Give Partey offensive midfield role — Attram
Godwin Attram has delivered a clear message to Carlos Queiroz ahead of Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama on June 17, saying the experienced midfielder remains a key figure in the Black Stars and could play an influential role in determining Ghana’s progress in the tournament.
However, the returned player-turned-coach insists Spain-based Partey's impact will depend entirely on how he is used by the Ghana gaffer.
Rather than burdening the Villarreal midfield enforcer with excessive defensive work, the Attram, who captained the Black Starlets to the final of the 1997 U-17 FIFA World Cup, wants Coach Queiroz to surround Partey with energy and athleticism, allowing him to dictate the game from the centre of the pitch.
"The coach should pair him with an athletic, box-to-box midfielder who can cover ground," Attram said on Graphic Digital’s Soccer Chat live programme last Friday.
"That would allow Partey to operate between the defensive and attacking lines, helping the team build from the back while also protecting the defence."
It is a role Attram believes suits the experienced midfielder's strengths perfectly, as he prepares for his second consecutive World Cup campaign.
Despite facing significant off-field challenges in recent months, Partey has remained committed to the national team, a quality Attram believes deserves recognition.
More importantly, Attram – Head Coach of Division One League side Attram De Visser FC – believes Ghana will need Partey's leadership as much as his technical quality once the pressure of tournament football arrives.
"He is an experienced player and a strong personality. If things do not go well initially, he has the quality and character to respond."
Against Panama at the BMO Field, Toronto, Attram expects the midfielder to remind the football world exactly why he remains one of Africa's most accomplished players.
Beyond his influence in midfield battles, Attram believes Partey can also solve one of Ghana's biggest tactical concerns from the Wales match — the inability to build attacks consistently from the back.
Too often, Ghana bypassed midfield and resorted to long clearances from the goalkeeper, surrendering possession and limiting their attacking rhythm.
For Attram, modern football demands far more sophistication.
"One concern from the Wales game was our build-up play," he said. "Too often, the goalkeeper went long instead of initiating attacks through the back line."
He pointed to Wales as the perfect example of how goalkeepers have evolved into active participants in possession football. "If you watch Wales, their goalkeeper regularly stepped into the build-up phase, almost like a libero."
That is where Partey, once a dominant figure in world football during his five-year stay at English champions Arsenal, becomes indispensable.
According to Attram, the midfielder should become the central reference point in Ghana's construction phase, dropping deep to collect possession, connecting defence to attack and shielding the back four when possession is lost.
"Partey can help solve that problem," Attram explained. "He should be responsible for linking play, screening the defence and cutting out dangerous passes."
