Manchester United are in drastic want of a rebuild.
The Athletic want to assist.
Right here is the second instalment of our “Searching for Erik ten Hag” sequence, the place we glance into areas the brand new United supervisor could need to strengthen earlier than the 2022-23 season. We then use statistical information to discover how Ten Hag has beforehand used gamers in that place, earlier than recommending some who may serve a function for United sooner or later.
Half Certainly one of this sequence – taking a look at defensive midfielders – can be found here. Half Two is targeted on right-sided forwards/wingers.
The entire gamers included on this piece — and the remainder of the sequence — will probably be analysed utilizing smarterscout data, which supplies gamers a score from 0-99, regarding both how typically they do a given motion in contrast with others enjoying of their place (such because the ball recoveries and interceptions), or how efficient they’re (akin to how nicely they progress the ball upfield).
How does a right-sided attacker usually work in a Ten Hag aspect?
Throughout his time at Ajax, Ten Hag created two distinguished sides:
- The 2018-19 squad that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in a 4-2-3-1.
- The later iteration that performed in a (staggered) 4-3-3.
Two right-sided attackers stick out throughout Ten Hag’s time at Ajax: Hakim Ziyech, who labored with the Dutchman from 2017 till 2020, and Antony from 2020-21 season onwards.
Each males are left-footed attackers preferring to face huge throughout the preliminary phases of build-up earlier than coming to the ball and driving infield. Ziyech’s time on the membership would typically see him mix along with his right-back and No 10 to create an overload on one aspect of the sphere earlier than switching the play to the opposite flank.
🎯 This diagonal ball by Hakim Ziyech = hypnotic 😍#UCL | #TBT | #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/wn1qx13G9l
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 13, 2020
Antony’s Ajax sides tended to be a little more settled when in possession, but when we contemplate the enjoying types of each gamers it’s cheap to conclude that Ten Hag needs for his right-sided ahead to function because the secondary aim creator for his workforce. Each Ziyech and Antony are in a position to beat their full-backs with their dribbling. From there, each males can both reduce inside to get a shot away or play a via ball to considered one of various attackers who’ve flooded ahead throughout Ajax assaults.
A Ten Hag right-sided ahead is a dynamic aim creator first, after which a canny aim scorer second.
Which gamers can play on the proper for United subsequent season?
On paper, United are nicely stocked with gamers who can function on the proper. In observe, you’ll be able to perceive why the membership would “ideally” like a right-sided winger this summer.
Jadon Sancho was signed for £73 million final summer season with the intention to play on the proper of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 4-2-3-1. As we explained here, Sancho spent extra of the 2021-22 season enjoying on the left, as his model of play ideally wants an bold full-back behind him to thrive (Luke Shaw on the left vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the proper).
What Sancho did handle to do from the left was… OK.
Sancho’s nice talent – dribbling – was evident throughout quick sections of final season. His excessive score for xG from ball development (88 out of 99) suggests a participant who is aware of methods to get the ball into harmful areas, and whereas his score for carry & dribble quantity (60 out of 99) exhibits a participant who’s shifting with the ball at an above-average price, Sancho didn’t try these drives into the field as a lot as his workforce would really like.
Harm points and collective issues with United’s workforce make-up meant Sancho’s debut senior season in England will go down as a disappointment. It’s doubtless that we are going to see extra of his simple expertise in his second season, nevertheless it falls on the participant, membership, supervisor (and whichever full-back is behind him) to make sure that is the case. Sancho is a participant who will not be the quickest when operating with the ball however is commonly the quickest in deciding how finest to make use of it.
Towards the top of the season, Anthony Elanga emerged as Ralf Rangnick’s most well-liked right-sided attacker. The principle benefit Elanga had over his rivals for the function is how he chooses to create possibilities.
As evidenced by his excessive score for receptions within the opposition field (85 out of 99), the 20-year-old prefers to run in behind opposition defenders, fairly than require the ball performed to his ft. That’s a helpful variance in a workforce prone to function no less than two of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Sancho subsequent season, however there have been a number of video games in 2021-22 through which Elanga discovered the problem of opposition an excessive amount of.
Elanga has but to show the expertise for artistic passing or dribbling {that a} big-six membership would need and wish from a beginning winger. His willingness to trace again and defend is admirable, though there have been video games the place he’s lower than efficient when tackling.
Marcus Rashford is an choice as a right-sided ahead, regardless of it not being his finest place. Rashford has displayed a expertise for operating in behind opposition defences when enjoying on the proper (extra in 2020-21 than 2021-22), and has proven some capacity when crossing from the proper. If Ten Hag needs to make use of him as a right-sided winger, Rashford is finest when enjoying there for everything of the sport, fairly than when given the liberty to swap flanks.
Returning loanees Amad and Facundo Pellistri are two different choices for Ten Hag, though neither loved fruitful spells at Rangers and Alaves respectively in 2021-22. Each gamers may gain advantage from extra sport time away from United to be able to develop additional.
