I don't think the stats back you up. Shaw is a highly technical player in my book and yet AWB is almost identical when it comes to many stats I assume most on here think Shaw excels at. Look at the miscontrols, the pass success, the dispossessed stats and tell me how one of them "struggles with simple ball control". The only real difference is AWB absolutely wipes the floor with Shaw defensively (as we all probably knew) and Shaw has more key passes, otherwise tell me where the gulf in technical quality is?
AWB has good ball control, what he doesn't have is passing options when he receives the ball. Both our full backs contributed 6 goal involvements each in the PL last season and yet AWB does so much defensively for this CB pairing. Our back 4 is absolutely mint on paper now with Varane & we now have an actual RW to play in front of AWB for the first time ever. I feel you should be much more positive on AWB and give him this season before declaring him so poor technically.
20/21 | AWB | Shaw |
Goals | 2 | 1 |
Assists | 4 | 5 |
Pass Success (%) | 84.9 | 85 |
Aerials Won (p/g) | 1.1 | 1.2 |
Key Passes (p/g) | 0.9 | 2.3 |
Crosses | 0.4 | 1.8 |
Dribbles | 0.9 | 1 |
Dispossessed | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Unsuccessful Touch/Miscontrol | 1 | 0.8 |
Interceptions | 1.8 | 0.6 |
Fouls | 0.9 | 1.3 |
Offsides won | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Clearances | 1.8 | 1.2 |
Dribbled past | 0.4 | 0.5 |
Blocks | 0.5 | 0.3 |
Because I think you saying AWB is scared of the ball I'm not serious?
I've taken you at your word and compared them. Pereira barely played last season but look at the below, everything in red is where AWB is better/the same as the players you have brought up...there's an awful lot of red in there for players who are all 'much better than him'.
| TAA | Reece James | Cancelo | Coufal |
G | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
A | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Pass Success (%) | 79.4 | 88.4 | 87.1 | 71.2 |
Aerials Won (p/g) | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Key Passes (p/g) | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
Crosses (p/g) | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1 |
Dribbles | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
Dispossessed | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
Unsuccessful Touch/Miscontrol | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
Interceptions | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
Fouls | 0.6 | 1 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
Offsides won | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Clearances | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1 | 2.6 |
Dribbled past | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
Blocks | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |