The Importance of Bruno Fernandes

by | Nov 16, 2020

It was around 30 mins into the Manchester derby at Old Trafford when the ball went out for a Manchester City throw in and the man wearing no.18 on his back had an exchange of words with the City manager, Pep Guardiola. A bit of back and forth ended with Bruno Fernandes practically shushing the Catalonian. A short 5 second altercation showed exactly what Manchester United were missing prior to the Portuguese’s arrival in the January transfer window. 

Manchester United’s 19/20 season up until the end of the January transfer window had been a huge roller coaster ride. This was a team which could go toe-to-toe with Europe’s finest on their day but fail to win a match they should be comfortably winning on some other day. The young squad assembled by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had potential which was clear to see, but after a few good performances and results, their inconsistent form again dipped and a 2-0 loss to Burnley showcased just how poor United looked on their bad days. The performance was lacklustre and uninspiring much like the season till that point, and if United were down, there was usually no coming back from it. 

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” – United lacked someone ‘tough’. A strong personality, a vocal leader, someone who can make a difference when the chips are down and in that process rally everyone around him too. The 2-0 loss to Burnley was followed by United acting swiftly in the transfer window and securing the signature of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon for a reported 47m pounds fee (excluding add-ons). Fernandes made his Manchester United debut the following weekend against Wolves at Old Trafford and his impact was easily seen. 

The match ended 0-0 but Fernandes was the best player on the pitch. Constantly demanding the ball, finding pockets of spaces to drift into, Bruno was taking charge. In fact, he was even constantly instructing and talking to teammates and telling them what to do, something about his personality that is known by everyone close to him. This was the type of impact he had after training only for a single day. The goalless draw was followed by 2 consecutive league wins against Chelsea and Watford with Fernandes having a say in both those games. Early signs suggested that the red devils had made a wise investment. Two comfortable wins in the FA Cup and Europa League and a tough draw at Goodison Park followed and then it was time for the Manchester derby.

Fernandes had set up Anthony Martial from a quick freekick earlier in the game and then came the altercation with Guardiola. It was at that moment some started to think United had finally found their talisman, their leader, their ‘strong personality’ in the dressing room. The match ended with United winning 2-0 and they looked comfortable in doing so. The 26 year old’s impact had made the team play better and everything around Old Trafford looked like it was falling into place.

The Derby was the last game played at Old Trafford before the pandemic put a stop on all the footballing activities. After the resumption of football, Manchester United were arguably the best team in the league for the remainder of the season.

Manchester United went unbeaten for the remainder of the campaign upon resumption. In fact, the red devils didn’t lose a single game in the league since Fernandes made his debut against Wolves on the deadline day of the winter transfer window. The first match they lost which involved the Portugese was the 3-1 defeat to Crystal Place on the opening day of the 2020/21 season. His immediate impact was for everyone to see. The 26 year old contributed to 8 goals and 7 assists in the Premier League last season, no other midfielder in the league contributed to more since his debut last season. 

Bruno Fernandes has now scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists for Manchester United in 33 appearances across all competitions, that’s 31 goal involvements in 33 appearances – an outstanding record. In the Premier League, he has scored 13 goals, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has scored more since Fernandes made his debut. He became notorious for ‘only scoring penalties’ towards the end of last season but he has scored more non-penalty goals than any other midfielder in the league since he made his debut. 

If we look past the goals and assists, he also became the first Manchester United player to win back to back Premier League Player of the month awards since Cristiano Ronaldo and was also named as Manchester United’s player of the year despite having been here only for half the campaign. Fernandes also has won 5 man of the match awards for Manchester United so far. He also has a 4.4 sca/p90 which ranks him 10th in the league. SCA means shot creating actions such as a pass, dribble or even a tackle.

Courtesy of Statsbomb and football Slices, Fernandes’ percentile rank compared to the midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues is exceptional. 

Some of the stats like the pass completion rate or his non-penalty xG per shot may look a bit low but that showcases his playing style. The Portuguese isn’t afraid to take risks. If there is even a slight chance of setting someone through on goal or even if he gets half a yard of space from a shooting area, he will go for it. 

In football, the great players have this exceptional ability to make everyone think that something is going to happen when they have the ball. Fernandes is one of them. He constantly demands the ball is played to him and wants everything to go through him. Players around Fernandes are prepared to go the extra mile too, making constant runs and finding spaces in dangerous areas for the 26 year old to pick them out with a pass, because they know he has the ability to do exactly that. 

Tactical Analysis

Francesco Guidolin managed Bruno Fernandes when he was at Udinese and the Italian manager claims that Fernandes is one of the most intelligent players he has ever managed. He isn’t the only one to heap praise on the Portugese midfielder, the sporting director who took Fernandes from Boavista’s academy to Novora says “he is the most intelligent person I have ever met”. From using post-it notes to learn new languages and watching the replays of his games right after it is over, Fernandes uses every shred of his brain and his natural talent to become the player he is. 

It is easy to see how intelligent he is. For example, the goal he scored against Newcastle shows how well he reads the game. 

