Progressive Actions by PL Midfielders - 2020-21 Season

[MZX7]

Progressive Actions by Midfielders PL 2020-2021

The image in the link shows the number of progressive actions a midfielder has taken in 90 minutes of a football game this EPL season.

Bruno leads the pack followed closely by Kevin de Bruyne.

Pogs and Fred have done well too. McTominay is lagging far behind.

Interesting chart.

 

[tjb]

Progressive Actions by Midfielders PL 2020-2021

The image in the link shows the number of progressive actions a midfielder has taken in 90 minutes of a football game this EPL season.

Bruno leads the pack followed closely by Kevin de Bruyne.

Pogs and Fred have done well too. McTominay is lagging far behind.

Interesting chart.

If you weigh it based on team dominance in a game, Mctominay's is woeful, as he has more opportunities to move the ball forward. Look at City's midfield, ours don't have to be that high, but we do need more responsibility from our double pivot as our attackers stay relatively high up the pitch.

 

[MZX7]

If you weigh it based on team dominance in a game, Mctominay's is woeful, as he has more opportunities to move the ball forward. Look at City's midfield, ours don't have to be that high, but we do need more responsibility from our double pivot as our attackers stay relatively high up the pitch.

Clear proof against McTominay being the weakest link in our midfield. No wonder he has been relegated to the bench in recent games.

 

[Pexbo]

If you weigh it based on team dominance in a game, Mctominay's is woeful, as he has more opportunities to move the ball forward. Look at City's midfield, ours don't have to be that high, but we do need more responsibility from our double pivot as our attackers stay relatively high up the pitch.

It’s almost like it’s not what McTominay has ever been expected to do.

 

[Fingeredmouse]

Clear proof against McTominay being the weakest link in our midfield. No wonder he has been relegated to the bench in recent games.

I take it you mean clear proof for McTominay being the weakest link? It doesn't if that's not what Scott is in the team to do.

 

[Sandikan]

Xhaka is right up there for goodness sake.
Showing you can prove anything with these sort of stats.

 

[Crackers]

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable. Progressive passing along isn't a good metric.

 

[MZX7]

I take it you mean clear proof for McTominay being the weakest link? It doesn't if that's not what Scott is in the team to do.

He always plays with Fred in a double pivot. Their roles in that partnership are supposed to be identical. The difference between Fred and his stats show that Scot isn't really effective in that role.

 

[Champ]

Xhaka is right up there for goodness sake.
Showing you can prove anything with these sort of stats.

Exactly this
Stats have a use, but a trending chart for useless stats like this is pointless.
Did any of these carries lead to a goal/chance/good passage of play, or were they just a slight meander forward in the last minute of a game?!?
Without context stats are next to useless as they can be used to anyone's advantage...take the immediate comments on McTominay being down the list despite being predominantly a box to box midfielder whose main job is to break up play and keep things ticking. Something which won't affect stats like this.

 

[Dante]

He always plays with Fred in a double pivot. Their roles in that partnership are supposed to be identical. The difference between Fred and his stats show that Scot isn't really effective in that role.

Shaw's starting position is somewhere between defence and midfield. He's almost always higher up the pitch than AWB during transitions.

Fred and McTominay's defensive responsibilities are similar. But because they play on opposite sides (and United's shape is quite lop-sided), their roles in our buildups are quite different. On the flipside, it gives McTominay greater licence to get into the box and shoot on goal.

 

[Pexbo]

He always plays with Fred in a double pivot. Their roles in that partnership are supposed to be identical. The difference between Fred and his stats show that Scot isn't really effective in that role.

Did you expect Pirlo and Gattuso to perform the same role when they played in midfield together? Keane and Scholes? Gerrard and Alonso? Kante and Fabregas? Xavi and Iniesta?

It’s almost like you can put two different players in the same midfield and expect them to perform different roles.

 

[noodlehair]

What a load of bollocks.

You don't need vague and pointlessly specific stats to tell the difference between when someone like Pogba plays well and when he doesn't, and stats about specific actions don't work at all when you compare them between different types of player or different roles.

Even comparing Pogba to Bruno is unfair on Pogba when Bruno is specifically in the team to try and create a chance every time he gets the ball. Never mind McTominay who isn't meant to be a playmaker at all.

 

[noodlehair]

He always plays with Fred in a double pivot. Their roles in that partnership are supposed to be identical. The difference between Fred and his stats show that Scot isn't really effective in that role.

This makes no sense. McTominay also has 5 goals this season to Fred's 0, which you can just as easily take into complete isolation and use to claim Fred is "ineffective", if you want to be stupid.

 

[TrustInOle]

Shaw's starting position is somewhere between defence and midfield. He's almost always higher up the pitch than AWB during transitions.

Fred and McTominay's defensive responsibilities are similar. But because they play on opposite sides (and United's shape is quite lop-sided), their roles in our buildups are quite different. On the flipside, it gives McTominay greater licence to get into the box and shoot on goal.

Fantastically put. I also think Scott is key to helping AWB move forward with the ball, he links very well with him.

 

[San Diego Red]

I didn't see Jack Grealish on the list, am sure he'd be high on the list.

 

[MU655]

It is pretty damning on McTominay, to be honest. Not alone, but when you consider that he averages about 31 passes per Premier League game, it isn't pretty reading. It just confirms how low his impact is on the ball in Premier League games. Just further confirmation that he needs replacing in the first team.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

wierd mctominay witch hunt

if he plays and we dominate the midfield who cares about any stat that you can find

i'd love to see some hipster midfielder in there, united down in 7th place but my god some selected stats for this guy are incredible

 

[MU655]

wierd mctominay witch hunt

if he plays and we dominate the midfield who cares about any stat that you can find

i'd love to see some hipster midfielder in there, united down in 7th place but my god some selected stats for this guy are incredible

Criticising a player isn't a witch hunt. You are allowed to say that they have a weakness, and McTominay clearly has a major weakness. His time spent on the ball is way too low; his pass completion is too low; his impact on the game whilst in possession is too low. You can see it with your own eyes; the stats just back it up. He may have use as a utility player, but that's it.

You don't need a hipster midfielder. You just need a better one.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

Criticising a player isn't a witch hunt. You are allowed to say that they have a weakness, and McTominay clearly has a major weakness. His time spent on the ball is way too low; his pass completion is too low; his impact on the game whilst in possession is too low. You can see it with your own eyes; the stats just back it up. He may have use as a utility player, but that's it.

You don't need a hipster midfielder. You just need a better one.

He is a type of player that has always been under appreciated, carrick was hammered on this forum for years, park, fletcher. It will never change. They play an important role in the balance of the team, in general fans want to pack the side with more and more fashionable players despite no evidence that it helps the team win. Mctominay is an important part of the team and can still improve

 

[MZX7]

He is a type of player that has always been under appreciated, carrick was hammered on this forum for years, park, fletcher. It will never change. They play an important role in the balance of the team, in general fans want to pack the side with more and more fashionable players despite no evidence that it helps the team win. Mctominay is an important part of the team and can still improve

McTominay is an important part of the Squad. Not of the Starting XI. He might improve and some day might be an important starter. Right now he's bang average.