Haven’t read the article but that reflects the shift in football away from a crossing style of play.
Take City for example, the balls they play into the center from wide profile generally as balls on the ground from the end line after the last defender has already been beat. Or they’re low driven crosses to a man making a far post run for a tap in. It’s why you see so many high xG chances for players like Sterling, Aguero, Jesus, and before them Iheanacho. They get into super advanced positions for tap ins and have players like Sane, KDB, and the Silvas putting chances up on a plate for them.
The ability to score from the center of the park indicates the ability to not only break down a defense but a central midfield as well. Nearly every team in the league plays with two defensive midfielders that have tremendous responsibility to break up chances 25 yards out centrally. The teams that can do that are few but they’re the most successful teams. “Deep progressions” are a great indicator of teams who do this well.
I see everything through an Everton lens so if you compare profiles of players like Gana who are utterly disruptive but cannot progress the ball with someone like Fernandinho or (to a lesser extent) Dier/Winks, you see where play tends to break down centrally in systems attempting to possess the ball.