Here, he starts United’s counter attack intelligently linking up with van de Beek with a backheel and sets of running. Van de Beek passes to Mata, who releases Rashford and the counter attack is in motion. 

Rashford receives the ball wide left and continues running into the vacant space which prompts Fernandes to go inside in case the Englishman decides to run it wide and put in a cross. 

Instead, Marcus Rashford decides to cut in and take on Jamaal Lascelles which makes Fernandes make a move towards the outside. In the image, the moment Rashford goes inside, Fernandes starts going towards the outside. 

The Portuguese continues his run and Rashford expertly finds him after drawing 3 defenders towards him. Fernandes then takes a touch and then finishes it into the top corner beating Karl Darlow. 

He reads and understands the game very well and even if his stats seem unbelievable, he can impact games and goals without being directly involved in the goals as well. 

In the 3rd goal that Anthony Martial scored against Sheffield United last season, Fernandes didn’t have an assist but was still involved heavily. 

He receives the ball from deep through Paul Pogba and instantly gives it to Martial behind with an expertly executed backheel, catching the Sheffield United defenders off guard. 

He then makes a move towards the box while Martial finds Rashford out wide in the left side half space. 

He sees Martial making a run inside the box and instantly drops back to provide another passing option to Rashford. 

This catches defender John Egan off guard, who is left ball watching and fails to cover Martial who expertly chips the keeper to complete his hattrick. 

One largely underrated aspect of Fernandes’ style of play is his heading ability and his ability to get into positions of scoring a free header. Now his heading ability isn’t as polished as that of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Robert Lewandowski but his movement and his ability to understand the game allows him to find spaces in order to find a free header inside the box. 

He scored a headed goal against Everton by sliding in between the two centre backs and connecting from a Luke Shaw cross. 

Here, he is inside the box waiting for Shaw to deliver a cross, as soon as Shaw puts his foot to the ball, Fernandes flicks on the switch and makes a run in between the CBs

He meets the cross, fairly unmarked and then slots it home beating Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal. 

What makes Bruno Fernandes so special is his hunger and drive to always improve and be better. “He wants to be the best”, says Giraetta, speaking to Jack Lang for The Athletic. He watches his games in their entirety as soon as he reaches home, even if it’s 2:30 in the morning. He watches them irrespective of the result, when they have won, drawn or when they have lost. Especially, when they have lost. He has a constant drive to become better than he already is. 

For people close to him, they have said he has always been like this. It doesn’t matter if Bruno is playing street football with his elder brother and his mates or if he’s playing with Cristiano Ronaldo for the national team, if there is something he doesn’t agree with, he will say it. He is expressive, an extrovert, and very blunt about his feelings. When Luuk de Jong scored the winner to take Sevilla to the Europa League finals and knock Manchester United out of the competition in the process, a footage was floated around the social media sites of him arguing with Victor Lindelof. Another footage came across when he was seen kicking the door, much to the dislike of the security guard present, after he was sent off in a match he played for Sporting Lisbon. “I’ll pay for the door, you can go f*** yourself” were the words coming out of the 26 year old’s mouth. A true indictment of his personality, he just cannot keep it inside. 

The altercation with Pep Guardiola is no different and that moment totally summed up what Bruno Fernandes is all about and what Manchester United had been missing prior to his arrival. A strong personality who will constantly expect better from himself and from those around him and won’t be afraid to speak up whenever required. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Bruno Fernandes brings the ‘X-Factor’ to the team and it’s easy to see how. 

If there ever was a “Manchester United player” then Bruno Fernandes is the best player to express. His high risk, high reward style of play, his relentless work rate, his constant drive to win the ball back and demanding the ball is played to him, he is everything that Manchester United players of the old were – a fighter. Fernandes is a fighter on and off the pitch and he won’t settle for anything but the best.

Fernandes isn’t fazed by the pressure that comes with the price tag or the expectations of the fans. He does his job and whenever his team needs someone to step up, he is the one to do it. Maybe he relishes the responsibility, maybe he thrives when the odds are stacked against him. 

Manchester United may have finally found their talisman in their journey back to the top. After all, the fans haven’t named him the ‘The Portugese Magnifico’ for no reason.  

Nicky Butt’s Youth Revolution

by | Nov 3, 2020

Whenever there exists a big institution in any field of life, it is associated with something. It has its own identity, its own uniqueness. Being a part of that institution means something, it holds some value in someone’s life, in someone’s heart. In football, it’s no different. Every club has its own identity, their own traditions. That’s what makes playing for a club special, maybe that’s what makes fans fall in love with a club. 

Ajax and Barcelona are known for their youth development and brand of football, Borussia Dortmund’s loud and spectacular atmosphere at the stadium is revered all over the world, Athletic Bilbao pride themselves in only using Basque origin players to give a few examples. Almost every club in this world has their own identity. Manchester United are no different. Known for their ability for producing some of the finest footballers in English and world football, their youth academy is widely considered as one of the best in the world. Their continued trust in giving youth a chance hasn’t gone unnoticed either with the club having named an academy player in their matchday squad for more than 81 years. 

