Thread by @utdarena

THREAD:

Mario René Junior Lemina has been linked to Manchester United. As a result, I have produced a statistical, comparative report on him with regard to Manchester United players for your viewing.

Enjoy.

Firstly, an overview:

He is 25-years old though will 26 in September. He is 184cm talls which is just above 6"0. Likewise, his weight fluctuates between 75-78kg which allows him to assert himself physically in games when needed.

Last season in the Premier League he performed 73.78 actions per 90 at a success rate of 65.0%. Likewise, he engaged in 7.48 offensive duels with a success rate of 50.3% and 7.90 defensive duels with a success rate of 25.8%.

These numbers will be put into context as follows:

Last season, Paul Pogba engaged in 13.27 offensive duels per 90 with a success rate of 51.9%. Whilst Lemina engages in far less his success rate is somewhat similar.

Ander Herrera engaged in just 3.85 offensive duels and, thus, Lemina is more offensive minded than him.

Defensively, Herrera engaged in 9.66 defensive duels per 90 with a success rate of 23.9%. Lemina, though engaging in slightly less duels, has a higher success rate at 25.8% than Herrera who was known for his defensive stewardship.

This next section will detail his offensive output.

In terms of passing, Lemina attempted 42.28 passes per 90 last season with a success rate of 88.0%. No Southampton player last season had a higher success rate than this last season. This figure matches up with McTominay who attempted 40.19 at a success rate of 88.5%.

In addition, 26.23% of Lemina's passes were forward with the rest either being lateral (to the side) or non-progressive (behind him). Also, he attempted 2.98 long balls per 90 with a success rate of 57.89% which is, in short, not good. A comparison is underneath:

Matic (60.98%), Pogba (62.11%), Fred (63.16%) and Mata (71.43%) were all more accurate than Lemina in terms of long passes. However, Lemina's frequency was much lower and, thus, was not part of natural game.

Also, Lemina produced 6.07 passes which advanced the ball by 10 yards per 90. This means he did not often look for “line-breaking” passes but, instead, opted for safer options in order to retain possession.

However, he produced 2.04 runs which advanced the ball by 10 yards per 90. This is significant as it is more than Pogba (1.50). Rather, it is more than any Manchester United midfielder managed last season. This means Lemina will progress the ball via a run when he deems it right.

In terms of intricate player, Lemina attempted 0.47 tempo-quickening passes per 90 at a success rate of 33.3%. Also, he attempted 0.52 through balls at a success rate of 30.0%. Both Herrera and Matic attempted more in both categories and both had a higher success rate.

From this, we can ascertain that Lemina is a retention-focussed passer. This means his passing is centred on retaining team possession. He does not like to attempt “risky” passes and will often opt for the “safer” choice.

Furthermore, Lemina boasts a 75.0% success rate in dribbling which is higher than Pogba's 74.0% but lower than Fred's 77.4%. However, Lemina attempts less dribbles than both of them. Despite this, his progression in dribbling is greater than them both.

This indicates that whilst his frequency is less his impact and intent upon dribbling is clear and it usually results in success. This is a useful tool for a defensive-minded midfielder to have as it allows them to work their way out of trouble without needing direct support.

Likewise, Lemina averages 0.84 touches in the opposition box per 90. This is more than both Matic (0.52) and Fred (0.72) but lower than McTominay (0.94) and Herrera (1.07). This highlights Lemina's lack of offensive intent. Rather, he chooses to remain deeper.

This next section will detail his defensive output.

Firstly, Lemina averages 6.70 successful defensive actions per 90. This is lower than both Matic (7.12) and Fred (6.92), however, it is close enough for one to gather an expectation of his defensive output.

Secondly, he averages 0.96 tackles and 4.73 interceptions every 30 possessions for the opposition (opp–30). This metric is useful because it takes into account how much possession a team has. A team with more possession is bound to tackle less. This metric removes that problem.

In comparison, Matic averaged just 0.14 tackles per opp–30. Fred, on the other hand, averaged more with 0.78. Yet, both are underneath Lemina's workrate. Herrera averaged 2.70, however, he was amongst Europe's best in that category and this should not be the standard for Lemina.

Herrera (6.76), Matic (5.53) and Fred (4.91) averaged more interceptions per opp–30. However, Lemina (4.73) will have to improve on his off-ball intelligence. Also, he averaged 1.62 fouls per 90 which was far too much. In fact, it was the 7th worst from PL midfielders.

In terms of recoveries and ball lossess, Lemina averaged 8.27 recoveries and 7.69 ball losses per 90. In comparison, Matic averaged 9.90 recoveries and 8.28 ball losses, Fred averaged 8.37 recoveries and 10.55 ball losses and Herrera averaged 9.25 recoveries and 8.00 ball losses.

Lastly, Lemina engaged in 2.98 aggressive duels per 90. In comparison, Herrera engaged in 6.05 aggressive duels per 90. This gives one the understanding that Lemina is far, less likely to rush out of position in order to engage an opponent. Rather, he often holds his position.

In summary:

Lemina can be categorised as a retention-focussed, defensive minded midfielder. In terms of Premier League quality, he is an above-average player with a couple of good attributes. He is better than the likes of Pereira and McTominay but not better than Fred or Matic.

In conclusion:

Mario Lemina is an above average player with a few good attributes. He can become a good squad player and, depending on the situation, can fulfill a few roles.

For a fee of £18m, it is a low-risk high-reward [potentially] situation.

Thread End.

RTs and Likes appreciated.