As a 3rd midfield signing of this summer, would be a good option(maybe the best one, considering the price and Wolves going down). Rotational player that hopefully replaces Ugarte. Other 2 midfield signings should be starters - two of Anderson, Wharton, Baleba, Tonali...
Joao Gomes
- Thread starter bosskeano
- Start date
-
In the latest edition of the United Hour Podcast, we interview Duncan Drasdo of MUST - covering ticket prices, new stadium, INEOS and what fans should be demanding from our club.
Also, due to technical issues we couldn't put a notice up for the previous episode which was about the game against Bournemouth and other stuff. If you'd like to listen to it, click here.
Don’t agree. He’s a limited player. Unless he’s prepared to sit on the bench as a squad player. He doesn’t raise the bar at all.
I saw him live once this season for Wolves, he looked physically strong but nothing special on the ball or controlling in the midfield. We need alot more special. We're replacing Casemiro, Matic, Carrick and Keane.
The only calibre of player I think can get close to that level, that we've been linked with is Bruno G, and I could see Baleba having a physicality impact but not enough ball playing. Between the two of them I could see a solid midfield and mobility. Baleba and two Bruno's is believable (Balebable) for a Man United midfield competing in Europe. Along with Mainoo and Ugarte/Sekou Kone/Fletcher to compete the midfield squad.
The only calibre of player I think can get close to that level, that we've been linked with is Bruno G, and I could see Baleba having a physicality impact but not enough ball playing. Between the two of them I could see a solid midfield and mobility. Baleba and two Bruno's is believable (Balebable) for a Man United midfield competing in Europe. Along with Mainoo and Ugarte/Sekou Kone/Fletcher to compete the midfield squad.
Ugarte wants out this sumner, he wants to play
Kone is at least a year away from being ready for the first team
Baleba is not much better than Gomes and he’d been significantly more expensive. I don’t rate either
As I said before I don't think that he's the solution to our CM problem but he's certainly a clear upgrade on Ugarte in case we manage to find a buyer. Gomes is quite tenacious and will make a nuisance of himself by disrupting the opposition's tempo. He's dribbling is decent which means he can get out of tight spaces and his passing while nowhere near as Scholesque is good enough not to pass the ball straight to opposition the way Ugarte tend to do. At 30m he's a steal and would be a great signing for that 3rd CM spot
I think he’s pretty average. Hopefully we steer clear.
He's not. It's also debatable if he's "a clear upgrade on Ugarte" from numerous observations. Ugarte would probably be alright in the Wolves team as well.
They aren't.
He is, yes.
I'll add this here as well as the other main Central Midfield threads...
I'm fairly happy with this as an overarching summary of midfielders' Offensive vs Defensive output. It seems a fairly decent amalgamation of a number of different key metrics, and shows a fairly comprehensive view of players. Top 5 leagues for now.
I have been looking into a very large range of metrics and sources, and these seem near enough the most representative to me based on my observations - that is, the closest I could find without having access to the full range of data and tools professionals have.
I opted for 'Offensive Action VAEP' because I didn't have access to an xThreat value which includes goals (and VAEP gives slightly more weight to goals than xThreat anyway, which makes some sense to me). Conversely, I had some unanswered questions on how defensive VAEP works, while xThreat Prevented felt more intuitive.
Definitions (some can TLDR skip this):
- 'Offensive Action VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities')' - "VAEP from offensive actions (passes, crosses, take-ons, shots, dribbles) - net impact on the team's probability of scoring from actions that progress or finish attacks. Trained with xG-based labels (socceraction framework).
Pretty self-explanatory, but here's a more detailed description:
"VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities) is a framework for valuing player actions in soccer. It assigns a value to each on-the-ball action in event stream data based on its impact on the game outcome while accounting for the context in which the action happened. Intuitively, an action value reflects the action’s expected influence on the scoreline. That is, an action valued at +0.05 is expected to contribute 0.05 goals in favor of the team performing the action, whereas an action valued at -0.05 is expected to yield 0.05 goals for their opponent."
Explore it more here:
https://dtai.cs.kuleuven.be/sports/vaep/
- 'xThreat Prevented (Padj)' measures threat eliminated by defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances, recoveries, shot blocks). Uses an inverted xThreat grid. If possession is recovered, credits the threat removed plus transition value; if not, credits how far the opponent was pushed back. (Padj: adjustment for team possession).
