Real recognize real (or sometimes not!) : the Jesse Lingard thread

Yeah, he's clearly enjoying good form, but there's definitely something about his play that seems to indicate he's turned a corner or is coming into his own. For starters, his movement has always been elite. If you think about his time at the club, he's not had more than peripheral role. Mostly he's been asked to create from the wing which is NOT his forte. He's a quick turn and run, pass and move, type player. One thing you didn't mention about him is how frequently passes meet him running at or near top speed. He's so good at anticipating where there will be an opportunity. He takes up phenomenal positions.

This season, allowed to play more centrally and importantly, allowed to play behind a striker who clears room out by making runs beyond the CBs, Jesse has absolutely come to life. He is actually out shooting his xG ie, he is scoring more goals than expected based on most models, however his xG is still healthy. When you take his xG and xA you end up w/ .74 xG+A per 90. That's pretty robust.

In fact, it is excellent and in our team behind only Martial and Lukaku

Martial .8
Lukaku .78
Pogba .63
Rashford .61
Zlatan last season was .74

He can't sustain this goal scoring run - he's scored some crackers, but if he keeps up his general level of play, he's guaranteed to get game time.

 

My criticism of Jesse has always been that he doesn't do enough with the ball. His movement has always been great. I've said in the past that Jesse is a guy that runs around a lot without actually doing anything. But this season he's stepped up to a level I didn't think he had. He always been a clutch goal scorer but this season he's added a consistency to his scoring. But as Johno and others have said, it's still his movement that is his biggest asset and opens up space for others. Especially in our team where when trying to break down a defense you'll often see a midfielder or wingback with the ball and our front 4 (other than Jesse) are all standing still.

I still think we should be looking for a RW or 10 based on our future formation plans. I'm not convinced Jesse can maintain this current level (a lot of his strikes have been crackers which isn't sustainable). We shouldn't let his purple patch influence our need for a better player in the positions where he's currently starting.

 

I was worried about him sustaining it when I checked his numbers. Even if he comes back to earth with his finishing which is better than xG this season, his xG + xA is still pretty damn good.

 

The thing about Lingard is that, despite the shit we give him for stupid goal celebrations, he's actually delivered the goods for us when given the chance.

We all want the next Messi, or at least the next Hazard, and Lingard will never get near those two players, but Jesse has been outstanding for us at least in important games. He might get lost in the shuffle against middling opponents but he's turned up big on big occasions.

We can plot out xGs all we want, but sometimes you just have to throw the plots out the window and ask whether a player delivers in clutch situations. Jesse consistently answers the call.

 

Jesse Lingard: is Manchester United’s enigma finally evolving into a star?

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...taryan?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

 

This solidified it for me. Play aside, Jesse is a proper lad. The chemistry these two have is hilarious haha

 

Solid piece on Jesse.

Really fantastic stuff to watch how Mourinho -- oh, I forgot, the shit manager according to some here -- has developed a young United player into a member of the England World Cup squad, a player who just might make a significant impact.

 

Yo Ney, sunny 'innit?

 

https://www.eurosport.com/football/world-cup/2018/the-making-of-jesse-lingard_sto6784751/story.shtml

 

My favorite part is when Rash gets the pied piper question wrong, the facial expressions and disbelief, perfect.

 

Jesse Lingard's pass accuracy at the World Cup:

vs. #TUN - 96.4%
vs. #PAN - 93.9%
vs. #COL - 90.9%
vs. #SWE - 93.5%

📈 @WhoScored #WorldCup #ENG #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/66aQC0JsHz

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) July 10, 2018