Although, United’s academy went through a bad phase in the last decade. Having won the FA youth cup 10 times, and priding themselves in their homegrown players making the first team, United neglected the academy for a while. When Louis van Gaal came in, the academy for underfunded and more focus was shifted towards improving the first team rather than improving the academy. At the same time, 4 miles away from Old Trafford, the ones wearing blue were improving and strengthening their academy each and every day. 

From guaranteed education till 18 to better and bigger training facilities, Manchester City were attracting talents from under Manchester United’s nose and United were doing nothing about it. They thought their reputation was enough to attract these players – it wasn’t. The most talented 11,12, 13 year olds were all choosing to go to blue half rather than the red. Even United’s ex players such as Robin van Persie and Phil Neville chose to put their sons in Manchester City’s academy. Manchester United were not the best academy in the city anymore, let alone the country and this was emphasised by the 9-0 loss that Manchester United’s u14s suffered at the hands of their neighbours in 2015. 

That was until Nicky Butt came in as the head of academy in 2016 and the powers at the top decided to invest in the academy once again. These figures aren’t revealed but the chatter around the training complex in Manchester suggests that the investment in the academy has skyrocketed since. United’s recent recruitments do nothing but confirm that. Hannibal Mejbri, touted as one of France’s biggest prospects, was bought in from AS Monaco for 10m pounds. Charlie McNeil, who scored over 600 goals at the u16s level, was poached from the rivals Manchester City. Marc Jurado ditched the world famous La Masia to join Manchester United, same with Alvaro Fernandez and Alejandro Garnaco who came in from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid respectively. 

 

 

(VALENCIA, SPAIN – DECEMBER 12: Manager Nicky Butt of Manchester United U19s watches from the touchline during the UEFA Youth League match between Valencia U19s and Manchester United U19s at Paterna Training Centre on December 12, 2018 in Valencia, Spain.)

Even though they were announced by the club like a first team signing, the general consensus is that Facundo Pellstri and Amad Diallo would first be training with the reserves instead of the first team. Large sums of money to buy these guys as well, something which again points at how much the investment at the youth level has increased since practically being ignored at one point in the last decade. 

Large part of the credit goes to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The United boss may always find himself under the microscope whenever the first team plays bad and his reign as the first team manager has been a roller coaster ride, but one thing that the Norwegian has changed since coming in is the focus put on the academy. In 2019, the Manchester United backroom staff went through a complete restructuring with Nicky Butt being made head of first team development and Nick Cox replacing him as the head of the academy. Butt reports directly to Solskjaer about which players are ready to step up into the first team and also oversees their transition. 

This has already benefited two players – Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams, who have gone through seemingly flawless transitions into the first team. James Garner, Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi have all been knocking on the doors of first team football as well. Marcus Rashford is already one of England’s best players, Dean Henderson has impressed whilst being on loan at Sheffield United and Axel Tuanzebe, who has captained the side at every level (including the first team) has shown that he can be a reliable option at the back. United have a lot of homegrown talent representing the first team and that’s a testament to Solskjaer’s CV of trusting youth time and again. 

 

 

(MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 10: Nicky Butt, Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United watch from the touchline during the U18 Premier League match between Manchester United U18s and Sunderland U18s at Aon Training Complex on August 10, 2019 in Manchester, England.)

Nicky Butt has also been a large influence on the academy since coming back to the club in 2016 and spearheading the academy overhaul. Having been part of the famous Class of 92 and also coaching the reserve side in 2012 and a short interim spell in 2016 due to reshuffling of the staff, the former Manchester United midfielder knows what it takes to transition an academy prospect into a first team regular. Butt was quick to install a transfer strategy and a clear plan for the academy in terms of recruitment, which is still being used to this day. An extensive scouting network and cash influx helped with the Red Devils signing players from all across England and Europe. 

“You can judge me and the people who develop for the first team in hopefully two or three years when we’re challenging for titles. If you’re challenging for titles and getting players in the first team, that’s when you know you’re doing an unbelievable job.”

-Nicky Butt, February 2020.

Manchester United have signed 19 players between the ages of 15 and 18 since 2019. Many of them leaving a few of Europe’s best academies while others snubbing United’s main rivals and joining the red devils. 

“I have made the decision to leave this great club – I wanted to thank all my teammates, and the coaching staff at Real Madrid for making me a better person and footballer,”

-Alvaro Fernandez on leaving Real Madrid. 

All the 19 players weren’t cheap. Marc Jurado cost 400,000 pounds from Barcelona. Charlie McNeil cost 600,000 pounds from Manchester City. Logan Pye and Joe Hugill cost a combined 300,000 pounds from Sunderland. Wily Kambwala, the latest recruit from France, cost upwards of 3m pounds and Hannibal Mejbri was brought in for approximately 8m pounds to be made as the poster boy of the academy. Pellestri and Diallo who were both brought in at a combined cost of roughly 40m pounds. 

Since 2019, Manchester United have spent large sums of money on securing the signatures of some of the finest prospects in Europe. This is a testament to the scouting and recruitment strategy mapped out by Nicky Butt and how much Solskjaer is trusting the youth academy of this club. Hardballing negotiations and the supposedly smaller clubs refusing to be bullied by the financial muscle of the bigger clubs has meant that Solskjaer may turn to youth prospects sooner rather than later. 

