Thread by @TheDevilsDNA

RW or LW: Where should Alejandro Garnacho play long-term? - THREAD

It has been a year of growth & transformation for Garnacho. Esp in a new position on the right which few predicted. And he impressed in those outings. So where is he better? I use data & eye test to analyze.
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Let's start with some basic details. I will be looking at EPL & UCL stats only since the other 2 cups don't have underlying numbers. Garnacho played most of the first half at LW & even at times in 2nd half. Result: 2x more starts & mins, equal goals & a 2 more assists from LW.

Shooting

When it comes to shooting, Garnacho shot 20% more from LW but had a better goal return from RW. The shot quality was similar though. Which means there is a degree of comfort or composure at play when it comes to finishing from RW. Let's corelate this with footage.

A CR fanboy, from the left where the angles favour him, Garnacho's shots often come after a mazey run cutting inside the box to give himself a shot chance. His thought often is "I have the ability/space to cut inside & shoot". It's why he takes more shots & often after dribbles.

But on the right, his angle limitations force him to think differently. His thought often is "I have space to run into & finish". His off-ball movement is seen lot more from the right & he has developed that ability this year & made good runs without the ball on the right.

This goes well with players like Bruno, Rashford, Mount, Scott, Dalot who have the ability to play good through balls or cutbacks or crosses from central & left-sided areas. 3 of Garnacho's goals from RW were from well-timed off-ball runs. This result is often a composed shot.

Passing

The stats indicate pass-first mentality from RW. He has better metrics for for every passing stat barring pass attempts which is simply a function of being more involved from LW. But even with less involvement from RW his assist threat, crossing & progression are better

Again, from LW, Garnacho's excitement at being on his favoured angle often makes him dribble first and then think about passing options. He either runs himself into awkward situations or misses the first-time change to play someone in. His carrying comfort goes against him.

But from RW, he thinks about his options quicker. In this clip, you can see both intentions we discussed - the off-ball run into space to get into a great position & the the single-minded thought of squaring the ball instead of thinking about shooting or another carry. Simple.

Creation

The same impact is seen in creation. He has slightly more SCAs from live passes & take-ons from LW largely coz of more involvement. But all his goal-creating actions & total SCA indicate a better creator from RW. Note how he didnt create a single GCA from LW take-ons.

Possession

To round off the data part, his carrying numbers indicate high involvement from LW. He simply gets the ball more & attempts more carries from LW which results in most of the volume stats as show. Only his safety stats are better from RW since he's less risky.

Garnacho is a great dribbler, there is no doubt. But the next step of that evolution is to figure out how those dribbles help the team. While he does help the team move to the box often with his dribbles, the part after that from LW is often shaky. One reason is the aggression.

The action where he takes the team from the halfway line into the box is valuable. And he's among the league's best at that, but it also results in him boxing himself into situations he can't make the best of. His left foot isn't bad. It's not a question of technique or skill.

It's more to do with the limited options at RW forcing him to make good decisions. The same technique & skill is put to more decisive use. Often his thought is "There is nothing else to do except X". That composure & decision-making ease is the difference b/w RW & LW currently.

What does this mean long-term?

There are 3 factors to consider for where he plays:
1) Development: If Garnacho's decision-making & composure improve to the point where it's as good from LW, then he can probably similar output from either side & remain a potent force both ways.

2) Team dynamics: Rashford-Hojlund-Garnacho worked largely because Garnacho's off-ball & pass-first components were a good contrast to the carry-heavy styles of the other 2. We saw many quick 1-2s & decisive passes & shots instead of laboured, aimless & think-later dribbling.

Rashford & Hojlund are key players & big contributors on their day. If Garnacho RW helps that dynamic it could be in the club's long-term interest to develop him there & polish ball-striking, creativity & off-ball movement to make him a well-rounded threat. Like peak Barca Pedro

3) Market dynamics: What is available for value also plays a part. LWs esp dribble-heavy ones are usually in abundance but RWs esp two-way threat ones, are very rare.
Costly starter RW with Garnacho as LW backup to Rashford?
OR
Cheaper LW backup with Garnacho-Amad RW rotation?

Summary:
— Lot more carry-and-shoot-heavy from LW but more run-and-create-heavy from RW
— Limited options increases efficiency, decisiveness & composure of actions from RW
— Future role depends on mental traits development, team tactical needs & market opportunities/planning

Thank you for reading so far.
- All stats are from @fbref. I simply separated LW & RW stats & used excel formulas to generate per 90 tables
- If you like such threads do check out my articles & threads from the 'highlights' tab on twitter or my website on thedevilsdna.com

Tagging the earlier poll here. It's crazy that the results are neck and neck. Indicates what a good debate this actually is. Let's see if results change with some post-thread votes.