How can Manchester United use new players to create opportunities?

Manchester United signs Cunha and is preparing to introduce Mbemo. From the perspective of ideas, these two operations are to solve the team's lack of forward goalscoring ability last season. But The Athletic's data-based analysis provides us with a more comprehensive and rational perspective to look at these two signings.

First, the article points out a potential risk that the two players scored goals last season greatly exceeded their "expected goals (xG)" value. What does this data mean? Simply put, they "should" be able to score 7 to 9 goals based on the quality of the shooting opportunities they get, but they all ended up scoring 15 goals. This shows that their final shot last season was in a state of "extraordinary performance".

From the perspective of data model, it is difficult for a player to maintain this far exceeding expectations for goal efficiency for two consecutive seasons. So, if we expect them to score 15 to 20 goals at Manchester United next season, then this expectation may be a bit too high, and there is a considerable probability of being disappointed. This is something we need to look at.

However, this analysis also points out a more important point, that is, the value of these two players is not only reflected in their own goals. The two of them are also very good at creating opportunities for teammates.

This is exactly one of the biggest problems with Manchester United's offensive end last season. The team's center Hoylund often does not get enough support and passes in the penalty area, and looks very isolated. Now, Cunya and Mbemo are here. Both of them can break through, pass the ball, and create opportunities for their teammates in the middle to shoot.

Therefore, our judging criteria for them may need to change the angle. Maybe next season, their individual goals will fall from 15 to about 10, which is a normal "data regression". But if Hoylund's goal count has increased from the single digits last season to 15 or even 20, because of their existence, this signing will be a huge profit for the entire Manchester United team.

Moreover, Manchester United's overall strength and possession rate are stronger than their previous teams Wolves and Brentford, which means they can get more opportunities to handle the ball in the frontcourt. Overall, the purpose of introducing these two players should not be to simply add two scoring points, but to revitalize the entire frontcourt offensive system through their outstanding creativity, making the team's offense more three-dimensional and more difficult to defend. From this perspective, these two signings are still worth looking forward to.