Ought to United search for a proper winger, they are going to ideally need somebody who can transfer forward of Elanga et al within the attacking and compete with Sancho for the beginning place.
If — for some purpose — United wished to be frugal this summer season, they may keep away from having to purchase a right-sided attacker by investing correctly on a right-back, after which asking Sancho to play extra like his 2019-20 self (17 objectives, 16 assists within the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund).
What kind of right-back you ask? Simply look forward to Half 4 of this sequence. United should not at present regarded as available in the market for one, however The Athletic strongly recommends they begin trying.
Let’s begin by speaking about… Antony
It will make plenty of sense if Ten Hag tried to deliver Antony with him to the Premier League.
Right here’s what the chart under is telling you:
- Antony retains the ball very nicely (ball retention capacity, 83 out of 99), and is adept at each longer balls upfield (progressive passing, 64 out of 99) and wise workforce build-up with shorter passes (link-up play quantity, 66 out of 99).
- He doesn’t shirk his defensive duties when out of possession. His defending depth (73 out of 99) exhibits he’s lively in getting near his man when required. The excessive quantity of recoveries and interceptions he makes (81 out of 99) additionally suggests he doesn’t run after the person in possession like a headless hen; there’s a rhyme and purpose to his urgent makes an attempt.
A take a look at the probabilities that Antony created within the Champions League final season supplies a window into his enjoying model. The winger enjoys pull-backs to the areas simply exterior the field and crosses to the close to submit: think about United’s attackers getting onto these types of passes…
Antony is superb at creating photographs and attacking in an Ajax workforce that controls the ball nicely and sustains strain on opponents. United may do neither in 2021-22, however Ten Hag’s mission at Previous Trafford may gain advantage from a reunion with the Brazilian winger.
For this reason everyone seems to be speaking about… Raphinha
After we last did a deep dive on the Leeds winger, we discovered a participant who appreciated to begin performs within the right-half house earlier than drifting centrally to play havoc with defenders.
Raphinha endured a troublesome 2021-22, typically needing to hold each the artistic and goalscoring burden of a workforce desperately lacking Patrick Bamford and others to harm. Regardless of that, he completed the league season with some spectacular numbers — scoring 11 objectives and incomes three assists.
Right here’s what the above chart is telling you:
- Raphinha needed to play plenty of “hero-ball” for Leeds final season, making an attempt to do all the pieces himself. His most score for progressive passing (99 out of 99), coupled along with his very low scores for link-up play quantity (0 out of 99) and ball retention (3 out of 99), is partly a consequence of workforce model, however factors to somebody who was the beating coronary heart of his workforce’s assault.
- He’ll additionally get the ball ahead into helpful areas of the pitch. His above-average rating for xG from ball development (72 out of 99) exhibits a participant who was requested to do almost all the pieces for his workforce’s assault and he managed to get the job performed (nearly).
- True to Leeds’ model, Raphinha was busy when off the ball. He makes a excessive quantity of defensive actions like tackles, blocks and clearances (disrupting opposition strikes, 82 out of 99) and he’s lively in urgent (defending depth, 78 out of 99) and selecting up free balls (ball recoveries and interceptions, 81 out of 99). He isn’t vastly profitable in his actions when contemplating the opposition’s development ahead (defending affect, 14 out of 99) however he’ll defend from minute one to minute 90 for his workforce.
Just like Bruno Fernandes in 2020-21, Raphinha has a high-risk, high-reward model of play, however he additionally has excessive confidence — so he isn’t discouraged from making an attempt issues throughout moments of poor kind. Check out the probabilities he created for Leeds final season. To place it politely, he was spraying it about from the right-hand aspect, drifting neatly into that profitable half-space space.
Raphinha is a participant with the expertise to be a star for various prime golf equipment in Europe. Nonetheless, if he wished to maneuver to United — who need to be a prime membership in Europe — a small adjustment interval could also be wanted to ensure that him to actually thrive.
The Brazilian may be an lively off-the-ball defender, however he’s not all the time the simplest when urgent an opponent or making profitable challenges. Various huge gamers at United may be described as such, but when Ten Hag needs to mould United into one thing akin to the counter-pressing models we noticed at Ajax, Raphinha (and different United huge males) might want to present a willingness to study the Dutchman’s strategies.
Please meet… Moussa Diaby
Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby has a knack for popping up within the penalty space when defenders least anticipate it. Take a look at his shot map under from final season.
That’s a participant who has a favorite space of the penalty field to shoot from and is aware of methods to get there with pleasing regularity. That he scored 13 objectives from an anticipated aim (xG) complete of seven.8 can be pleasing, and whereas Diaby is unlikely to be that prolific in entrance of aim subsequent season he’s clearly a promising finisher.
Wish to know extra concerning the 22-year-old Frenchman?
