The importance of a good penalty taker...

[Rozay]

Very important asset to have. I appreciate the need to apply context when going overboard with goalscoring stats for players who get majority of their goals from the spot - but at the same time, it deserves a separate sort of appreciation in its own right.

A lot of people have said ‘what if we got Bruno last summer’ - but even in the simplest of terms, we missed a fair amount of penalties in the first half of the season, and things could have been more comfortable with the extra points if pens converted.

We just about made it into the top 4 this season, and pens played a key role. On reflection, we simply did not have the margin to have the sort of penalty record we’ve had in recent seasons in the second half of this one. Having a sketchy record in the second half of this season may well have seen us out of the top 4.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Bruno has scored 18 penalties in a row.

 

[RDCR07]

Bruno has scored 18 penalties in a row.

Think it’s actually 21 in a row.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

It's more important when you aren't a free scoring team I think. For the likes of Bayern and preciously Madrid/Barca , it's not that crucial, while obviously being important. For us, a team that has over the years been rubbish at even creating chances, it's vital.

 

[meamth]

How many match winning penalties have we missed first half of the season? How many more points?

Can someone elaborate the stats?

 

[redpatron]

You need players to draw penalties as well. Bruno is hitting them, but Martial is causing all these defenders to shake in their boots and lose their composure.

 

[Skills]

How many match winning penalties have we missed first half of the season? How many more points?

Can someone elaborate the stats?

Missed at

1-1 Vs Wolves and drew 1-1 (Pogba)
1-0 down Vs Palace and lost 2-1 (Rashford)
1-0 up Vs Norwich and won 3-1 (Rashford)
2-0 up Vs Norwich and won 3-1 (Martial)

 

[meamth]

Missed at

1-1 Vs Wolves and drew 1-1 (Pogba)
1-0 down Vs Palace and lost 2-1 (Rashford)
1-0 up Vs Norwich and won 3-1 (Rashford)
2-0 up Vs Norwich and won 3-1 (Martial)

Basically we're missing 4 points in total.

We'd be 3rd comfortably...just barely

 

[Slik]

Basically we're missing 4 points in total.

We'd be 3rd comfortably...just barely

Not just that. Winning against wolves and crystal palace for example would have changed our whole outlook of the season. Those were early days and the points will have led to a confident boost. We would probably not have gone thru that poor first half of the season. probably still finish third though