Yeah, I love the lad but he's had a couple decent performances and suddenly is our best attacker? It's laughable.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 52
- Goals
- 12
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 2
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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Decent shot just wide from near the edge of their area and another shot from distance blocked. Failed to get near enough to Dan James' dangerous cross in the 2nd half because he didn't commit fully to sprinting. Also poor movement when Luke Shaw got behind their defence from Rashford's pass. Dispossessed 4 times. His pressing needs a lot of work.
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I might be in the minority here but his all-round game has improved a lot. Yes he's having an underwhelming season but he somehow looks more complete. Can't wait for him to put it all together.
Anyone who thinks he's "regressed" needs to find a new sport.
Should keep starting games as our CF.
Decent performance, he was feeding off scraps but still got one good shot off.
Just based on his all round game for me. He’s so much more polished on the ball and I think in a better team with a more functioning attack he would score a shed load. Rashford I think is pretty poor at the moment but keeps getting the add assist/goal. Martial has been nothing short of shocking this campaign and James is a headless chicken. I’m not counting Bruno though, as he’s better.
You aren’t, his all round game has improved but his shooting has dropped off a little, probably due to having to concentrate on playing as a wide man, he’s lost that little bit of sharpness that made him a goal scorer.
this is why I don’t like shoving players into different positions, we did it with martial and rashford and we never knew what their best position was.
yes Greenwood can play as a wide man but he’s clearly a striker, he will be a great 9 or even 10.
was really annoyed ole subbed him instead of James, but he did look a little tired.
Very good observation. Fully agree. If he manages to avoid serious injuries, he is destined to have a fantastic career. The talent is there, the boy is working on improving his play, long it may continue.
I agree that Mason has improved a lot in terms of overall play, but his finishing has dropped dramatically. Also, I think he is a bit better at hold-up than Rashford right now but that's about it. Marcus has been in our top 3 performers this season, Mason is nowhere near that.
Im a huge Greenwood fan but there was one area that was glaringly poor today and it relates to our use of the press. Bruno was continually frustrated at Greenwoods movement and positioning during the press. The problem which is simply one of experience and he will improve is that he ball watches badly when we are out of position. His head tracks the ball and also his body shape tracks the ball. He had absolutely no awareness of what was going on around him as we tried to press. He wasnt scanning at all and so missed what his team mates were doing and wasnt adjusting to their positioning and body language signals. Also when he shuts down players he is running straight lines to the player rather than curved runs designed to pressure players to go into areas his teammates are squeezing.
As an example watch Brunos head movement compared to Greenwoods and you will see what i mean. ( Im not implying Bruno is great defensively but just illustrating that lack of awareness in Greenwood)
I would have preferred to see him playing wider today and in the attack he is so dangerous, just hope the coaching staff can improve this aspect of his play. I know he is primarily there as an attacker but in todays pressing teams even strikers need to be doing the basics correctly with respect to pressing movements and positioning.
Still its mostly an experience thing, Cavani is good at it and Greenwood will get much better with time.
As an example watch Brunos head movement compared to Greenwoods and you will see what i mean. ( Im not implying Bruno is great defensively but just illustrating that lack of awareness in Greenwood)
I would have preferred to see him playing wider today and in the attack he is so dangerous, just hope the coaching staff can improve this aspect of his play. I know he is primarily there as an attacker but in todays pressing teams even strikers need to be doing the basics correctly with respect to pressing movements and positioning.
Still its mostly an experience thing, Cavani is good at it and Greenwood will get much better with time.
He does not impose himself enough. Not a joke, I think he needs to bulk up. It would help him a lot.
I thought his first half was decent, but second half he drifted completely out of the game. I'm not sure if it's because he tired or because the entire team sat back more in the second half.
He does well whenever he's on the ball, but he needs to work on getting involved more consistently. That'll come with time.
I am praying hard, so hard, that he differentiates himself in style from Rashford and Martial. We do not need three of that type of player in one team.
I hope he will be the one with the common sense to realise that to be a proper forward in the Premier League, you need to be predatory and decent in the air and build those aspects of his game.
It's not always about ball to feet.
I hope he will be the one with the common sense to realise that to be a proper forward in the Premier League, you need to be predatory and decent in the air and build those aspects of his game.
It's not always about ball to feet.
He has tidy moments but overall is just struggling to get involved in games. I'm a big advocate to move him centrally and I think it's just something we have to persist with, but he'll come back to form.
Yup, his overall game is better and he is physically stronger. But, somehow, his instinct in front of goal seems missing or weaker.
