Manchester United Scouting Reports: Arturo Vidal - The Summer 2014 Edition

Will he or will he not? As the transfer merry-go-round keeps on spinning around, Manchester United fans have had to deal with constant, incessant rumors about the status of a certain Arturo Vidal. Many strongly believe that he is the number one answer to the persistent issues for United in the middle of the park, but Louis van Gaal is rumored to be unsettled by the condition of the Chilean's knee. If he were to be signed, he could very likely take Juan Mata's place as Manchester United's record signing, so the question has to be asked: Will he be worth it?

Performance and Comparison:

For the most part, Vidal is simply a class above United's current midfield options. He started in 28 Serie A matches, with a further four coming as a substitute. Through his 32 total appearances, he scored 11 goals and assisted a further 5. Manchester United's midfield options from last season - consisting of Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, and Marouane Fellaini - scored a combined 2 goals in a combined 79 appearances, assisting a total of 1 more. Adding Ander Herrera to the mix makes the United midfield a bit nicer, bringing the total to 7 goals and 6 assists from a combined 112 appearances. This statistic could be considered a bit misleading as if Ander were in the team, the others' appearances would have declined a bit, so if we assume Fletcher did not play any matches last season and Cleverley played precisely half as many as he did in the league, then the total becomes 7 goals and 6 assists from 89 appearances. And so comes the most immediate and obvious bonus of signing Vidal: creativity coming from the midfield, something that has been missing for a fair while from the United midfield.

It is in defense, however, where Vidal truly shines and rises above the current Manchester United midfield. He put in an astounding 4.1 tackles per game, with a further 1.2 interceptions per game in the season gone by, winning the ball back a total of 5.3 times per game. The most proficient tackler from United last season was Marouane Fellaini, who put in 2.8 tackles per game. Ander Herrera put in 3.1 tackles per game at Bilbao, with 1 interception per game as well. Michael Carrick did win the ball more times than Vidal via interceptions by having 2.8 per game through his 29 league appearances last season. But brings something that United's midfield has lacked for a fair while: a dominant, physical, robust presence who can stamp his authority onto a match. He gets down and dirty, forcing the opposition to turn over the ball and will provide an extra barrier for the slightly vulnerable 3-4-1-2 system. This robustness comes with a cost, however. Vidal committed 2.3 fouls per league game in the past season, much more than any of United's midfielders. This tendency to give away fouls might come to bite United in the rear as they may be given in dangerous positions. But, one must remember that the Premier League is more physical than most other leagues so that fouling number may come down a bit. And also, a few rough challenges here and there will very likely strike a bit of fear into the opposition, like a certain Roy Keane used to.

Offensively, Vidal shines out once again. He took 1.8 shots per game in the past season, surpassed only by Ander Herrera who took 2.1 shots per game. Vidal did score more goals from the shots that he took, thus making him a more efficient scorer. Both of their numbers are higher than the closest from United's midfield last season: Marouane Fellaini, who took 1.6 shots per game with precisely zero goals coming from his efforts. Thanks to his endless energy which allows him to bombard up and down the pitch throughout the 90 minutes, Vidal also provided 1.5 key passes per game, more than any of United's midfield and only 0.1 behind Ander. Interestingly, while Vidal does bomb up and down the pitch nonstop, he does not dribble significantly more than the United midfield, having only 0.4 dribbles per game. The difference he makes is in his positioning and presence. Where United's midfield was static and immobile last season, Vidal and Pogba provided the Juventus midfield with dynamism and energy. He may not take the ball and just run, like Herrera did with Bilbao last season, but he will get forward and provide an option for his teammates, while also coming back quickly in the case of a potential counter attack from the opposition.

As previously touched upon, Vidal is an able passer. He did create a plethora of opportunities for his teammates but he also was a stable passing outlet. Vidal averaged 45.9 passes per game in the league with a completion rate of 83.7%. The completion is not as high as Carrick or even Cleverley for that matter, but he does drive deep into the opposition half in search of an opportunity that he can create for his teammates. In addition to being able to just pass the ball around, Vidal can spread the play out, completing 3.7 long balls per game, which, while not beating the United midfield, is still a strong number. This ability to push the ball out wide for another option is important, especially in United's new system where the wingbacks provide most of the width in the team. The system that Louis van Gaal is setting up at United is a very dynamic, pass and move system, and that is precisely what Vidal does. He wins the ball, makes a short pass, moves forward into space, and keeps the team moving forwards. He does give the ball away a bit, with 1.4 dispossessions and 1.3 turnovers per game, but he makes up for it by his sheer ability to get stuck in and win possession back for his team.

In-Game Performances:

To best understand how Vidal plays and to put his statistics into perspective, one must look at his various performances on their own. The two matches selected for this analysis are on two very different ends of the spectrum. One was a dominating performance by Juventus against Roma in a 3-0 win, thereby ending the latter club's undefeated run in the league. The other was one of Juventus' two losses in the season gone by (they finished with 102 points) where the team lost against Napoli 2-0. First up, though, is the match against Roma.

Juventus 3 - 0 Roma:

 Do you see all the little green "X" marks all over the pitch? Those are Vidal's successful tackles. Remember, this was a Roma team which was unbeaten in the Serie A until that point of the season. Their midfield was nothing light, consisting of Daniele de Rossi, Miralem Pjanic, and reporting United target Kevin Strootman. It is nothing too light, with de Rossi and Strootman both notable for being strong players who are able to dominate games. However, once they came up against Juventus, Vidal just took the game by the scruff of the neck and put in one of the most commanding midfield performances from last season's Serie A. Everything that makes Vidal great is encapsulated here, with him making a grand total of 8 successful tackles with 5 more going awry. That's right. Eight tackles. Oh, and he also had two interceptions, just for good measure, winning the ball back a total of 10 times for his team. He did not play too many passes but the majority of them were somewhat forward-thinking and positive. Another point to note is where he was drawing fouls from the opposition. Vidal was clearly providing a major threat, picking up fouls near the opposition's 18 yard box. This match encapsulates Vidal's abilities in providing cover to his defenders while also being able to push on forward and create an extra threat to the opposition, creating both a shot on goal and scoring a goal himself.

Juventus 0 - 2 Napoli:

On the other end of the spectrum is a performance which by Vidal's standards is fairly average. He completed a smattering of short passes to his teammates, clearly looking for an option, while also pushing on forwards and creating chances by spreading the ball out to the right-hand side, fitting in nicely with Manchester United's tradition of playing down the wings. Vidal completed "only" three tackles in this match - a number which is still well above the tackling statistics of any of United's midfielders. The tackles that he did win were also in the opposition half, indicating that he could very well be able to play a high-press style if Louis van Gall were to wish it so. Added to this, though Juventus went on to lose this match, Vidal was always looking forward and attacking the opposition half. Look at where he was winning aerial duels and starting his passes. Look at where he was committing fouls and completing tackles. Even though his team lost, he was clearly always pushing forwards and trying to make something happen, a never-say-die attitude which has been a hallmark of Manchester United for many, many years.

In the video above, take note of Vidal's constant movement in all of Juventus' attacks, getting forwards and making himself and option for his teammates, in case they need an extra option to pass the ball onto. Also note his extremely high workrate in getting back and closing the ball down, something that has been missing from the United midfield for a little while.

Conclusion:

If bought, Arturo Vidal will bring a very physical, strong, and aggressive presence to the United midfield. He will constantly hound the opposition, harassing them into making various mistakes and forcing them to lose possession of the ball. He will provide an extra membrane to cover the defense which proved to be a little bit vulnerable throughout the preseason tour. Most importantly though, he will inject energy to a Manchester United team that looked very lethargic and uninspired for many parts of the season gone by. A fair chunk of that was due to the manager, but the personnel was also partially responsible. Darren Fletcher, while substantially increasing in fitness, will likely be unable to play multiple times a week, especially as he is getting a bit old. Michael Carrick is getting on in age while Anderson and Marouane Fellaini have question marks over their futures. Tom Cleverley is extremely lacking in confidence, especially from the negative attention he received in the past season. Ander Herrera is a solid acquisition who could become integral to the Spanish midfield in the years to come, but he cannot do it all on his own. Vidal is the figure that Manchester United needs, the one that will make an immediate impact and assert his presence and remind the world that this is the biggest club in the world. Ed Woodward has repeatedly stated that United's budget is limitless. Well, it is time to prove to the world that it most definitely is.

Likelihood: 6/10
Impact: 10/10

All statistics via whoscored.com and all graphics via FourFourTwo

Manchester United Scouting Reports: Jordy Clasie

One long year ago, the greatest manager hung up his hairdryer for the second and final time. It was the end of a season of hope, and the start of a season of belief and looking forward to the future. David Moyes was "The Chosen One," as was proudly proclaimed on the Stetford End. A tumultuous year later, after a season of more ups and downs than the Himalayas, a man jokingly referred to as "The Lederhosen One" is coming to take over. Indeed, Louis van Gaal has now stamped his authority over the club after the end of the World Cup in Brazil, replacing David Moyes and the interim manager Ryan Giggs. Nevertheless, this summer was always going to be one of change in the squad, and the one area that has the biggest need of repairs is none other than the midfield. With a Dutch manager and a bit of a Dutch presence in the squad, where else to look but the Netherlands themselves? First up, though, is the name on the lips of quite a few people as of late, Jordy Clasie, the 22 year old Dutch midfielder who currently plies his trade with Feyenoord, the former club of a certain Robin van Persie.