Let’s have a look at the u23s and u18s academy players who we might be seeing play for the first team in the near future.

Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have followed in the footsteps of Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Axel Tuanzebe in establishing themselves as first team regulars. Tahith Chong and James Garner have made a few first team appearances but have been loaned out to Werder Bremen and Watford respectively this season to gather more first team experience. And Even though these are early stages of the season, both have been excelling whilst on loan. 

Looking at the u23s led by Neil Wood, Hannibal Mejbri is the player that stands out. Still only 17 years old and Mejbri is one of the most important players for the u23s and is regarded as the next big thing by many French scouts and journalists. His signature made a lot of headlines in the last year and he might be on the verge of playing for the first team this season. 

 

 

(BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: The Manchester United team (Back Row L-R: Will Fish, Lukasz Bejger, Ondrej Mastny Teden Mengi, Hannibal Mejbri, Anthony Elanga. Front Row L-R: Martin Svidersky, Shola Shoretire, Charlie McCann, Mark Helm, Reece Devine) ahead of the FA Youth Cup semi-final match between Manchester United U18s and Chelsea U18s at St Georges Park on October 30, 2020 in Burton-upon-Trent, England.)

Ethan Laird, Teden Mengi and Ethan Galbraith have all impressed at the u23s level as well. Laird and Mengi have already made their debuts for the first team with Laird featuring in the 2-1 loss to Astana in the Europa League last season while Mengi came on to play a little cameo against LASK last season. Brandon Williams had to change positions in order to accommodate Ethan Laird at right back and it was said that Laird would have even made his debut before Williams before suffering a horrible injury sidelining him for almost a year. Mengi has really impressed Solskjaer and there is a high possibility that we might see him play in a few cup games this season. Ethan Galbraith recently signed a new long term contract with the club and has made steady strides in his development. 

Looking further into the reserve teams, Dilon Hoogewerf is another foreign talent poached by United in the last year – this time from Ajax. Ajax were unhappy that he left but the 17 year old said United’s vision and plan for him did the trick in convincing him to move. Anthony Elanga and Noam Emeran are two 17 year old wingers who have shown promise. 16 year old Zidane Iqbal is another talented attacking midfielder who has roots in England and Pakistan. Alvaro Fernandez and Joe Hugill, who were acquired this summer have hit the ground running and are already playing for the u23s. Hugill was brought in from Sunderland and the 17 year old has already netted 4 times in 5 games. Pellestri had a promising debut and there is a lot of excitement among the Red Devils faithful about the arrival of Amad Diallo who is touted to be one of the biggest prospects coming out of Italy.  

Signings of midfielder Isak Hansen-Aaroen from Norwegian second tier club Tromso and goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Czech club Olomouc show exactly how vast United’s scouting network is. Manchester United have totally revamped their academy in the last few years and have laid a solid foundation for the first team manager to build upon. If a situation arrives for the first team manager to turn to academy, he has a vast array of promising players to choose from.

Manchester United have always held the reputation of giving youth players a chance to play in the first team but in the recent past, it has taken a bit of a hit. Young players didn’t find the Manchester United academy attractive enough and would consider their other options. The total revamp of the academy has meant that promising young players may turn to Manchester United to learn, grow and develop.

“Youth. Courage. Success” is the Manchester United motto, the Manchester United way. From the ‘Busby Babes’ to the ‘Class of 92’ and their stunning record of having at least one homegrown player in their matchday squad for 81 consecutive years is what the club is all about. This is their identity, their philosophy, something which was lost for a while. For all their other struggles, they are getting their identity, their philosophy back. Playing for the Manchester United academy has again started to mean something. 

Top 5 Wonderkid Signings To Look Out For

by | Oct 12, 2020

Scouting in football was a simple profession. A scout goes to a game, or a few, to watch a potential transfer target And if he likes what he sees, then he is in the list of potential recruits. Nowadays, it is much more complicated and much more detail oriented than that. Due to many factors including a boom in data driven analysis along with much easier access to video footages of players, Scouting has become a much more extensive process. 

Another factor we can consider is the continuous inflation of the values of players playing in their prime. Players, playing in their prime, in today’s transfer market cost a lot of money and the mid table clubs in any league don’t have the financial muscle to sign such players. Instead, we can see a lot of clubs going for the ‘wonderkid approach.’ Clubs prefer to sign players under the age of 23 or 21, who are relatively cheaper and have loads of potential and develop them and then sell for a much bigger value later on. Clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Leicester City have kind of made this their transfer policy and it is becoming increasingly popular these days due to the many means of scouting available. 

Today, we will look at the top 5 wonderkid signings in this transfer window. 

Note: We are only considering players, under the age of 21, who had their breakthrough season last season or players who are on the verge of having their breakthrough season. So, players like Kai Havertz won’t be under consideration as they can already be classified as established first team superstars. 