To help give a bit more of an explanation for this: defensive actions in more dangerous situations, i.e. nearer one's goal, get more weight applied to them, so for instance a shot blocked from the 6-yard box is seen as more valuable than one from 25 yards out. On its own, a tackle on the half-way line is worth less than one on the edge of your own box, but if that tackle is in an advantageous situation for a counter-attack it gains additional points for transition value. I like this measure overall, as unlike say just PAdj tackles+interceptions, this seems to give a good weight to defending the penalty box; this seems valuable type of information for United given the loss of Casemiro who is excellent in these areas.
--------------------------
For those struggling to find E. Anderson, he's at 0.26 on the X-Axis (left on Manzambi). For those struggling to find S. Tonali, he's at 0.2 on the X-Axis (just to the right of Stach).
I'm fairly happy with this as an overarching summary of midfielders' Offensive vs Defensive output. It seems a fairly decent amalgamation of a number of different key metrics, and shows a fairly comprehensive view of players. Top 5 leagues for now.
I have been looking into a very large range of metrics and sources, and these seem near enough the most representative to me based on my observations - that is, the closest I could find without having access to the full range of data and tools professionals have.
I opted for 'Offensive Action VAEP' because I didn't have access to an xThreat value which includes goals (and VAEP gives slightly more weight to goals than xThreat anyway, which makes some sense to me). Conversely, I had some unanswered questions on how defensive VAEP works, while xThreat Prevented felt more intuitive.
Definitions (some can TLDR skip this):
- 'Offensive Action VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities')' - "VAEP from offensive actions (passes, crosses, take-ons, shots, dribbles) - net impact on the team's probability of scoring from actions that progress or finish attacks. Trained with xG-based labels (socceraction framework).
Pretty self-explanatory, but here's a more detailed description:
"VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities) is a framework for valuing player actions in soccer. It assigns a value to each on-the-ball action in event stream data based on its impact on the game outcome while accounting for the context in which the action happened. Intuitively, an action value reflects the action’s expected influence on the scoreline. That is, an action valued at +0.05 is expected to contribute 0.05 goals in favor of the team performing the action, whereas an action valued at -0.05 is expected to yield 0.05 goals for their opponent."
Explore it more here:
https://dtai.cs.kuleuven.be/sports/vaep/
- 'xThreat Prevented (Padj)' measures threat eliminated by defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances, recoveries, shot blocks). Uses an inverted xThreat grid. If possession is recovered, credits the threat removed plus transition value; if not, credits how far the opponent was pushed back. (Padj: adjustment for team possession).
To help give a bit more of an explanation for this: defensive actions in more dangerous situations, i.e. nearer one's goal, get more weight applied to them, so for instance a shot blocked from the 6-yard box is seen as more valuable than one from 25 yards out. On its own, a tackle on the half-way line is worth less than one on the edge of your own box, but if that tackle is in an advantageous situation for a counter-attack it gains additional points for transition value. I like this measure overall, as unlike say just PAdj tackles+interceptions, this seems to give a good weight to defending the penalty box; this seems valuable type of information for United given the loss of Casemiro who is excellent in these areas.
--------------------------
For those struggling to find E. Anderson, he's at 0.26 on the X-Axis (left on Manzambi). For those struggling to find S. Tonali, he's at 0.2 on the X-Axis (just to the right of Stach).
Last edited:
He ranks very high for interceptions, ball recoveries and tackles. Okay, Ugarte had similar stats, but what stood out for me was that Gomes' successful dribbles are in the top 2% of Premier League midfielders. His technical ability would be a huge upgrade on Ugarte.
Like Ugarte he is not great at defending the penalty area. You can see how much of a problem this is whenever United have tried to hang on to a lead, but Casemiro has had to be subbed off for Ugarte as he's too tired to continue.
Joao Gomes is marginally better on the ball overall than Ugarte, but not enough that it really makes much difference - a DM/6 who is dribble-first and not that good at passing (as he is) - is close to being as useful as a chocolate teapot. You want your DM to primarily protect your penalty box, and not then vacate their position to maraud up-field with the ball. Joao Gomes is not adept at doing these things, and is such is not really a profile for United.
He'd replace Ugarte for you guys wouldn't he so regardless of what he can and can't do on the ball that is still upgrade given how unsuitable Ugarte has proved for the prem.
I'd love him at Villa but get the feeling Cunha is telling him how great life is in Manchester so that would likely swing it if you have genuine interest.
I'd love him at Villa but get the feeling Cunha is telling him how great life is in Manchester so that would likely swing it if you have genuine interest.
