Basic pass completion for our players versus City's.
De Gea 72.0% vs Ederson 85.8%
AWB - 82.8% / Dalot 77.4% vs Walker 86.5%*
Varane - 85.8% vs Dias 92.3%
Martinez - 86.6% vs Stones 94.1%
Shaw - 81.8% vs Ake 90.3%
Casemiro - 77.1% vs Rodri 91.3%
Eriksen - 78.9% / Fred - 79.5% vs Silva 85.3% / Ilkay 85.6%
Bruno - 72.9% vs KDB - 71.4%
Rashford - 75.3% vs Grealish 83.5%
Antony - 76.4% vs Foden - 80.6%
Weghorst - 71.5% / Martial - 80.5% vs Haaland 73.5%
Makes the focus on Bruno's erratic passing specifically seem odd given we rely on him so much for creativity.
In order to improve, the obvious focus should be on the back seven unit (De Gea, RB, Varane, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, CM). Partly because they simply make more passes than the front half of the team, partly because improving in those positions would allow us to make changes tactically and play out from the back more. As is we resort to going long a lot more often, which obviously has an impact on our ability to keep the ball overall.
Of that back seven Casemiro, Martinez, Varane and Shaw are the least likely to be displaced and the most likely to "deserve" to be worked around based on other qualities they provide. Which really places heavy emphasis on upgrading De Gea, RB and CM. Because those are the positions in that unit in which you can most painlessly make key upgrades. If we want to get better in possession, that's where we start.
*Worth noting AWB's pass completion, which actually fares quite well considering his reputation for being poor on the ball. The problem with him specifically is the type of passing he does to make up that high completion rate, being the least progressive of our fullbacks.
AWB - 3.19 per 90, 36th percentile.
Dalot - 3.49 per 90, 46th percentile.
Malacia 4.04 per 90, 59th percentile
Shaw - 4.88 per 90, 73rd percentile.
The other fullbacks (in particular Dalot and Shaw) similarly fare better in terms of passes into the opposition third, passes into the penalty area, etc.
