Sporting Life
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford celebrate Manchester United beating Partizan Belgrade
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford celebrate Manchester United beating Partizan Belgrade

Manchester United statistics: Paul Macdonald looks at why Red Devils need Jadon Sancho with Martial & Rashford struggling for consistency

By Paul Macdonald
Football
Fri June 05, 2020 · 4y ago

FootballCritic's Paul Macdonald runs the numbers on Man Utd's forward line, which shows why they badly need a player like Jadon Sancho.

Manchester United haven’t turned a corner, but in the few months prior to lockdown they at least flicked on their indicators.

The arrival of Bruno Fernandes was timely and vital, bringing fresh impetus to a side that appeared stymied and lacking in creative thought. January defeats to Arsenal, Liverpool and Burnley without scoring coupled with a dismal stalemate versus Wolves had left enthusiasm at a new low, and the League Cup humiliation in the first leg against Man City made Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look as far away as they’ve ever been from becoming an established force once again.

44 goals from 29 Premier League matches - a rate of 1.51 per game - is below their own standard of the previous two seasons (2018/19: 1.71, 2017/18: 1.78) and not becoming of a team that has been consistently built on attacking prowess.

Jadon Sancho was back to his best against Paderborn

Marcus Rashford has played more than ever through the centre - 50% of his last 50 appearances have been at centre-forward - but his goal return when taking away his penalty padding still isn’t anywhere near good enough.

His non-pen goals P90 total of 0.43 slots him in 58th in Europe’s top five leagues (min 1,000 mins), while his non-pen contributions P90 - ie non-penalty goals, including assists - of 0.63 P90 puts him in 60th position. He’s thoroughly unspectacular in both camps. His non-penalty xG P90 also slots him comfortably in the centre of the pack, while his xA P90 of 0.15 is barely worth noting. Rashford seems to be neither creating nor scoring from open play on a consistent basis.

Anthony Martial has played a virtually identical amount of minutes and he fares slightly better from a non-pen goal P90 perspective, though his 0.53 total isn’t elite, either, nor is his non-pen xG P90 of 0.42. Both Rashford and Martial are capable, and can go on runs, but they aren’t consistent scorers.

Odion Ighalo has extended his loan deal until next year and his impact has probably been overstated; he hasn’t started a league game and his four goals have come against modest opposition in the cup competitions. He’s 31 this month and he’s not a long-term consideration.

Mason Greenwood’s sample size is small, but promising. He has 22 Premier League appearances but 18 of them are as substitute and he amassed just 645 minutes in that time, which equates to a non-pen goal P90 rate of 0.70, far outstripping his team-mates. Solskjaer is clearly being careful with the amount of exposure a young forward who is only 18 is being given, but his cameos have been hugely promising. His touches in the box, shots and efforts on target are largely in line with Rashford and Martial but he’s doing more with them. He deserves the opportunity to prove that he is the future.

And that explains the Sancho chase. With Ighalo able to share minutes with Greenwood as a bona-fide centre-forward, Martial and Rashford will be pushed into deciding what their best position is, if Sancho arrives. The 20-year-old can play on either side, though has featured more often on the right this season, and is a bona-fide future great whose numbers blow Martial and Rashford completely out of the water.

As discussed previously, he is No.1 in Europe’s top five leagues for non-pen goal contributions P90 and in all competitions, including appearances in Euro qualifying for England, he has 22 goals and 21 assists in 3335 minutes of play, with not a penalty in sight; for every 77 minutes he has played, he has either scored or assisted.

Sancho is a player developing in every sense of the word, a Ballon d’Or winner in the making who needs to decide whether this current Old Trafford squad is of the level that can allow him to reach those heights.

But United’s transfer business has become more astute under Solskjaer; Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes have all helped to strengthen a team and progress it, rather than help it to stand still; indeed their defensive record of 30 goals conceded in 29 games is superior to that of Man City, while Fernandes’ contribution P90 of 0.95 since arriving is a hugely encouraging start for a player who has immediately begun to do what he was brought in for.

A lot has changed for Ole. From being under threat to proactively planning for next season, while continuing to recruit young talent, Sancho would be an unbelievable achievement for United, and alongside the emergence of Greenwood could create exciting attacking opportunities next season. For Rashford and Martial, meanwhile - consistency eludes them, and they need to find it fast.

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