I forget how good a dribbler Mahrez is sometimes.
Is Martial the best dribbler in the league?
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According to whoscored.com, Adama Traore is the best dribbler in the league, completing 5 out of his 6.7 dribbles per game. Then you have Saint-Maximin and Zaha with 4.7 and 4.3, respectively. No one is even close to them after that.
But then a dribble according to whoscored is " taking on an opponent and successfully making it past them whilst retaining the ball". Now, in Adama's case, although he has close control, due to his ridiculous pace, he will often knock them ball past his opponent and retain the ball, which is obviously classed as a dribble, but then you have players who haven't quite got that acceleration but use good ball manipulation, balance, and skill to get past their opponent. Players like Martial, Grealish, Mahrez, Pulisic, Foden, Pogba all have that, in my opinion.
But then a dribble according to whoscored is " taking on an opponent and successfully making it past them whilst retaining the ball". Now, in Adama's case, although he has close control, due to his ridiculous pace, he will often knock them ball past his opponent and retain the ball, which is obviously classed as a dribble, but then you have players who haven't quite got that acceleration but use good ball manipulation, balance, and skill to get past their opponent. Players like Martial, Grealish, Mahrez, Pulisic, Foden, Pogba all have that, in my opinion.
In Traore's case his dribbling is not what we most of us think about when we think about a dribble. Most of them are kicking the ball straight and going full speed after it.
As good as he's been this season, I feel like his dribbling has actually gotten worse.
Adama and Saint maximin are in the top 5 dribblers in Europe never mind the PL. I think based on this season he and Rashford about the same level. Rashford is a bit more unpredictable as he uses tricks and Martial mainly beats players with his close control
We aren't really talking about passing though. In the centre of midfield, I'd say there aren't many midfielders that dribble past players and retain the ball much better than Kovacic does. He is a smooth operator, and I fancy him to retain the ball virtually every time.
Great at dribbling into open space to then and pass backwards and sideways?
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He’s up there, but I don’t think he’s indisputably number one. I think the highest bracket includes him, Mahrez, Adama, St Maximin, and probably Bernardo Silva. Kovacic and Grealish are fair shouts too.
Playing with your back to goal will probably do that. Rarely does he have the open space to do anything with it. It’s almost always wingers who are the best dribblers because they’ve got the space to come infield with it.
Greenwood is a better dribbler than martial, I don’t think that’s too outlandish.
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He’s up there, but I don’t think he’s indisputably number one. I think the highest bracket includes him, Mahrez, Adama, St Maximin, and probably Bernardo Silva. Kovacic and Grealish are fair shouts too.
Third page and no one made the Harry Kane joke yet? 
No way. Greenwood is quite smart in terms of how and when he dribbles, but he hasn’t shown anything close to enough (yet?) to compare him with Martial in that aspect.
Is the goal to find the most successful percentage of dribbles succeeded or the one the opponents will theoretically have the biggest issue with?
Or are we looking at who has most successful dribbles in pure numbers? How about what we philosophically would call a dribble? Beat a man with pace and you dribbled him? Used a bit of skill to leave him on his ass while you go on to score a hattrick in the league winning game against your rivals?
I think if we take all of this into account we're left with a clear answer. JadON Sancho is the best dribbler in the league.
Or are we looking at who has most successful dribbles in pure numbers? How about what we philosophically would call a dribble? Beat a man with pace and you dribbled him? Used a bit of skill to leave him on his ass while you go on to score a hattrick in the league winning game against your rivals?
I think if we take all of this into account we're left with a clear answer. JadON Sancho is the best dribbler in the league.
Greenwood hasn't really shown his dribbling ability.
Martial is comfortably the best in our front three. His technique is fantastic.
I like Martial as a dribbler but he’s far too slow with it in my opinion. Greenwood reminds me of a young Ronaldo, he can dribble and take people on at speed. More seems to come of Greenwood running at defenders than Martial doing it, hence why I think he’s a more useful dribbler.
No. He often runs straight into defenders and good defenders know exactly what he going to do, which is cut in onto his right foot.
A few years back I'd have said top 3 but now he's more of a quick pass and move type player, probably because he's playing centrally.
Interesting! I think the fact that he's moved from the wing to a number 9 this season has lessened the number of situations he has to dribble. However, there are still signs where we see his ability when he pops up in the left channel i.e. his goal vs Southampton.
How can anyone think greenwood is a better dribbler than martial? Have you not seen the way martial body feints to throw defenders off? City??? Arsenal???
he can go inside or out and has the benefit of speed to assist him. I think he is tier 2 in the league behind traore and Allan maximin. Kovacic is also tier 1 based on the fact he has the highest successful dribble rate.
he can go inside or out and has the benefit of speed to assist him. I think he is tier 2 in the league behind traore and Allan maximin. Kovacic is also tier 1 based on the fact he has the highest successful dribble rate.
You're right, mate, but, for me anyway, whenever he's drifted out wide with one of Rashford or Greenwood taking up the 9 spot due to our fluid interchanges, he still hasn't looked as comfortable/deadly at taking opposition full backs on compared to previous years. He seems a lot more hesitant at taking them on nowadays. Mainly opting for 1-2s rather than running at them.