Performance and Comparison

In the past season, Clasie was a pertinent and integral figure in the Feyenoord lineup as he helped the team to finish second in the Eredivisie, thereby giving the team an opportunity to play in the coming season's Champions League. He started 32 matches in the season gone by, out of a possible 34, while also having 1 goal and 7 assists to his name throughout that period. For comparison, Manchester United's midfield - consisting of Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, and Marouane Fellaini - were part of an astounding and mind boggling 3 goals throughout the whole of last season, having 2 goals and 1 assist among them. In their defense, the person with the most appearances was Michael Carrick who started 26 matches and was substituted on in 3 more while Clasie started 32 matches in total. Tom Cleverley only started 18 matches with 4 substitute appearances, Darren Fletcher had 9 starts and 3 substitute appearances, and Marouane Fellaini who only started 12 league matches and was substituted in 4 more. Returning to Clasie, he made 57.3 passes per game in the past season, completing 84.6% of his passes, while also having 1.2 key passes per game. The only United player who was similar in terms of creating chances was Carrick, who had 1 key pass per game while also completing 70.7 passes with an accuracy of 88.6%. In addition, Clasie is also skilled at pulling the ball from side to side as he completes 4 long passes per game on average, but this does not particularly stand out, especially when compared to United's midfield as Tom Cleverley completes 3.8 per game, Darren Fletcher does 4.6 per game, and Michael Carrick does 6 per game. The biggest advantage to take from his passing is that while Clasie can hold onto the ball reasonably well, he is also able to provide an incisive threat to the opposition - something that Manchester United's midfielders have consistently failed to do over the season gone by.

Defensively, Clasie works like a bulldog in the midfield, constantly running and providing cover to the team's back line. He is not at all afraid to get stuck in and make challenges left and right as he won 3.2 tackles per game in the past season, more than any of United's midfielders - a fact made more impressive since he played more matches than any of the players from Manchester United's midfield.  The only one who came close was Marouane Fellaini with 2.8 tackles per game but that was offset by him giving away 2.1 fouls per game, unlike Clasie who gave away 1.3 fouls per game. This tendency to give away fouls is somewhat troubling, but his ability to win tackles makes up for this. Furthermore, Clasie makes 1.9 interceptions per game, which is joint-second highest when compared to United's midfield, as he is level with Fellaini. The only person who makes more interceptions is Michael Carrick who made 2.8 interceptions per game. 

Offensively, Clasie provides a decent outlet. As already stated, he provides 1.2 key passes per game, higher than any of Manchester United's current midfielders. In addition to this, he also takes 1.1 shots per game, second highest out of the current midfield options, beaten out only by Fellaini. But unlike Fellaini, Clasie actually has scored a goal and creates chances for his other teammates. Where Clasie makes 1.2 key passes per game, Fellaini makes 0.3. Clasie also is somewhat mobile, completing 0.5 dribbles per game, more than any of United's players except Marouane Fellani who made 0.6 dribbles per game in the league. However, Clasie was dispossessed 0.7 times per game, unlike Fellaini who was dispossessed 1.4 times per game. Not only does Clasie dribble more than any of United's midfielders, with the able to take the game and move it forward on his own. Cleverley is dispossessed 0.9 times per game while only having 0.2 dribbles per game. The one worry about Clasie is that he turns the ball over fairly often, giving away 0.9 passes per game, but this is somewhat vindicated by the fact that he is able to provide a consistent creative outlet, making chances for his teammates and taking risks, unlike the midfielders currently present at Manchester United.

In Game Performances:

To best understand Jordy Clasie may fit into Louis van Gaal's system, why not look into his 2 appearances in the FIFA World Cup, against Argentina and Brazil, where he actually played a role under the new Mancehster United manager? First, let's look at his performance against Argentina, where he came on as a substitute in the 62' minute.

Netherlands 0 - 0 Argentina:

What is interesting to note from the above graphic is how consistently Clasie was able to find an outlet to pass into in what was generally a very conservative match with both teams essentially grinding each other down for the better part of 120 minutes. A large majority of his passes were completed, with the major losses being when he tried to thread through his teammates either with a through ball or a long ball. With Javier Mascherano dominating the midfield as he did that day, it is unsurprising that they were lapped up by the Argentinians. Another thing to note is how he frequently spread the ball out side to side. This hints not only at what Clasie does but also what van Gaal might be up to with Manchester United. It might represent an evolution of Manchester United's traditional wingplay, with an emphasis on the wingbacks in van Gaal's oft-mentioned 3-4-1-2 system. This passing map also represents a slight worry as it might suggest that Clasie is not able to make the next step up to the level needed in Manchester United. A frequent accusation levelled at him is that he is essentially a Dutch Cleverley and this map only helps to provide support to that statement. Nearly all of his passes went sideways, and while that may be good for recycling the ball, there needs to be more positive passing. An equally important counterpoint is to note where his passes came from. Looking at that, one would notice that he is able to get both up and down the pitch and make positive movements. He represents the basic tenet of football: pass and move. That is precisely what he is doing here. He is able to make the passes consistently but he is also moving forward and adding numbers to threaten the opposition, something which the United midfielders consistently failed to do last season, with the team simply being too static in possession.

