Read on Twitter
"He is probably the best defensive winger in the world."
-Ole Gunnar Solskjær on Dan James in 2019
Short Thread
#MUNWAT
-Ole Gunnar Solskjær on Dan James in 2019
Short Thread
#MUNWAT
One of the most underrated, yet crucial attributes in modern football is the ability to back-press & routinely make recovery runs. One of the first things I noticed about James when I watched him a was his ability to do just that. This trend continued on the weekend vs Watford.
Clearance from the keeper
Supporting the fullback
Transition to defense
Recovery Run
Covering the fullback
Creating defensive overload
What Dan James offers to the side out of possession is invaluable. Any coach at any level would happily take a player with his mentality in their team, and he is a brilliant example to use for showing anyone the value of persistent work off the ball.
Though this thread clearly is Manchester United centered, the focus has nothing to do with who should or shouldn´t play in the side. Simply trying to highlight the value of back-pressing & recovery runs, regardless of age, level or skill.
To add one more thing to this, which is probably much better known, Firmino does almost the exact same job for Liverpool. Which we have seen is nearly irreplaceable in the Liverpool system.
