Unai Emery

[paul_e]

you could make the argument that Ramsey was what Rogers is before his his injuries. Lovely, silky footballer who could drive into the box to score, get on the end of crosses or set up goals for others.

Rogers has better close control to get away if he's crowded out, Ramsey is a better finisher (probably the best at the club until Rashford arrived).

[edgysatsuma89]

Is Rashford an elite finisher? I genuinely don't really know the answer to this (barring obviously one really good season). I've found that when I have watched him, he does the same low and hard shot often, with a lot going straight at the keeper, as if he's making sure it's on target. It's something I have commented on in the past, but I don't know if it plays out statistically.

[Exeter 77]

Rogers' probably has better upper body strength so seems to bounce off challenges but Ramsey's close control may be a bit better.

[Somniloquism]

Is Rashford an elite finisher? I genuinely don't really know the answer to this (barring obviously one really good season). I've found that when I have watched him, he does the same low and hard shot often, with a lot going straight at the keeper, as if he's making sure it's on target. It's something I have commented on in the past, but I don't know if it plays out statistically.

https://www.premierleague.com/players/13565/Marcus-Rashford/stats

https://www.premierleague.com/players/8658/ollie-watkins/stats

Rashford with a lot more games but not many goals per match, and not many more assists. Although from the crosses stat, it is quite obvious Rashford is more of a winger then Ollie has ever been.

Also noticeable for someone who is mentioned as lazy, Rashford has 144 tackles and 155 blocked shots.

[paul_e]

Is Rashford an elite finisher? I genuinely don't really know the answer to this (barring obviously one really good season). I've found that when I have watched him, he does the same low and hard shot often, with a lot going straight at the keeper, as if he's making sure it's on target. It's something I have commented on in the past, but I don't know if it plays out statistically.

Probably not elite but, as you say, he does tend to hit the target a lot which is an upgrade for me because my biggest concern with our attack over the last 18months has been how little we force keepers to make saves in some games. It's not all that unusual for us to have a half where we create chances but only have 1 or 2 shots on target. It's why I've said a few times this year that we're almost a really good side, we do everything up to the final pass and shot really well but just let ourselves down at the end. Watkins gets loads of criticism for it but it's true for the entire squad.

[edgysatsuma89]

So 87 goals from 587 shots is a little under 15% conversion rate. And Ollie works out at a little over 16%, which makes sense as you'd expect it to be a bit higher considering where he is more likely to be shooting from.

[paul_e]

The stat I expected to be better is % on target but actually Watkins is slightly higher than Rashford, I clearly haven't watch Man U play enough because in my head he hits the target more often than not.

[edgysatsuma89]

The stat I expected to be better is % on target but actually Watkins is slightly higher than Rashford, I clearly haven't watch Man U play enough because in my head he hits the target more often than not.

To be fair, that surprised me as well.

[eamonn]

Great, so we'll have another striker who every fucker on the match-threads will slaughter for every shot they take that doesn't result in a goal.

[Somniloquism]

The stat I expected to be better is % on target but actually Watkins is slightly higher than Rashford, I clearly haven't watch Man U play enough because in my head he hits the target more often than not.

Seems he had two bad seasons which brought it down. One in his youth and last year were both in the thirties. In his 12 games this season he is high fifties.

[pauliewalnuts]

Is Rashford an elite finisher?

He looks like he can finish off a Steak Bake, Sausage Roll, Corned Beef Pasty trio faster than most of us.

[Sexual Ealing]

Is Rashford an elite finisher?

He looks like he can finish off a Steak Bake, Sausage Roll, Corned Beef Pasty trio faster than most of us.

Weston McKennie's curating his garage order.

[Smithy]

The stat I expected to be better is % on target but actually Watkins is slightly higher than Rashford, I clearly haven't watch Man U play enough because in my head he hits the target more often than not.

To be fair, that surprised me as well.

Rashford regularly takes shots from distance, coming in on his right-foot from the left. I don't know how many of his shots are from distance, but I'll bet the average distance from goal when he takes his shots is probably well in excess of Ollie's.  That's not a criticism of Ollie, or a direct defence of Rashford, merely that "shots on target" isn't comparing apples with apples when the two players play in different positions.

What Rashford is very good at, is coming in off the left and getting a shot away.  Not prolific at scoring from them, but it's a job Bailey did really well on the right last year (much less so this year), and it that gives the opposition something else to think about, and can create space for others, even if they don't take the shot.

Imagine Rashford cutting in from the left, and having a marauding Maatsen bombing up outside him, while Ollie's making a darting run in the middle - the defence wouldn't know which way to go.

We don't shoot from distance very often (unless you're Duran), and I wonder if that's by instruction, and whether we'll see the same from Rashford.

[LeeB]

The stat I expected to be better is % on target but actually Watkins is slightly higher than Rashford, I clearly haven't watch Man U play enough because in my head he hits the target more often than not.

To be fair, that surprised me as well.

Rashford regularly takes shots from distance, coming in on his right-foot from the left. I don't know how many of his shots are from distance, but I'll bet the average distance from goal when he takes his shots is probably well in excess of Ollie's.  That's not a criticism of Ollie, or a direct defence of Rashford, merely that "shots on target" isn't comparing apples with apples when the two players play in different positions.

What Rashford is very good at, is coming in off the left and getting a shot away.  Not prolific at scoring from them, but it's a job Bailey did really well on the right last year (much less so this year), and it that gives the opposition something else to think about, and can create space for others, even if they don't take the shot.

Imagine Rashford cutting in from the left, and having a marauding Maatsen bombing up outside him, while Ollie's making a darting run in the middle - the defence wouldn't know which way to go.

We don't shoot from distance very often (unless you're Duran), and I wonder if that's by instruction, and whether we'll see the same from Rashford.

I was only thinking yesterday that with Ramsey fit again and now Rashford here it could be Maatsen that benefits most.

[Drummond]

I was chatting to a ManU fan last night, his take was that Rashford played best when he had Luke Shaw overlapping him. And that just had me feeling more positive.