I’ve done some leg work for anyone wanting to debate this. The below stats focus on ball progression, offensive passing and goal creating actions. This is a good barometer to show actual offensive contributions.
AWB (PL only as CBA to do the lot)
Minutes 3070 (34.11games)
Progressive passing distance 9478 (278/90)
Progressive passes 183 (5.36/90)
Passes into penalty area 20 (0.59/90)
Crosses into penalty area 10 (0.29/90)
Assists 4 (0.12/90)
Expected assists 2.9
Shot creating actions 47 (1.38/90)
Goal creating actions 6 (0.18/90)
Shaw (PL)
Minutes 1733 (19.26 games)
Progressive passing distance 6221 (323/90)
Progressive passes 136 (7.06/90)
Passes into penalty area 25 (1.30/90)
Crosses into penalty area 6 (0.31/90)
Assists 0
Expected assists 1.3
Shot creating actions 42 (2.18/90)
Goal creating actions 1 (0.05/90)
Shaw is the more progressive passer (though he did play on the better side of our attack with Rashford) however oddly he has less assists and less expected assists? So he gets us into the box more but is not setting up as many goalscoring opportunities as AWB. He does however create enough to enable on average 2 shots opportunities per 90.
For comparison here is Trent Alexander Arnold
Minutes 3175 (35.27 games)
Progressive passing distance 19995 (567/90)
Progressive passes 459 (13.01/90)
Passes into penalty area 90 (2.55/90)
Crosses into penalty area 30 (0.85/90)
Assists 13 (0.37/90)
Expected assists 9.6 (0.27/90)
Shot creating actions 151 (4.28/90)
Goal creating actions 24 (0.68/90)
Now I know they play in different systems but things that stand out. He makes more progressive passes than Shaw and AWB combined, double the amount into the penalty area of them combined from both passes and crosses, triple the assists, 1.7x shot created actions and 3.4x the amount of them for actual goals created.
Basically TAA alone does well over double the amount of offensive contribution than both our starting full backs.