Netherlands 3 - 0 Brazil:

In this particular match, a different Clasie is on display. In the Argentina match he put on a display as a possession oriented man, able to recycle the ball endlessly and move forwards at the same time. Against Brazil, he worked as a midfield destroyer, helping to shut down the likes of Oscar - a player who, along with Cesc Fabregas, will very likely be Chelsea's main attacking outlet through the middle, providing through balls to Diego Costa - and Paulinho, a player who will likely pay a crucial role for Tottenham in the upcoming season. Not to mention, Fernandinho, an important piece in the Manchester City squad, was also shut down by Clasie after he came on in the 45th minute. As one can see above, Clasie completed 4 tackles and 4 interceptions, winning the ball back an astounding 8 times. Furthermore, he aided the defense with 3 completed clearances. Here, Clasie also realized that he might not be simply able to cut straight through the Brazilian midfield so he compensated by moving out towards the wings, just a little bit, thereby giving him some extra space and time to pick out his passes. Two major concerns come out from the above graphic. The first one is how little Clasie saw the ball throughout the 90 minutes that he played, but he can only pass as often as he receives the ball. He certainly put his stamp on the game in a defensive sense, but for the ideal game it would have been better if he was just able to dictate the flow of the match a little better. The other worry is that, while he most definitely was more positive in his play in this match, he still went sideways just a little too often, not aiding the image of him being the Dutch Cleverley.

Conclusion:

Overall, Clasie is a rather classy player. He is able to both create chances for his teammates and able to hold onto possession and recycle the ball constantly. When asked to, he can also provide a dominating defensive performance to shut down the opposition midfield. He is consistently better than Manchester United's midfielders on a variety of different metrics. In the little playing time he was able to scrounge up in the World Cup, he provided two very different performances in two very different styles. Against Argentina, he provided a consistent passing outlet for his teammates, while also constantly moving forwards, bringing positivity to the match. However, against Brazil, he put in a defensive shift, absolutely dominating Brazil's midfielders, constantly just stealing the ball from them. The worry from both his matches is the fact that he was consistently passing the ball sideways, just like a certain Tom Cleverley. Another worry that stemmed from the Brazil match was that he was unable to truly control the pace of the proceedings. He will, almost certainly, provide a bullish and strong presence in the United midfield, and he can grow into a truly great central midfielder, with the ability to both control the pace of the game and provide quality defensive cover to the team. He could become the Tom Cleverley that might have come out if he was never injured when playing against Bolton 3 long years ago.

Likelihood: 5/10
Impact: 8.5/10

All statistics via WhoScored and all graphics via FourFourTwo 

Manchester United Scouting Reports: Luke Shaw

"Any players that we've quietly discussed with are more than happy to join Manchester United." As the season winds down, people from all over will look back at it and attempt to dissect it, understand what happened. At Manchester United, the general consensus, belief, and understanding is that this coming summer will be one of an overhaul; a new face to the team which is still in the shadow of the greatest manager of all time. David Moyes will most certainly be looking to place his stamp on the team, make it in his vision and make them get back on top of the pile. One major position that will be looked into is left-back, as Patrice Evra seems certain to either be shipped out or reduced in his role, while Alexander Buttner may just prove to be a useful squad player. Nevertheless, a new person on the left side of the defense will definitely be needed, and as rumors have it, United are looking at none other than the talented Southampton left-back Luke Shaw.