You're right, and, like you say, there have still been signs of his top dribbling when occupying the left side (I believe he won the penalty against Chelsea in the semis with some good footwork at the left side of the box), but I do feel that he has become a lot less direct with his dribbling when ending up on the left after interchanging with Rashford/Greenwood.
For what it's worth, I still think he's a good dribbler, but I used to have him down as an incredible one.
I don't know what Greenwood they're watching. Greenwood isn't a dribbler. I mean, he can carry the ball forward which showcases his dribbling ability. However, he requires open space. He is successful when he does attempt dribbling (not from a stand still), but more so when defenders pressure him just as he receives the ball he can get himself out of it.
Greenwood is only completing 0.8 dribbles a game, or 1.4 dribbles per 90 min.
Not even close. Greenwood is barely above average.
I reckon the Sheffield united defenders would say he’s pretty good
I mean if we were talking 19 year old martial then sure maybe. But Traore is by far the best dribbler in the league he has by far the most take ons but even scarier is he has by far the best completion rate. Martial is a good dribbler but not a great one.
Martial is an outstanding dribbler, but I haven't seen enough of other players in the league to say who's the best. I'd still like to see a bit more consistent end product out of him. Anthony had a great run to close out the season, but for very long stretches this season he was in witness protection. But what really makes Martial a top player is his dribbling ability, yet there really does seem to be room for him to grow in this aspect of his game.
Great at dribbling into open space to then and pass backwards and sideways?
You could not be more wrong. On top of that he has the best dribble success rate in the whole league.
You could not be more wrong. On top of that he has the best dribble success rate in the whole league.
Ball progression isn't dribbling though in the sense we are talking about in this thread though is it?
No but the poster I quoted claimed Kovačić passes it sideways and backwards when he is literally the most progressive player in the entire league.
And with regards to dribbling:
That’s fair, do you know how it is measured? (Dribbling success rate).
I assumed that the ball progression was just talking about them running with the ball and not passing it because it says 'carried'. So for all we know he could be passing it backwards and sideways still after he has carried it forward if that is the case.
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There are two axes. One for forward passes and one for distance carried. Kovačić tops both.
Dribbling success rate is just successful dribbles divided by total dribbles attempted. Opta defines a successful dribble as a player beating the defender while retaining possession, unsuccessful ones are where the dribbler is tackled. Likewise WhoScored: Taking on an opponent and successfully making it past them whilst retaining the ball.
Didn't read the left axis, my mistake.
Right, so that makes the dribbling stat a bit different then between a CM and RW/LW then and not a stat that you can just throw out as a success rate percentage.
Traore comfortably equals Hazard's numbers, at a higher success rate.
Is traore a dribbler though?
I dont watch wolves all that much, and while he isnt a hit and run merchant like say dan james, he's not a dribbler with great close control and manipulation of the ball from what ive seen.
I can't explain in text to well what im thinking but hopefully you can get my point.
His first touch is among the best in the league. Doesn't pull off extravagant first touches like Zidane, Berba or Zlatan, but takes fast balls in his stride in crowded areas so effortlessly that it goes unnoticed.
Carvajal, Modric, Varane and Navas. Pretty solid list if you ask me
I do. But I think that getting past your opponent with pace and power is just as much as dribble as getting past him with skill. Most top players have both.
Traore is not very skillful, but he goes past people for fun. What makes him amazing, imo, is that it rarely matters how good the opposition left back is in terms of defending. Traore is always capable of turning it into a physical battle that he will most likely come out on top in.
I'd suggest watching a YouTube video compilation on his dribbling. The lad is a monster. Peak Valencia on steroids.
See i wouldn't have pegged valencia as a dribbler either.
I understand he can easily pass people, but dribbling to me, is control, ball manipulation, touch, skill.
Justba different definition of it i suppose.
Hazard is the best i can remember in the league of the top of my head right now.
The key to good dribblers is that they dribble into areas you don't want them to, and the opponent still finds it hard to stop them. Whereas there are those who run with the ball a lot and beat men, but still find themselves in areas that are not that dangerous. The latter, opposition would gladly shepherd into safer areas as they increase their dribbling stats.
With that said, I have no clue who's the best dribbler. Just pointing it out to say that using pure statistics to try and gauge the best dribbler won't be that accurate as those dribbling stats don't account for that difference. I do know that Martial is very good cutting in and unleashing a sot, something the opponent would want to prevent. So I would class those kinds of dribbles as more advantageous than the 'down the line' dribbles.
With that said, I have no clue who's the best dribbler. Just pointing it out to say that using pure statistics to try and gauge the best dribbler won't be that accurate as those dribbling stats don't account for that difference. I do know that Martial is very good cutting in and unleashing a sot, something the opponent would want to prevent. So I would class those kinds of dribbles as more advantageous than the 'down the line' dribbles.
this basically
Martial scored goals dribbling teams from the half way line. Don’t tell me Rashford is a better dribbler than Martial. Rashford is a better kick and runner into a dark alley.
Martial is a venomus dribbler he is so smooth but so rapid almost like a quicker Iniesta with his dribbling ability.
He was often being double teamed when playing on the wing.
He's pure