Hopefully, he will get back on it too. He is still developing.
I have no doubt he will.
The problems he had today seemed to the sane Cavani has had. Maybe it's the team and not the striker.
there’s still not enough creativity or variation either side of the striker.
I think he showed a lot of promise today and suffered from a lack of service. He also appeared to have been instructed to come short when we had the ball. But he showed great quick feet which will be invaluable. I think we need to persist with him up front, and he will come good.
Last season: 17 goals in 49 games
This season: 4 goals in 33 games
What is happening to him? How comes there so big difference in terms of end products? Isn’t he supposed to be one of the best natural finisher ever seen in this club?
Yeh his all round game has improved blah blah blah but I was fully expecting him to score 20-25 goals this season, as progression from previous one.
This season: 4 goals in 33 games
What is happening to him? How comes there so big difference in terms of end products? Isn’t he supposed to be one of the best natural finisher ever seen in this club?
Yeh his all round game has improved blah blah blah but I was fully expecting him to score 20-25 goals this season, as progression from previous one.
I know it's only his 2nd season but I cant pretend that I'm not worried about his shooting ability.
It was the one thing that was great about him more than his pace or skill.
We arguably needed it this season and it has effected our results and the players around him.
Just because players have a 2nd season syndrome does not change that.
It was the one thing that was great about him more than his pace or skill.
We arguably needed it this season and it has effected our results and the players around him.
Just because players have a 2nd season syndrome does not change that.
He is actually being marked this season. Last was a write off letting an unproven kid run around
- Opposing teams know what he is good at, so put a wall of defenders between him and the goal, whenever he gets the ball in the attacking third
- His shots in PL games are now typically at a worse angle than they were last season. Fewer shots from a central zone inside the area (see shot map https://understat.com/player/7490 - more explanations below)
- He hasn't adapted. His movement inside the area isn't dynamic enough to get ahead of defenders. Compare Cavani's movement to Greenwood's; the difference is alarming. This is absolutely crucial, see Salah, Kane, Mane, Vardy etc. Fantastic movement earns the big chances to score.
- His shooting has been rubbish this season. Even in the rare instances when he has had a good chance to score, his shots have either been off-target or barely troubled the keeper (see Southampton away game).
- His average number of shots per 90 mins in the PL, is the same as last season (2.69), as his expected goals per 90 mins (0.23 according to Understat, 0.25 according to Statsbomb)
- He hasn't built an understanding with a team-mate who would know that he was going to make a certain run and would look to deliver a pass/cross into the right area
- His 10 PL goals total last season relied too heavily on perfect shooting, shots that went through defenders legs and at least one fortunate deflection, to be sustainable. An elite finisher (Salah, Kane, Messi etc) scores perhaps 15% or 20% above his expected goals total over the long run. Greenwood was 200% above.
His PL shot map is on the page linked below, green is goals, blue saved shots, red off-target, purple blocked, size of circle represents quality of chance, use the season option to compare this season to last season https://understat.com/player/7490
If you take a look at the respective shot maps of a variety of attacking players on Understat, it becomes apparent that over the medium to longer term, being able to generate high quality chances, in simple terms shots from a central zone close to the goal, ideally with just the keeper to beat, is far more important than being a brilliant natural finisher.
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Problem is he basically only scored one type of goal last season, quick shot from around the edge of the box, taking the defender and keeper by surprise. Now, defenders stays a bit tighter and most of shots are either blocked or from a more difficult angle to score. His overall game is quite good, but he still lacks the movement and pace to be top class for me.
Didn't think he deserved to come off yesterday. Rashford is always going to stay on ahead of him though.
Are you laughing because you think thats an overstatement or an understatement?
It's a pretty big overstatement.
"Quite good", really?
He’s just another Martial fan who’ll put others down to make his favourite appear better.
Even yesterday when he didn’t do much dangerous in front of goal he would come deep take a few players on and switch the play or he would drive the ball towards pushing the team up the pitch. He’s becoming much much more confident on the ball. So yes his overall game is quite good.
Yes.
It's so bizarre
Alarming drop in standards if Greenwoods overall game this season is being described as quite good.
Interesting take on things, considering i've consistently had a go at all of them.
I deleted my post. I thought they were talking about some other poster.
Prior to the last month or so it wasn’t. But he’s pushed on since Everton and shown more to his game. Beyond his crazy academy scoring record he was highly thought of because of everything else he had to his game. He’s now showing the confidence to get far more involved in the game. Next game just pay attention to every involvement he makes.
He needs a goal desperately. Hopefully Palace oblige him on Wednesday.
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