Would there be an issue from either side of him moving between the two clubs? I've never seen it as a rivalry, but if Brighton and Palace are, then you two certainly can be.
Joao Gomes isn't with him in the Brazil squad though...
Not good enough.
Behind the likes of Ederson and Andrey Santos.
Two more average midfielders too!
So much chance to get it wrong this summer. Really hope we don’t.
Not really. I see it like getting Tielemans from Leicester. Proven prem player with room to improve with age who might not want to move house as Youri apparently didn't.
Last few months have also shown what a miss McGinn is when he isn't around so while he has a unique profile I think a Joao Gomes type who is box-to-box would be a good fit in Emery team. Might have to sell Onana to fund it but I'd be o.k with that.
I mean Cunha played with him for years and probably helped him settle into Wolverhampton area and translate with stuff early on so I'm sure they keep in touch by facetime and texts.
Ederson going to Atletico Madrid isn't he.
I'll add this here as well as the other main Central Midfield threads...
I'm fairly happy with this as an overarching summary of midfielders' Offensive vs Defensive output. It seems a fairly decent amalgamation of a number of different key metrics, and shows a fairly comprehensive view of players. Top 5 leagues for now.
I have been looking into a very large range of metrics and sources, and these seem near enough the most representative to me based on my observations - that is, the closest I could find without having access to the full range of data and tools professionals have.
I opted for 'Offensive Action VAEP' because I didn't have access to an xThreat value which includes goals (and VAEP gives slightly more weight to goals than xThreat anyway, which makes some sense to me). Conversely, I had some unanswered questions on how defensive VAEP works, while xThreat Prevented felt more intuitive.
Definitions (some can TLDR skip this):
- 'Offensive Action VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities')' - "VAEP from offensive actions (passes, crosses, take-ons, shots, dribbles) - net impact on the team's probability of scoring from actions that progress or finish attacks. Trained with xG-based labels (socceraction framework).
Pretty self-explanatory, but here's a more detailed description:
"VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities) is a framework for valuing player actions in soccer. It assigns a value to each on-the-ball action in event stream data based on its impact on the game outcome while accounting for the context in which the action happened. Intuitively, an action value reflects the action’s expected influence on the scoreline. That is, an action valued at +0.05 is expected to contribute 0.05 goals in favor of the team performing the action, whereas an action valued at -0.05 is expected to yield 0.05 goals for their opponent."
Explore it more here:
https://dtai.cs.kuleuven.be/sports/vaep/
- 'xThreat Prevented (Padj)' measures threat eliminated by defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances, recoveries, shot blocks). Uses an inverted xThreat grid. If possession is recovered, credits the threat removed plus transition value; if not, credits how far the opponent was pushed back. (Padj: adjustment for team possession).
To help give a bit more of an explanation for this: defensive actions in more dangerous situations, i.e. nearer one's goal, get more weight applied to them, so for instance a shot blocked from the 6-yard box is seen as more valuable than one from 25 yards out. On its own, a tackle on the half-way line is worth less than one on the edge of your own box, but if that tackle is in an advantageous situation for a counter-attack it gains additional points for transition value. I like this measure overall, as unlike say just PAdj tackles+interceptions, this seems to give a good weight to defending the penalty box; this seems valuable type of information for United given the loss of Casemiro who is excellent in these areas.
--------------------------
For those struggling to find E. Anderson, he's at 0.26 on the X-Axis (left on Manzambi). For those struggling to find S. Tonali, he's at 0.2 on the X-Axis (just to the right of Stach).
This is such a fascinating graph, I'm staring at it for the past 10 minutes
Initial takes are:
- We missed a beat on Garner - we should've slid into his DMs when his contract was getting run down. Locatelli is another one of these -- seems to be having a monster season, contract getting run down. About to sign one with Juve, so we have very little time if we want to go for him.
- Casemiro is going to be very hard to replace
- Gonzalez + Rodri is a great pairing for City. Their poor form coincided with Gonzalez's injury.
- Lewis Miley has been passing the eye test for me. Could be the sleeper pick amongst the lot if Anderson is gone.
- Wharton is an #8, not a #6. We can't run Mainoo / Wharton type midfield. We need a DM (maybe a Baleba) alongside him.
This is such a fascinating graph, I'm staring at it for the past 10 minutes
Isn't it just? I've done the same.
I'm not too fussed missing out on Garner, depending on who else United get mind. He's no Anderson anyway imo. I don't think he'd have come back to United to sit on the bench either. Locatelli has been doing great recently for the most part, but his age and never having left Italy might make him a non-starter.