Performance and Comparison

Luke Shaw has been critical to the Southampton team. Not only is he able to defend effectively, he is equally able to bombard up the sideline and deliver lethal crosses. He is much like Leighton Baines, except significantly younger and with plenty of room to grow. He has consistently featured in the starting eleven during Southampton's league campaign, beginning a match 31 times this season, out 34 possible matches, underlining his importance to the team. Throughout this period of time, he has put in 2 tackles per match, and intercepted the ball, on average, 1.1 times per match throughout this current league campaign, totaling to winning the ball 3.1 times per match for the team. This highlights a tenacity and willingness to work hard for his team and win the ball for the greater good. While putting in a fair number of tackles, he only commits 0.7 fouls per match, shining light on his ability to win the ball cleanly, without putting his team in danger. Patrice Evra features somewhat similar statistics, putting in 2.4 tackles per match and 1.6 interceptions per match on average throughout his 30 league appearances this season, totaling to winning the ball 4 times per match on average. This number is obviously higher than Shaw's but the difference is in the fact that Evra concedes 1.1 fouls per match. Subtracting this number from the total amount of times they have respectively won the ball gives a fuller picture of each player's respective contribution to defense. While Shaw "truly" wins the ball back 2.4 times per match, Evra "truly" wins the ball back 2.9 times per match, a gap that is significantly smaller than what it was before. What United would be gaining, then, is a player who, while not making too many tackles, makes sure to win the ball instead of giving away a set piece. 

One major gap between Evra and Shaw is the number of clearances they make per match. While Evra makes 5.5 clearances on average in a single match, Shaw makes 3.7. This could suggest several things. One could be that Evra is more effective is covering any holes in the defensive line and is able to plug them for when his center backs are caught unaware. Another could be that Shaw, instead of booting the ball out, just passes it or dribbles it out of trouble, which could be dangerous as he could unintentionally end up making a mistake in the process. It most probably is a combination of the two, with Shaw needing to learn and to grow in order to be proactive and cover potential holes in the defensive line, and while obviously having skill in passing and dribbling, likely needs to, once again, learn and grow. This will come with experience, for one must remember that he is still only 18 years old, soon to be 19, thus making him younger than the highly touted Adnan Januzaj. Another key facet in a defender's arsenal is the ability to shut down the opposition attacker and prevent them from just whizzing past. Evra has been guilty of this, and it can easily be put down to age, considering he is 32 years old now, as he was dribbled past 0.9 times per match on average this season. In comparison, Luke Shaw was dribbled past 0.6 times per match on average in the league. It is basically a 1:2 ratio between Shaw and Evra in this category; for every 1 time Shaw is dribbled past, it will have happened twice to Evra. For Evra, this is more than likely due to the fact that as he has aged, he has been unable to cover his flank as effectively, tiring in having to sprint up and down the touchline multiple times in a single match. This will only worsen as time goes on and his legs go out. For Shaw, it hopefully should remain consistent or only increase slightly for about the next twelve-odd years.

On the opposite end of the pitch, Luke Shaw bears a striking resemblance to Patrice Evra. Shaw gives 0.9 key passes per match; Evra gives 1.1. Shaw sends in 0.7 successful crosses per match; Evra puts in 0.9. Two key factors which differentiate the two are the dribbles per match statistic and the crossing success percentage. Shaw has been a majorly better dribbler than Evra this season, putting in 1.5 successful dribbles per match over his 31 starts for the Saints this season. In his 30 matches for United, however, Evra has put in 0.7 successful dribbles per match, under half of what Shaw does. This once again highlights the issues with Evra's aging legs while also underscoring Shaw's ability in the final third. Not only does he put in relatively the same number of key passes as Evra does in a match, he can provide another threat by putting in runs to help pull defenders out of position. Shaw can create chances for both his teammates and himself by putting in driving runs. This also suggests an ability to help lead a counterattack by dinking past defenders and setting up his fellow players, fitting perfectly in the traditional Manchester United setup of blitz-like assaults on the opposition goal. Regarding the crossing success percentage, Shaw has some work to do. While Evra succeeds with 22% of the crosses he attempts, a decent percentage for the ideal number would be 25%, Shaw completes 18% of the crosses he puts into the box. If he were to come to United, Shaw would need to most certainly improve his consistency in his crossing, reaching the level that Evra is at or even higher, which should hopefully come with age and experience.

In-Game Performances:

To properly grasp the playstyle of Luke Shaw, we shall look at three of his recent matches, against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham, all of which Southampton lost, 4-1, 3-0, and 3-2 respectively. Why these three matches then? It is the best manner in which to see how Shaw will be able to perform for United against top teams, with all of the above qualifying in this requirement, as well as how he is able to perform while the rest of the team performs poorly. Does he whither away or continue to play consistently no matter how his teammates are performing? It is said that in times of adversity one's true character comes out, and there is no better manner to determine this than looking at these three matches.

Southampton 0 - 3 Liverpool:

 In this heatmap, several of Shaw's abilities are able to stand out. Most notably, it is his tendency and ability to bombard up and down the left flank, creating havoc for the opposition's right side. Note how his biggest action area was actually inside Liverpool's half, again highlighting his skill in pushing forward from his left back role and attack the opposition. It is not as though he scrimped on his defensive duties either, for another major action area is right near the corner of his box. Theoretically, with this ability to get up and down the wing so much and put such a stamp on the game while still being beaten down by the opposition, Shaw could prove to be integral to Moyes' plans in the future. It will enable to team to play a high-pressing game, as highlighted by him pressing so high up in the Liverpool half during this match.