Right here’s what his pizza chart under is telling you:
- Diaby is a gifted creator. His excessive score for carry and dribble quantity (90 out of 99) factors to a participant who enjoys being on the ball, and his above-average scores within the attacking classes (in blue) point out a participant who makes use of it nicely when within the ultimate third.
- He’s about common at holding possession (ball retention capacity, 57 out of 99) and is extra prone to play the ball ahead (progressive passing 65 out of 99) than shorter, neat passes (hyperlink up play quantity, 50 out of 99). Nonetheless, that comes from Leverkusen’s workforce model, being a aspect that values fast transitions over longer passing strikes.
- He’s additionally lively in his propensity to make tackles, blocks and clearances (disrupting opposition strikes, 74 out of 99), though he’s typically not too efficient in such defensive actions (defending affect, 23 out of 99). That is extra of a sign of how Leverkusen play, fairly than Diaby’s willingness to defend. As with all participant, they will thrive and adapt if given the right system to work in and a optimistic dressing room surroundings.
One other factor to remember about Diaby is his versatility. Naturally left-footed, 17 of his Bundesliga video games final season had been on the proper wing, the place he would reduce inside and shoot at aim. However Diaby has proven prowess on the left flank as nicely, in additional of a job as a aim creator, passing into the field.
A phrase on… Yeremi Pino
Yeremi Pino was an integral piece to Villarreal’s march to the Champions League semi-finals final season. He’s one other versatile participant that we should always maybe describe as a right-midfielder fairly than a sophisticated right-winger.
The numbers on his chart under are going to learn somewhat excessive as they appear to match him with different right-midfielders who begin from deeper positions in comparison with Sancho, Elanga, Antony et al…
Nonetheless, listed here are the fascinating issues to search for:
- Pino is essentially the most orthodox right-sided participant on our shortlist. The 19-year-old’s Plan A when on the ball is to attempt to beat his defender (take a look at his excessive score for carry and dribble quantity, 90 out of 99) earlier than heading in direction of the byline to make a cross or a brief move. His excessive score for link-up play quantity (82 out of 99) signifies somebody who retains his passes quick and sharp as nicely.
- His good score for ball retention capacity (76 out of 99) and his low rating for progressive passing (3 out of 99) suggests somebody who’s a wise fairly than sensational attacker in his aspect. Villarreal’s journey to the Champions League semi-final had a lot to do with the slower velocity at which they attacked in comparison with different prime groups in Europe. Pino is a participant who won’t instantly look to get the ball ahead, however when he does, he has typically made the right determination (as evidenced by his beneficial attacking scores).
- Like each participant in a correct Unai Emery aspect, Pino is a busy defender, typically urgent the person with the ball (defending depth, 97 out of 99) earlier than falling again to kind a team-wide mid-block. Just like Raphinha, Pino will not be all the time profitable in his makes an attempt to disrupt opposition strikes (defending affect, 35 out of 99), however he’s steady in his off-the-ball motion.
Pino is barely 19 and is but to make 100 senior appearances for Villarreal. He’ll be a participant to look at for the seasons to return.
Anybody else?
Earlier than we completed this piece we used smarterscout to filter for gamers who’re above-average at ball retention and defensive depth, after which utilized an extra filter for gamers who rated extremely for his or her contribution in direction of their workforce’s possibilities of scoring. One participant who got here out nicely from this search was Napoli’s Hirving Lozano. The Mexico winger (nicknamed Chucky) will probably be an vital participant for his nationwide workforce at this yr’s World Cup however has struggled with harm points in latest seasons, together with a shoulder grievance that stored him out of seven Serie A video games in 2021-22.
One other participant who profiles particularly nicely is West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, who completed the season with 18 objectives and 13 assists throughout 51 cup and league appearances. The 25-year-old has been identified to tackle further coaching periods with West Ham’s employees, learning former Bayern Munich wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. His Premier League shot map shows a participant who’s starting to grasp methods to get onto the ball in harmful areas of the pitch.
That cluster of objectives within the six-yard field is superb work for a right-sided participant.
The probabilities Bowen creates are additionally price learning. He thrives on receiving the ball in tight conditions, however doesn’t want a excessive proportion of possession to make issues occur.
Bowen’s seven league assists got here from an anticipated assists (xA) of three.9, suggesting West Ham’s attackers overperformed somewhat when arrange by Bowen, so simply think about what United’s extra gifted strikers (on paper no less than) would possibly do with Bowen’s direct passing into the field.
Collectively, these aim and help numbers look very beneficial when thought of throughout the Premier League final season. Solely Kevin De Bruyne, Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah had extra aim involvements than Bowen within the 2021-22 marketing campaign.
A right-sided ahead might not be essentially the most urgent area of need for United this summer, however there’s the potential for Ten Hag to hunt out reinforcement and upgrades for the place.
United will profit from one other aim creator and goalscorer to ease the burden on the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022-23 (and past). Fortunately there are many choices for Ten Hag, each inside United and within the switch market.
(Pictures: Getty Pictures/Design: The Athletic)