Yeah. That's partly why I became so intrigued by the question of who it could be done.
He looks a very good prospect indeed, and would be a very good shout for a 3rd midfielder to develop as a 6 behind a more experienced player - were it not for the fact that his injury record is horrendous. Still, it would be very funny if United eventually got success with Miley and Anderson in their midfield - it would probably make the Geordies fume even more than taking Tonali and Hall off them.
I've been saying that for months on here regarding Wharton. But while Wharton+Mainoo would really lack in defence, Baleba+Wharton would really lack in creativity.
At least Fernandes has time on his side still (and is pretty much average on one axis). Not as much of an excuse for Joao Gomes. Honestly, I don't know how you can engage with the chart so much yet still not be put off by Joao Gomes?! It's not all a function of their teams' performance either, e.g.: defensive stats are adjusted for a teams' possession; Andre has better stats for the same team as Joao Gomes; the likes of Pape Sarr, Archie Gray, Anderson, Sangare, Ampadu etc. all have notably better stats than Gomes for also struggling clubs.
Importantly as well - last season Wolves finished a much more respectable 16th, on 42 points, yet Joao Gomes' stats were about the same - 'Offensive Action VAEP' of 0.13 (vs 0.14 this), 'xThreat Prevented Padj' of 0.25 (vs 0.22 this).
Also, for the record, he's not on the chart as he doesn't have enough minutes and it would muck it up, but Ugarte has exactly the same Offensive Action VAEP as Joao Gomes (a meagre 0.14).
Last edited:
It depends how you look at it - we currently have 4 midfielders (including Bruno) - Casemiro will go, Ugarte should go...realistically we need 3 more if we qualify for Europe. We need someone like him for depth
I think this is the big weakness of this type of statistic. It is very relient on team performance.
Agree with this.
No doubt we live in era dominated by data and statistics and rightly so. But while you get wonderful insights on one hand it lacks context and dare I say it the human element / eye ball test on the other.
I agree. Just look at M Fernandes on this graph. I get why. It is not wrong. But could be a bit misleading.
I think using objective/conventional data in combination with tools like the one from Gradient Sports could be very powerful.
Not necessariy: e.g. last season Wolves finished a much more respectable 16th, on 42 points, yet Joao Gomes' stats were basically the same bad ones - 'Offensive Action VAEP' of 0.13 (vs 0.14 this), 'xThreat Prevented Padj' of 0.25 (vs 0.22 this). He'd have been in the same spot on the chart.
Spurs and Forest, currently on 16th and 17th, have midfielders such Sarr, Gray, Sangare and Anderson all on far more respectable levels than Joao Gomes has managed in his previous season. I'll also point out again that Andre at Wolves has been ahead of Joao Gomes in both of the last two seasons.
It may possibly be easier to achieve a higher 'Offensive Action VAEP' in a better team, as you may eg have better passing options, and team-mates able to create more space for you. But again, not necessarily. It's notable to look at Mateus Cunha for the difference in his stats moving from Wolves to Man Utd - his 'Offensive Action VAEP' is actually notably down from his previous season at Wolves - from 0.38 at Wolves to 0.28 at Utd.
Meanwhile, also interestingly, his 'xThreat Prevented Padj' is near enough the same - from 0.14 at Wolves to 0.16 at Utd.
To me this reinforces that the metrics are reasonably representative of individual player performance.
It'd be so nice to have a DM who is a really good passer again. Like even better than Casemiro ideally. We haven't really had a genuine DLP that everything runs through since Carrick I don't think. Arguably Matic or Herrera would be the closest I suppose, and in Matic's first season he was excellent, but that's a long long time ago now! Pogba never had the discipline for it for us, only with France.
But now you are using «anecdotes» to confirm your assumptions. For instance, I am not sure that Wolves where a better team last season than this. Despite the point difference. They had Cunha and a bit more luck and margins. I’m also think Cunha has struggled this season (up until recentley anyway).
(And I’m not talking about Joao Gomes, to be clear. Like I already said, he is not a player I would like Man Utd to make a priority of.)
How would a player like Declan Rice look in his last season at WHU compared to his first at Arsenal? Or Locatelli in his last season at Sassuolo and first season in Juve?
Last edited:
Further to my post #342 above, pointing out why you are mistaken about it supposedly being more function of their team's performance....
