped Yates’ progress is his desire to learn, to improve himself. He is often one of the last players to leave the training ground, whether it be to put in some extra work on the pitch or an additional session in the gym.
When Ward-Prowse and Anderson signed in the summer, Yates’ fight for a starting spot intensified. His place in the pecking order probably dropped down a position or two, with a great deal expected from Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo this season, prior to their injury misfortune.
But Yates’ attitude can be summed up by the fact that his response to Ward-Prowse’s arrival was one of education. “I hope he can help me to develop my game, he is somebody I can learn from, he is such an experienced player,” Yates said of Ward-Prowse after the Anfield win.
In July, Yates signed a new deal, which runs until 2028, with the option of a further year. So he should be around for a while yet. Good news for Forest — but bad news for opposition fans.
(Header photo: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