The above action map for Luke Shaw from the same match again serves to emphasize the same skills. Here, one can actually see the chances he was able to create for his teammates, with three in total, all of which being crosses into good areas. Putting Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie at the end of such balls will only serve to help him rack up assists. It can also be implied that he likes to do a fair number of one-twos with a nearby player, as is again suggested by the number of short passes cutting diagonally infield. Pairing him up with Shinji Kagawa down the left will only prove to be a deadly combination, for with his energy and commitment, he can allow Shinji to drift inside more freely, without such an emphasis on being forced to aid while defending. It is easy to forget the fact that Shaw is supposed to be a left-back but his abilities in defending are on show here as well. He put in crucial tackles and critical interceptions in key areas, thus helping his team from having to be on the end of a bigger walloping at the hands of Liverpool.

Tottenham 3 - 2 Southampton:

 This performance stands out in sharp contrast to the one that he was able to put in against Liverpool. While in the previous match he was able to get forward more easily, a more defensive Luke Shaw is visible here, with his traits as a left-back shining through, despite it being another loss for the Saints. With the emphasis on his position of play being primarily near his own box, one can see how disciplined and controlled Shaw can be while defending. In the graphic below, one can easily witness his defensive skills absolutely shining through. He put in key interceptions, tackles and clearances, certainly saving the skin of his team on more than one occasion. This skill in being able to put in mature performances despite his usually hyperactive attacking style of play will only improve as time goes on. Think of the Bayern Munich matches, and how Bayern was only ever truly able to capitalize after the defense became a bit complacent. A controlled presence is needed to help calm things down, as unfortunately did not happen in that match. Shaw, going off of this performance and his youthful age, can most certainly provide a level of control and maturity that other players may not be able to provide in years to come.

Manchester City 4 - 1 Southampton:

 And so, normal service is resumed from Luke Shaw. However, in a slight change, this performance is a bit of a combination of his Tottenham and Liverpool performances. Not only was he able to get up and down the left flank, laying off small passes to his midfielders and then consequently moving forwards, he was also able to defend effectively, as is shown in the graphic below. He put in critical tackles against Jesus Navas, notorious for his pace and trickery on the ball. Yet he did not compromise his attacking, creating one chance while also putting in three crosses to dangerous areas which were rather unfortunately left incomplete. Once again, he very clearly has attacking skills, and he certainly knows as to where he needs to put in the ball for maximum effect. Put alongside with the attacking variety that United's front four can provide, he could very easily be racking up the assists for Manchester United in the years to come.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, Shaw is still a very young player who has plenty of room to grow. Looking at the clear ability that he has displayed over the past couple of seasons, it is very likely that he could become one of the best in his position at left back. He possesses a skillset quite similar to that of Patrice Evra, and will only be looking to improve in the future, particularly considering the fact that he is still only 18 years of age (turning 19 over the summer). If signed, he could very easily be United's left back for well over a decade, joining David de Gea in near-certainties to be part of the backline for years to come. His contract does, however, run until 2018, so he would very likely cost quite a bit more than the £11.5 million figure suggested by transfermarkt.co.uk. He can not only defend, but also attack with equal ease, while having a very high-energy playstyle which is a requirement for the modern full-back as the athletes in football become nearer and nearer to prime human physical condition. He will allow David Moyes to utilize a high-energy pressing play, with the team countering with plenty of pace, best highlighted in the 5-0 demolishing of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League or the 4-1 victory on the first day of the season. Luke Shaw could come to be critical to David Moyes' tenure at United in both the near and distant future. Should he be able to live up to the fabled p-word, he will prove to be worth every penny of the touted £25 million, just like Rio Ferdinand proved to be in his decade of service to Manchester United.

 

Likelihood: 5/10
Impact: 9.5/10

Manchester United Scouting Reports: Christoph Kramer

To those that do not follow the Bundesliga, even then, to those that do not follow Borussia Monchengladbach, the name Christoph Kramer is more likely to produce a reaction along the lines of "Christoph who? Why should Manchester United, the Champions of England, even bother looking into such an unknown player? If you want somebody from Germany, GO SIGN GUNDOGAN!" Except there are a few potential roadblocks in signing Ilkay Gundogan: he has been injured for large portions of the season, Borussia Dortmund will be asking for an astronomical price for one of their star talents, especially with the loss of Mario Gotze, Shinji Kagawa, and probably Robert Lewandowski in the summer, and that other clubs with a larger financial capacity are seemingly interested in the player as well. Yes, Manchester United can challenge for the best players in the world, and Gundogan certainly fits that bill, but he will inevitably take time to recover from his injury and settle into the club. He has only played one match in the Bundesliga this season.