Here's another interesting and clearly relevant case study:
Sander Berge at 25 years old, for 19th place comfortably relegated Burnley, vs Sander Berge at 26 years old for 11th place Fulham:
- 'Offensive Action VAEP': 0.14 vs 0.13 ; 'xThreat Prevented Padj': 0.44 vs 0.42
So Berge was already posting Threat Prevented stats well ahead of Joao Gomes' while at a similarly bad Burnley side. And Berge's stats turned out to be basically identical the following season at mid-table Fulham...
Here's another one:
Mateus Fernandes at 20 years-old for abysmal, bottom of the table with 12 pts Southampton, vs at 21 years old for not quite as abysmal West Ham:
- 'Offensive Action VAEP': 0.17 vs 0.17 ; 'xThreat Prevented Padj': 0.26 vs 0.16
So his offensive output has stayed exactly the same, even at a better performing team, but his defensive stats have actually fallen slightly...
And another:
Declan Rice aged 22 and 23 for 7th then 14th placed West Ham, vs aged 24 at 2nd placed Arsenal:
- 'Offensive Action VAEP': 0.22 and 0.23 vs 0.24 ; 'xThreat Prevented Padj': 0.41 and 0.29 vs 0.39
There was a bit of a dip in defensive output while West Ham struggled a bit with fatigue from their Conference League run, but it was still not really out of the same ball-park next season at Arsenal, and clearly in line with levels he had shown at his previous club.
In general, what is truly remarkable is actually how little variance there is in the examples of such players on their initial move between different performing clubs. The consistency is even more than I would have anticipated.
How is comparing the respective performance of multiple players at relegation teams just anecdotes? It's multiple data points.
How is Joao Gomes performing exactly the same even when Wolves were performing better merely an "anecdote"? It's a trend.
By contrast, you have pointed to absolutely nothing to justify your assumption that Joao Gomes would have some magical huge uplift in performance at a less struggling team. Nothing points to that.
Last edited:
Have you actually seen him play or watched the analysis video of him that some posted a page or two back?
Some fantastic passes, some creative passing as well. One cross field from outside of his boot.
Just marginally better than Ugarte?
Last edited:
Not sure he would. Not a favourite of mine at all.
There are not many examples in recent seasons of midfielders going from playing regularly at relegated or relegation threatened clubs to playing regularly for notably better performing clubs the next season.
But if you look at the ones there are such as Berge, Mateus Fernandes, Mateus Cunha, Declan Rice, even Joao Gomes from last season vs this, there just seems very little to support the contested assumption that the stats are largely a function of being in a worse performing team. It seems far-fetched to expect wild swings, certainly upwards.
What is your evidence to support your claim that the stats are more a function of being in a better performing team? Is it really that much of a stretch to consider that better performing teams are typically composed of better quality players?!...
Yeah, he's never stood out really.
You could probably make a decent highlights video of Ugarte at Man Utd if you were desperate enough. Likewise Zirkzee or Hojlund. You could probably do so for any PL player; they must all show some signs of skill to have made it to the league.
And again, I really don't care that much if a DM/6 is a decent dribbler. It's one of the most useless single skills to have in that role. You need a pass-first player in that position. Not someone who is regularly vacating the space they should be protecting when they get the ball.
I dont have a data base with these numbers available over time. Declan Rice and Locatelli would be very interesting, but maybe that is too long ago?
The others you mention just dont fill me with much confidence. Sander Berge probably the most interesting one. Joao Gomes from one season to next in a very similar Wolves-team? Worthless.
Last edited:
I added Declan Rice already - see above. Again pretty consistent/within the same ball-park.
Locatelli is too far back.
Yeah I don't see how this can be dismissed. It's undeniable he was performing better for a terrible Burnley team than JG is now, and there was basically no change after his move.
Why do you see the other examples as any different though? How are they different? West Ham are on course for 3x the amount of points as Southampton last season, yet Fernandes' attacking stats are the same as before, and his defensive output was actually higher before...
The Wolves team isn't hugely similar either - they reached 42 points last season. Their 'Goals For' was basically double last season what it's on course for this season, yet Joao Gomes' Offensive Action performance within that was unchanged (actually it was 0.01 lower).
Cunha's Threat Prevented stat being close to identical from making the same move from Wolves to United, while his Offensive Action output declining slightly, should also surely be worthy of consideration? That is surely comparable to some degree...
Is not Wolves xg and xg against more relevant in this case? I would assume that the difference in those figures are alot less.
As for the rest, I agree. The lack of change is remarkable. Really interesting to see those numbers for Declan Rice. Really look like my initial assumption where wrong. Have you seen player develop when you have looked at those numbers? Looks like the case for Rice, but what about Anderson (who went under the radar a year ago)?