#5 : Jeremy Doku

From: RSC Anderlecht 

To: Stade Rennais FC

Age: 18

Position: RW/LW

Cost: 25m euros

(Photo By Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Jeremy Doku is widely considered as the hottest talent coming out of Belgium who already have managed to give the world a plethora of sensational talents. The 18 year old joined Anderlecht in 2012 and has made 30 appearances for the Belgian powerhouses after debuting when he was only 16 years old. His performances last season caught the eye of many, one of them being Belgium manager Roberto Martinez who gave Doku his first call up to the senior side. 

Doku can play on either flanks and is known for his explosive pace and dribbling. His dribbling is his prized asset with him attempting(12.54) and completing(7.42) dribbles per 90. More than anyone else in the Belgian pro league. Doku attempted 168 dribbles last season whilst 126 of them being successful, an impressive 75% dribbling rate. Another one of his strengths is his crossing with him having a 40.3% success rate. 

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and AC Milan were all interested in securing the Belgian’s services but Stade Rennais got their man in the end. The interest from these clubs show how much he is rated by everyone in Europe. 

#4: Jonathan David 

From:  KAA Gent

To: Lille OSC

Age: 20

Position: CAM/ST/LW/RW

Transfer fee: 30m euros

(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Doku wasn’t the only player moving from Belgium to France this transfer window with the other one being the highly rated Canadian – Jonathan David. David was still playing for an amateur side in Canada only 2 years back which earned him a trial at Gent. Impressed by his skill, he was signed immediately into their youth setup. He continued to rise through the ranks and last season came into his own playing for the first team. In 27 Belgian Pro League matches, David managed to score a whopping 18 goals and also add 8 assists to his tally. He also scored 3 goals in the Europa League. His integration in the Canadian national side has been very impressive as well with him managing to score 11 goals in just 12 caps. 

Jonathan David can play across the forward line but he shines the most while playing in central positions, mainly as a secondary striker. He has got good pace and dribbling skills which make him a go to outlet for counter attacks. His decision making and movement are also impressive with him known for his late runs into the box and scoring goals using his intelligence. It was no surprise that Lille made him the most expensive Candian ever as they are known for their extensive scouting range. 

#3: Victor Osimhen

From: Lille OSC

To: SSC Napoli

Age: 21

Position: ST

Transfer Fee: 60m euros

(Photo by Franco Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Another one of the Belgian to French League transfers. One which happened last season when Victor Osimhen moved from Charleroi to Lille. Osimhen had his breakthrough season last year with him scoring 13 goals and adding 5 assists in 27 appearances for Lille in the Ligue 1. He was in the running for winning the golden boot before the season was ended prematurely due to the pandemic. 

Osimhen’s main strengths lie when in and around the box. He completes very little dribbles and is rarely involved in the build up play but he is a fox in the box. His movement and clinical finishing is what makes him special. While his movement in the box is his best trait, his hold up play is something that cannot be ignored. He only has 2.9 unsuccessful touches per 90, only 0.6 more than Harry Kane whose hold up play is one of the best in Europe. He is also a relentless presser and works in both the offensive and defensive transitions. His ability certainly impressed Genaro Gattuso who urged Napoli to pay the big bucks for the 21 year old. 

#2: Jude Bellingham 

From: Birmingham City AFC

To: Borussia Dortmund

Age: 17

Positions: CM/CAM

Transfer fee: 25m euros

(Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund have cultivated a reputation for being the home for many promising youngsters in Europe. Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, Dan Axel Zagadou all moved to play at Signal Iduna Park and are regarded as some of the most promising youngsters in Europe. Bellingham being no different. Already a first team regular for Birmingham in the Championship at age 16, many top clubs like Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid were rumoured to be interested in signing the player. Particularly, Manchester United were very keen to bring the 17 year old to Old Trafford but Bellingham rejected them in order to guarantee playing more first team football. 

Bellingham made 44 appearances last season for Birmingham in all competitions mainly playing as a CM in a 4-4-2 but he also played on the right in a 4-2-3-1 or even as a striker in some matches The 17 year old also won the EFL Young player of the season last season. All this at only 16 years old. What people like so much about Bellingham is that he is far from the finished product and he can develop into pretty much any type of midfielder he likes. He is a gifted dribbler, is clinical in the attacking third, he has got good strength and also a very good footballing IQ. He is very good in the defensive side of things as well, with him very adept at tackling and intercepting the ball. A pure box-to-box midfielder who can work very well in both defensive and offensive parts of the game and can be developed in any midfield role depending upon the system his team plays. 

#1: Sandro Tonali 

To: Milan

From: Brescia

Age: 20

Position: DM/CM

Transfer fee: 10m in Loan fees/option to buy for 15m euros

(Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

After being promoted last season, Brescia struggled in the Serie A and ended up being relegated. But, they had the most exciting Italian youngster in their ranks – Sandro Tonali who didn’t fail to impress in the Serie A. Dubbed as the next Andrea Pirlo, Sandro Tonali is one of the most promising youngsters in Europe. Tonali himself says he is closer to Gattuso than Pirlo but he could be considered as a mixture of both of them.

