Thread by @PremLeaguePanel

🔎James Maddison analysis thread (plus why he's being linked to Manchester United):

At 23 y/o,the encouraging thing about Maddison's development is he's on an upwards trajectory in terms of attacking output:

158 minutes per goal or assist (Championship level) ➡️204 mins (first season in PL) ➡️158 (this season- back to Championship output at much higher level)

158 mins per goal or assist usurps several attacking midfield playmakers:

Mount - 214 mins
Oxlade-Chamberlain - 219 mins
Eriksen - 244 mins
Ozil - 577 mins

Role - tactically versatile

•Mainly played as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1
•But also played in a wide left role in that system
•And as a left-sided 8 in a 4-4-2 diamond

His style of play is very much to stay high up the pitch. VERY active presence in between the lines, behind opposition DMs.

In 10 out of 13 games where he has played as a 10, he has been in the top 3 for passes in the attacking third for Leicester.

•Different elements of his passing:

Breaking a low block
- Very good at switching the play to either flank (where his strong left foot comes into play)
- If he receives the ball in the half-space, he is very proficient at sliding passes into gaps between defenders

Counter-attacking
- Because he is very good at evading pressure (and the initial press that teams often employ to stop a counter-attack), he's constantly in positions where he has the vision to spot and play passes to attackers on the shoulder of the last man (often Vardy)

•One of Maddison's other excellent traits is the ability to receive the ball back to goal, but then use his body to feint where he is going to go.And because of his two-footedness,he can spin the defender either way.

This is again very useful when breaking down low blocks again

•Maddison isn't lightning quick but much like KDB, he has enough pace to lose his marker.

•He also has another KDB similarity - long shots. Not only is this a threat but it also means teams often get too tight to him to stop them which also enables him to spin away from them.

•Set pieces
-5 PL assists from set pieces since the start of last season
-4 goals from free-kicks since the start of last season – more than any other Premier League player

•One limitation is that his involvement in Leicester's build-up in deeper areas isn't huge (xG build-up per 90 = 0.30)
- compare to Grealish (xG build-up per 90 = 0.39) who often drags his side up the pitch from deeper positions

•Defensive work
- definite improvement since Rodgers came to the club is his pressing when playing as a 10. Often see him hassling the opposition DM to win the ball back

Maddison has made 104 ball recoveries already this season. He only made 126 in the whole of last season

-But there is concern about his discipline in tracking runners, especially in a wider role

In 4-0 loss to LFC, he played off the left & found TAA tough to contain:

Only made 6 sprints in the game (two less than Barnes who played 18 mins less)

Salah- 12 sprints
Mané- 20 sprints

Why Man Utd are linked?

1. Lacked a player to play in between the lines - example was vs Arsenal where Lingard played just 6 passes in the final third (one was penetrative). His movement isn't naturally suited to finding space like this

Was shown again in Man City EFL Cup game:

Even when Leicester played Man Utd at Old Trafford
- Maddison with the most passes in the attacking third with 19
- Andreas Pereira top for Man Utd with 10 passes

2. Spreading play to the full backs - AWB & Shaw created just 1 big chance between them this season which is really poor

Often that is because they don't receive the ball in dangerous positions.

Shaw attempting just 1.7 crosses per game.
AWB - 3

3. Will boost Man Utd's already strong counter-attacking threat

Man Utd second to just LFC in big 7 (inc Leicester) mini-league due to excellent counter-attacking threat

Maddison will boost that with traits mentioned above by capitalising on runs in behind of Martial & Rashford

4. Set-pieces

Man Utd have scored 3 set-piece goals this season (ranked 15th in the league).

Poor compared to league leaders Liverpool who have the second most with 9

5. Versatility to play off the left

- This season has shown a recurrence of Martial’s injury issues which have plagued him (17 games missed since start of last season)
-Maddison's ability to play the left side allow them to move Rashford up front when Martial injured

6. Lack of involvement in build-up may mean

A) Man Utd may still need to keep Pogba to play in the double pivot if they sign him
B) Buy an upgrade to play there- Tielemans takes build-up burden off Maddison (xG build-up per 90-Tielemans = 0.33 vs Fred = 0.27 & McTominay = 0.25)