It is also funny that Curtis Jones always looks so good on stats. None of his coaches seem to rate him. Not Klopp. Not Slot. Not Southgate. Not Tuchel.
Last edited:
Very few interesting players in your graph, but these two looks good. Will probably be two of the most attractive midfielders this summer too.
I also think Alex Scott looks interesting. All in all.
I used Datamb to compare Joao Gomes, Baleba, Anderson, Tonali and Wharton. In terms of defensive duels, Joao Gomes is third behind Wharton and Baleba. However he's first in ball possession won ahead of Baleba and Anderson. He's also first in progressive carries and second in terms of fwd passes percentage behind Anderson. However he scores low in terms of key passes. He's in fact the second weakest after Baleba. Same thing about progressive passes.
I then compared his stats with those of last year. He seems to be playing most defensively with more duels and possession won this season then the year before. In terms of progressive carries he remained the same. He had more Fwd passes last season but the fwd percentage had increased this season though there's a significant decrease in key passes though there's more progressive passes this season. One has to take in account that he played more minutes last season then this season as well so there's room for change. From that data it suggest that the player had improved across the board even though his side is struggling
I compared the data of last season with the same five players. In terms of duels he's third behind Wharton and Tonali. He's second in terms of ball possession behind Anderson and he's also second in progressive carries behind Baleba. In third of FWD passes he's third but the different between him and second place Anderson is marginal. He beats everyone in fwd passing percentage and he sits third in key passes behind Anderson and Wharton. In terms of progressive passing he sits last though. He seems to be a very busy tenacious player who will be busy from box to box. He keeps passing simple. Don't expect the Carrickesque/Scholesque type of passes.
I then compared his stats with those of last year. He seems to be playing most defensively with more duels and possession won this season then the year before. In terms of progressive carries he remained the same. He had more Fwd passes last season but the fwd percentage had increased this season though there's a significant decrease in key passes though there's more progressive passes this season. One has to take in account that he played more minutes last season then this season as well so there's room for change. From that data it suggest that the player had improved across the board even though his side is struggling
I compared the data of last season with the same five players. In terms of duels he's third behind Wharton and Tonali. He's second in terms of ball possession behind Anderson and he's also second in progressive carries behind Baleba. In third of FWD passes he's third but the different between him and second place Anderson is marginal. He beats everyone in fwd passing percentage and he sits third in key passes behind Anderson and Wharton. In terms of progressive passing he sits last though. He seems to be a very busy tenacious player who will be busy from box to box. He keeps passing simple. Don't expect the Carrickesque/Scholesque type of passes.
Interesting. Fair to say that he's far better on the ball than Ugarte.
Using Ugarte as the yardstick for quality on the ball is like using Ian Huntley as a yardstick for quality of being a caretaker.
True, but there was a poster on here who said Gomes wasn't a clear upgrade on Ugarte.I had to switch stats for last season (for Ugarte) as he played too little to come up with any reliable data. Ugarte is a defensive beast. He comfortably tops duels and while he's third in ball possession won its very close (93.1 vs 94.9 for Gomes vs 99.6 for Casemiro). It gets closer then you think when you link that to progressive carries. Casemiro's stats is very low (which suggest he's stay at the back a lot). Ugarte is better but still disappointing while Gomes flies at 78. That suggest that Gomes is constantly going up and down the pitch, Casemiro stay at the back while Ugarte is slightly more attacking minded then Casemiro.
In terms of passing everything flips. Casemiro's fwd passing is nearly 91 as opposed to Joao Gomes (56.4) and Ugarte (31.4). The forward passing percentage is low for Casemiro as opposed to Ugarte and Joao Gomes but then Casemiro beats them in key passes and progressive passes which highlight how intelligent Casemiro is. Ugarte scores low in key passes (though marginally better to Gomes) and is horrible in progressive passes.
I think this data reveals what sort of player Joao Gomes is. He's a pressing demon, who'll run up and down the pitch making an utter nuisance of himself and he won't lose ball possession easily. However don't expect too many assists from this dude. Howson compared him to Ander Herrera. He does reminds me a bit of him tbh ie a disruptor whom while not good enough to define games on his own is comfortable enough with the ball to do the basics right and be an utter nuisance to opposition
There are different ways of playing football and interpreting skillets. I see a good upside for a DM/6 who can break a press and get the teams up field with a transition.
The lad has been linked with us and Liverpool. So the scouts and analysts see something in him