Tonali plays the same Deep Lying playmaker role or as a Regista that Pirlo used to play. He played as the deepest midfielder for Brescia in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. His vision and his passing are his best abilities. His 74% pass completion rate may seem low but Tonali is known to take risks and pass it forward instead of playing it safe sideways and backwards. He averages 2.1 key passes per 90 which means he is not afraid to take risks and pass it forward. He is also a very sound dribbler with him averaging 1.4 dribbles per 90. In the defensive phase, he shined in a Brescia team who had one of the worst defences in the league last season. He averaged 1.2 tackles and 4.8 successful pressures per 90 last season which showcases his sound defensive abilities. His numbers will only improve at Milan with him playing with considerably better players. At the price Milan can sign Sandro Tonali, it already looks like a real bargain. 

Honourable Mentions

Sergino Dest (From AFC Ajax to FC Barcelona)

Ferran Torres(From Valencia CF to Manchester City)

Mason Greenwood : United’s Diamond In The Rough

by | Oct 4, 2020

 In Football, whenever an exciting young talent bursts onto the scene and starts performing well beyond something that is expected of their age, a lot of headlines are made. Everyone’s talking about that player and how he has bags of potential and how his game will improve over the years and how his peak years are yet to come, etc. Wayne Rooney, when he first ‘burst onto the scene’ is probably the best example of this. In more recent years, Kylian Mbappe, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Ousmane Dembele have all made their mark on the big stage. This season was no different with us being introduced to diamonds like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Eduardo Camavinga and of course, Mason Greenwood. 

In this piece, we’ll talk about Mason Greenwood’s abilities and what makes him so special. 

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

What does it mean to be a wonderkid?

But firstly, when someone says this player is a wonderkid or has “bags of potential”, what do they mean by that? Well, to understand, we can talk about the example of one of the greatest players to have ever played – Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo first “burst onto the scene” playing for Sporting Lisbon in a friendly against Manchester United and he left everyone on the away bench in awe. “Boss, he’s some player, that guy” were the words Ferguson kept hearing from the bench as Ronaldo showcased his skills and continued giving John O’Shea a torrid time at right back. Sir Alex Ferguson decided in the half time that they’re not leaving Lisbon until they’ve signed Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest, as they say, is history.

Although, the then coach Rene Muelensteen tells an interesting story of how Cristiano Ronaldo went from a tricky teenager to an absolute goal machine. 

“With Mick [Phelan] and Carlos we set about the process of making him aware about his position and making him understand what to do in different positions. We did a lot of work on finishing from different angles. I had a format where I divided the penalty area into zones and you think about what to do in each of the different zones – lace kick, chip, inside foot, one touch or two, do you move into a different zone and so on. Then you break down the key elements of what makes a good finish. So now he’s aware of position, the type of ball coming in, how he’s going to receive it and the type of finish”

Ronaldo had given himself a target of 23 goals that season, Mulensteen upped it to 40. He ended up scoring 42. Ronaldo went from a flashy, tricky youngster to a matured, prolific goalscorer by training and changing different aspects of his game. 

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that Ronaldo was a bit too flashy for his liking when he came in. He always wanted to go for the spectacular like a mesmerizing piece of skill to beat his defender or a 25 yard top corner goal. Ferguson and Muelensteen worked hard to get the prolific side out of Ronaldo and improve his game for the better. 

This is what people usually mean when they say “bags of potential”. A player can be technically gifted in some aspects at 18 years old where most players cannot reach the same level in their whole careers. What matters is that with good coaching and hardwork, the player is able to use those abilities to his best ability and consistently over the course of his whole career. 

What makes Greenwood a wonderkid? 

Now, let’s have a look at the season that Mason Greenwood has had. 

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

While the Englishman played a few matches towards the end of the 18/19 season, the 19/20 season should be labelled as his ‘breakthrough season’. Greenwood scored 17 goals across all competitions last season, 10 of them being in the Premier League. The 18 year old’s 17 goals last season are the most any teenager has ever scored for Manchester United in a single season, tied with George Best (1965/66), Brian Kidd (1967/68) and Wayne Rooney (2004/05). Not a bad company to be in. 

Those who have followed Greenwood ever since his u18s days would hardly be surprised at the numbers he has produced at senior football level. The Englishman scored 31 goals in 30 games at the u18s level and added a further 9 assists to his tally, playing at that level when only 15 years old. His consistently good performances and staggering numbers meant it was only a matter of when and not if he was going to shine at the senior level. 

Style of play wise, you cannot find many weaknesses in Greenwood’s game. His dribbling is good, his passing is top notch, he is blessed with lots of pace and also good strength but his ultimate strength is his finishing. Greenwood has outperformed his xG number by 6.3, only Arsenal ace Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has bettered him in that aspect. Mason Greenwood has an xG of 3.7 which means that looking at the shots he has taken and the position in which he is taking those shots offer a low probability of those shots actually nestling into the back of the goal. Yet, the Englishman has managed to find the back of the net. 

In this image, you could see Greenwood being surrounded by Brighton players and the keeper Matt Ryan also having good positioning to stop any shot that may come in from that side of the pitch. Depending on Greenwood’s position and the position of the defenders surrounding him, this particular situation would warrant a very less xG. Yet, Greenwood takes a shot, nutmegging the defender and scoring into the bottom right corner.