But this article is not supposed to be about Gundogan and whether or not he will be a viable option for being the savior to Manchester United's midfield; it is about a fairly under-the-radar German named Christoph Kramer, who has been integral to Monchengladbach rising up the table to fourth place, thereby challenging for a Champions League spot. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Max Kruse, and Raffael have also been equally integral to Monchengladbach's rise, but having someone to pull the strings in midfield is absolutely integral to all teams. Manchester United have had noticeable troubles with the absence of Michael Carrick, and even when he returns (along with the recently fit Darren Fletcher), reinforcements are necessary. Young, hungry, talented, and relatively cheap players would be preferred, and Kramer might be the man to aid United greatly.

Performance and Comparison:

Kramer has been absolutely essential to Monchengladbach's performances this season, and their rise to competing for a Champions League spot after a poor 2012/13 season. He, along with his midfield partner Granit Xhaka have kept the Monchengladbach engine room running thanks to their passing abilities along with their abilities at winning the ball back. Not only is he able to ensure that the ball is always moving, he can get the ball back fairly quickly. Here is an interesting comparison to United's current midfield options:

	Christoph Kramer	Tom Cleverley	Michael Carrick	Phil Jones
Passing Accuracy	90.30%	90.20%	86.90%	86.90%
Passes per Game	62.9	57.9	69.5	43
Key Passes	0.7	0.4	1.1	0.4
Long Balls per Game	3.5	4.4	5.9	2.2
Long Ball Percentage	86.76%	82.56%	76.24%	70.73%
Shots per Game	0.5	0.8	0.4	0.4
Dribbles per Game	2	0.3	0.2	0.5
Tackles per Game	3.4	2.1	2	2.5
Interceptions per Game	2.2	1.7	3.4	2.5
Turnovers per Game	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.3
Fouls per Game	1.4	0.8	0.7	1.2
Dispossessions per Game	1.4	0.9	0.9	0.7

Here is where Kramer starts to get interesting. He may not necessarily look like a much better option than what we currently have available to us. His pass completion is not much higher than that of Tom Cleverley's, and he does not complete that many more passes either. In addition, Kramer completes less long balls than both Cleverley and Carrick, despite having a very good completion rate when he does choose to attempt a long pass in the match. You could also make the argument that he is not very attacking, going purely off of the number of shots he makes and the fact that he is pretty much in between Cleverley and Carrick in the number of key passes he makes per game. But where he truly shines, standing out from United's midfield options is in his defensive abilities, winning the ball back more times per game than any of the aforementioned players. It is this ball-winning ability that will lighten the load on the defense greatly; having the ball stolen quicker, earlier, before it gets to the defense will allow United to build from the back. Adding to this key point is the fact that he completes substantially more dribbles per game than any United midfielder, highlighting his ability to push the ball forwards from the back when necessary. Instead of standing around, waiting for a pass, he can run forwards and bring himself into the game instead of drifting out as Cleverley does at times. It will inject life, energy, and basically get things moving in a team which, at times, becomes static, anemic, and lifeless as a whole. He will move forward and get things moving, with a drive which has gone missing at times in this United team. He will push to get the ball back, allowing David Moyes to implement a high-energy, high-pressing team, playing exciting football, something which we all wish to see.

In-Game Performances:

Statistics are never enough to judge a person, so we shall take a case study of several of his matches, looking at his performances versus various other Bundesliga teams. We will look at his passing and tackling against Berlin, Mainz, and then Stuttgart, chosen as the Berlin match was his lowest whoscored.com rating and then the Mainz/Stuttgart matches were his highest rated matches. So first up is the match against Berlin, and his passing graph is as shown here:

Note that in these graphs, the team is attacking and moving to the goal on the right hand side of the pitch in order to score. In the above picture, you can clearly see he is a very consistent passer of the ball. All but one of his passes reached their targets, a very good completion rate to have. The area in which he has the most passes is just behind the center circle, giving an indication of his most common position on the pitch: in a deeper midfield role, designated to sweep things up. He clearly keeps the ball moving, albeit the troubling view would be the fact that a large majority of these passes are either sideways or backwards, a criticism that has befallen Tom Cleverley, but Kramer was still able to make a decent number of passes moving forwards. Another thing to note is how his passes spread the play out wide to the wings, fitting into Manchester United's playstyle of spreading the ball out wide and working it from the wings. Now here's a look at his defensive work throughout the Berlin match:

The picture above gives a slightly worrying feeling as he failed 75% of all the tackles that he attempted throughout the game. It would serve to imply that while he normally is very good in the tackle and is able to win the ball back frequently, he can be prone to switching off and putting in a series of poor tackles, at least over a game. He will need to be consistent should he wish to shine for United. A key point is the area over which it is implied that he covers through the locations of his attempted tackles. He seems to cover the midfield area from one sideline to the other, providing aid for both fullbacks in shielding them from being caught out. This will be integral as both of United's fullbacks love to press on forwards, with Patrice Evra being particularly guilty of this, causing the team and the backline to be exposed to the opposition wingers. Kramer will provide cover and an assurance to the team when they are attacking, a belief that an opposition counterattack can be neutralized. Up next for analysis is his performance versus Mainz:

The sheer number of passes on this can seem intimidating, but just take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There is a commonality between these passes with the passes he made against Hertha Berlin. They tend to be just tending to go out towards the wings. A large majority of his passes are angled forwards to the wings, highlighting an ability to bring the wingers into play and play positively. He is mostly consistent with his passing with a few stray passes here and there, but largely finds who he is looking for with these passes. Once again, you can see his average position is in a deeper midfield role, but you can also notice an ability to push forwards and continue keeping the ball ticking in an advanced position. His passes are forward-thinking, looking to get to the opposition half and out to the wingers, fitting in perfectly with how United play. Here's a quick look at his defensive contribution against Mainz:

Again, his tendency to play in a deeper midfield role is underscored here, with most of his tackles coming in behind the center line. Equally noticeable is how he is willing to go out to the sides of the pitch and sweep up there, nipping opposition attacks from not only the middle but also the wings. Put together with his passing style, it seems he pressures the opposition into making mistakes, gets the ball, and is able to recycle it consistently, spreading the play from side to side, stretching and pulling the opposition defense, especially making use of the wide pitch at Old Trafford. Nonetheless, here is a picture of his passing versus Stuttgart:

Probably his best performance in a Monchengladbach shirt, his passing in this match sums up all that he is about. He makes your usual sideways passes which you expect your average midfielder to make, but is equally able to pass forwards and play positively. Going off the areas from which he makes his passes from, you can see that he covers a large portion of the midfield over the course of the match, yet can be consistently found sitting in a deeper role, providing cover to the defense. He passes the ball from side to side, giving it to the wingers yet providing an outlet should the option not be available, fitting in perfectly to United's wingplay traditions. To further underline his willingness to help out the team, here is a snapshot of his tackles against Stuttgart:

Just sums up everything Kramer is about really. Willing to press and put in a tackle to win the ball back, doing a job for the team. You can just see him covering back, winning the ball, putting in a tackle and protecting the defense from counter-attacks. You can also notice him just stepping a bit out of his midfield position that he normally occupies in order to aid his fullback and winger in just cleaning up the opposition attacks. This will prove to be critical, especially with United's left flank being opened up for a full frontal assault time and time again, causing the team to leak goals despite our otherwise solid right-hand side when Rafael is playing there. Through the above, one can see how critical Kramer may come to be should he join Manchester United.

The Big Problem:

Well, Christoph Kramer is surely an amazing player, so what could possibly be the problem with him. There is, unfortunately, on rather big one: his current situation at Monchengladbach. He is there on a, not one, but two year loan from Bayer Leverkusen, making it very difficult to acquire his services. It is not impossible, but severe compensation will have to be paid to Borussia Monchengladbach in return for his services, especially considering that we are taking away a player who is so important to their team. There will be many hoops to jump through in order to get him to sign, making this transfer only viable in the summer, not January, no matter how good he will be for the team. In addition to this, he seems to have a bit of a tendency to give away fouls, something which may be troubling as giving away set pieces in key locations will be punished, especially by the best teams in the world. He also seems to be dispossessed rather easily, another troubling aspect of his game that will need to be rectified if he is to become truly great for us.

The Final Verdict:

Comfortable on the ball, strong in the tackle, tall, powerful, and able to burst forwards at will, Christoph Kramer will be the perfect signing for Manchester United. He will be able to keep the ball ticking with ease, spreading it out to the wings, fitting into United's long-held tradition of wingplay. He is also only 22, and with plenty of room to grow and become the kingpin of the United midfield. He will be able to replace Michael Carrick in his ability to play the ball out from a deep-lying midfield position, sweeping up opposition attacks, providing a protective membrane for the defense. He is equally able to step out of his central position and help out the fullbacks with consistently, thereby aiding United's currently vulnerable left side, which is frequently exploited by the opposition. His transfer will indeed be a difficult task to accomplish considering his current situation of being out on loan. His current market value is listed 2.6 million pounds, but Manchester United will likely have to pay over the odds in order to get his services. If the transfer can be worked out for something along the lines of 15 million pounds, he will be a bargain and a valuable addition to the United team.

Likelihood: 3/10
Impact: 9.5/10