Again, in this situation, statistically, the xG would come quite low as he is surrounded by Everton defenders and is outside the box. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has also got his positioning spot on. Greenwood, expertly finds a gap between the defenders and beats Jordan Pickford to slot it home into the bottom right corner, which is kind of becoming a trademark finish for the young sensation. 

His two-footedness also gives him an unique advantage in 1v1 situations against the defenders. He has completed 68% of his dribbles in the Premier League indicates that he is good with the ball at his feet and he is good at taking on defenders. He can either go onto his left foot or his right which makes it very hard for a defender to predict where he is going to go in a 1v1 situation. 

Greenwood, one could say, comes under the ‘technically gifted’ category. His passing is good, his dribbling is good, he can beat a defender and most importantly, he can finish brilliantly well. So, where does he go from here? How would he improve and really take his game to the next level?

What does the future hold for Greenwood?  

Overshooting his xG is only one side of the coin which shows he has exceptional finishing. The other being, he isn’t getting enough chances in order to score more goals which points to a little weakness he still has in his game – his movement. 

Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe are some of the best goal scorers in Europe currently but along with their goal scoring, these guys also have something in common – the amount of goals they miss. Salah amassed a record breaking 32 goals in the 2017/18 Premier League season but was also leading the charts for the most clear cut chances missed. Mbappe won the golden boot in the Ligue 1 last season and Lewandowski was arguably the best striker in Europe last season, but they both missed the most clear cut chances in Europe last season. 

These stats show that all the top strikers in the world get a lot of chances to score which can indicate the world class off the ball movement that they have. Due to having such good movement, Lewandowski, Mbappe and Salah are able to get into better positions and create a lot of chances for themselves by popping up in these goal scoring situations. Greenwood’s high exceeding of xG proves that he lacks in this regard. 

Arsene Wenger, widely regarded as the professor of football, once said that developing a young player is like building a house. You start with the technical abilities when the player is 14 years old. Then comes the physical aspect of a player till he’s around 17 years old. Then comes the tactical aspect when he’s around 18 or 19 years old. Greenwood is now 19 years old and there is still a lot of time for him to improve this aspect of his game. 

For large parts, Greenwood’s transition into the first team has been absolutely exceptional and it’s a testament to how well Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed it. Greenwood didn’t play much in the league during the first part of the season even though Manchester United were struggling with a lot of injuries. Most of his appearances came either from the bench in the Premier League or in the cup competitions. As the season went on, Greenwood started to get more and more minutes in the Premier League and since the restart last season, he’s been the first choice Right sided forward. 

(Photo by PETER POWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

This allowed Solskjaer to keep the Englishman away from the pressure to succeed and let him freely express himself whenever he’s on the field. As soon as Greenwood looked confident on the ball in the Premier League or playing with the first team, he’s been the manager’s go to choice for the Right Winger spot. The youngster repaid his manager’s faith by putting in stellar performances in the league since the restart last season which also earned him his first England call up. 

There is a general consensus building around that if Mason Greenwood gets one chance to score a goal, he’ll bury it. But the downside is that he probably gets only one clear cut chance per match. But, now is the time when we can potentially see his game go to the next level as he slowly, but surely learns the tactical aspects of the game.  Having said that, 17 goals in his debut full season is extremely good. All in all it’s safe to say that Mason Greenwood is just getting started. 

Marcus Rashford and Half-spaces

by | Aug 17, 2020

When Manchester United welcomed the Danish side FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford in 2016 for their second leg tie in the Europa League Round of 32, the then United manager, Louis van Gaal was down to bare bones in the attack department. Injuries to senior attacking players such as Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young meant the only striker fit enough to start was Anthony Martial. 18 year-old Marcus Rashford occupied a place on the bench, but an injury to Anthony Martial in the warmup meant that Marcus Rashford would make his full first team debut. The Englishman scored twice on his debut en route to a 5-1 win for Manchester United. Rashford also scored twice in his first full Premier League debut 3 days later against Arsenal and hasn’t looked back ever since. 

Marcus Rashford, when he first came into the side, was what could be regarded as an explosive striker. Running and going past defences with his blistering pace and dribbling, the 18 year-old was direct and took no prisoners. Rashford scored 7 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions in that breakthrough season, cementing his place in the first team for Manchester United that won the FA cup.

Then came Jose Mourinho and the Portugese never saw Rashford as his main no.9 and the signings of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in consecutive seasons only backed Mourinho’s claim. In the 2016/17 season, in a fully fit squad, Rashford usually played on the left although he did play as a striker whenever the main striker was injured. As time went by, it became largely evident that Marcus Rashford’s best position was playing on the left and not through the middle. 

Even though Mourinho found the position in which Rashford has since excelled, the Portugese was very shrewd in giving him minutes on the pitch. Rashford made more appearances from the bench rather than from the get-go. In the 2017/18 season, Rashford made 35 appearances in the Premier League but 18 of them were from the bench. He played only 1792 minutes in the whole campaign. Alexis Sanchez’s arrival in January 2018 resulted in Rashford dropping down the pecking order. 

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Marcus Rashford has truly begun to excel. Playing mainly from the left this season, the 22 year old has scored 17 goals in the Premier League, already his best ever goal scoring return and 10 more than compared to when he played on the left under Mourinho in the 2017/18 season. Not limited to goalscoring output, his xG per 90 has improved as well from 0.28 to 0.57. 

Both managers played him on the left wing, and both primarily preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation. So what has changed? How has his goal output improved so much in the same position?

Of course, one could argue that it’s nothing but a case of a young player maturing, and for some part, it is. But, Solskjaer has made a small tactical tweak to Rashford’s positioning in the build-up and link-up play which has made the majority of the difference. That being, Rashford being deployed into half-spaces instead of playing out wide on the left. That has made a difference in 3 aspects of his game.

1.Proximity to goal

Firstly, he is closer to the goal and the main striker, Anthony Martial. Under Mourinho, the closest player to the main striker was usually the attacking midfielder, more often than not, Jesse Lingard. Mourinho deployed Lingard to act as a secondary striker, linking up with Lukaku and finding spaces in and around the box. Solskjaer shifted the onus of the no.10 from scoring goals to more of a playmaking role. By shifting Rashford in the half-spaces, Ole has allowed him to act as a secondary striker. These are Marcus Rashford’s heatmaps for the 17/18 and the 19/20 season.

As it is evident to see, Rashford is occupying the Left sided half spaces a lot more as compared to 17/18 where he’s mostly occupying the wider areas. Being in these areas has allowed him to be closer to goal and Martial and his link-up with the Frenchman has been the cornerstone of many of the attacks that Manchester United have structured this season. 

Here, Martial occupies the striker position, Rashford tucks into the half-space to be closer to Martial. This enables Luke Shaw to get into the space left by Rashford and become an enticing passing option for Lindelof (on the ball) for a crossfield pass. 

Instead, Lindelof passes it to Mata on the right wing, who cuts in and crosses to Rashford, still occupying the half space. Rashford completes his far post run and scores past Tim Krul in the goal. 

Switch to another move, where Rashford occupying the half space and being close to Martial, helps the no.10 (Pereira in this case) drop deeper to get the ball and release the runners. In this case, Wan Bissaka receives the ball from Pereira, who makes a great forward run and crosses for Rashford who continues his same run in the left hand side half-space and scores. 

2.Positional interchange with striker

Secondly, Rashford operating the half space has allowed him to constantly interchange positions with Martial and the understanding between the duo has been one of the key reasons for both playing well this season. Their link-up was clear to see in the 3rd goal that Manchester United scored at Carrow road this season.   

3.Pressing centrally

Lastly, Rashford’s pressing awareness has improved a lot this season as well. He mainly presses in the half spaces, attempting to cut off the right sided centre back’s supply to the right back and the defensive mid. This forces the centre back to pass it back to his keeper or his defence partner. Even if the ball gets to the fullback or to the defensive mid, Rashford is quick to change direction and press depending on where the ball is played.

In this situation, Rashford presses Schar who looks to pass in the middle. He misplaces his pass which ends up to Greenwood, who darts ahead and scores a sensational goal. 

Jose Mourinho’s tactics didn’t allow Rashford to express himself. The Portugese has always associated himself with having a strong no.9 – A focal point whose hold up play, physical strength and ability to play in runners are the best traits. Rashford was never that player – far from it as he isn’t even a proper no.9. 

Another aspect which has had an effect on Rashford excelling is Solskjaer’s counter attacking set up. Under Mourinho, the two players exempted from tracking back and staying forward for counter attacks were the striker and the attacking midfielder, more often than not, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard. Solskjaer’s set up while not having the ball is quite the opposite. He insists on the attacking midfielder dropping deeper and helping the midfield while the front 3, most recently Martial, Rashford and Greenwood stay forward for United to counter attack with blistering pace. 

It is no surprise that Jesse Lingard had his best season under Mourinho where the attacking midfielder had the role of a secondary striker and has struggled under Solskjaer due to the attacking midfielder having more playmaking duties. Similarly, Rashford has thrived in a system where he has been used as a secondary striker and been allowed to express himself more. 

Goal (Green)

Shot on post (yellow)

Saved shot (blue)

Blocked shot (purple)

Missed shot (red)

These are the shot maps of Marcus Rashford from the 17/18 season and the 19/20 season. It is clear to see that Rashford has matured a lot and is playing with real swagger and tenacity. 


Now, just allowing Marcus Rashford to operate in the half spaces isn’t the only reason for the improvement that the 22 year old has shown this season. Statistics show that Rashford is outperforming himself in almost every aspect of his game including passing, dribbling, shooting and pressing. This shows a real maturity in his game and how well Rashford is developing into becoming a complete player. This only bodes well for Manchester United going forward as the Englishman is going to be key for the rebuild that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the club have planned.

All in all, it is fair to say that Marcus Rashford has come a long way since his debut in 2016 and he is constantly improving at each stage of his career. The 22 year-old still has a long way to go, but his work ethic and the way he has adapted to tactics over the years only suggest that the Englishman is well on his way to becoming a truly world-class player. 

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