Daniel James: Out of Possession Analysis
With the sale of Daniel James to Leeds United being finalized today, here is a look at what Manchester United received from the versatile winger, as well as what they will need to find a way to replace. A hard working and intelligent out of possession player — who also found ways to contribute to the attack.
James was bought from Swansea in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of €17.78m. Upon his arrival at the club, Solskjær was quoted as saying
“He is probably the best defensive winger in the world with his honesty, commitment and the way he does his recovery runs and doing his back tackles.
It is unbelievable, but that is also base for his attacking football because it gives him the space to run into, so I am not that surprised, though very pleased, of course.
He is only going to improve by the coaching and the exposure he gets at Old Trafford because when you are not fazed by [being] a Manchester United player then the limit must be sky-high.” — Via Sunday Mirror.
His hot start in the Premier League, scoring in three of his first four matches, allowed for him to seal his place in the lineup for a large portion of the season, starting 26 league matches and coming on as a substitute in seven more matches. James has seen his playing time decrease last season however, as concerns over his lack of attacking output and technical ability began to grow, as well as the emergence of Mason Greenwood. Below I will have a closer look at what exactly it is that James brings out of possession, and why his inclusion in the team can play an important part to any sides defensive structure.
James Defensive Attributes
What makes James such a great player against the ball, is his combination of tangible and intangible attributes. There are many players who play with an intense and aggressive style but perhaps don´t have the same elite speed to cover spaces like James. There are also many players who may press with the same intelligence as James, cutting out passing options with use of the cover shadow, pressing as a unit as opposed to solo, but again, many of these players will not have the same level of desire and willingness to run as James. What is clear for everyone to see is his speed and intensity in which he presses, his ability to maintain pressure throughout a 90 minute match and his aggression in winning challenges, but what is perhaps more difficult to measure is the smartness and the timing in his defensive work. Add all of this together and it creates not only a fantastic on the ball defender, but also a great team defender.
Pressing
The importance of pressing as a unit cannot be overstated — this means pressing high up the pitch alone, without the rest of the team following suit and pressing the opposition at the same time, in turn covering the nearest passing options and offering support should the first defender get beaten with a dribble. When a player presses alone, there will be space left between themselves and the rest of the team making it much easier for the opposition to beat the press by attacking the free space. Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford all struggle with this habit at times, though they are willing pressers, it does not always help if they are pressing alone. While James is not perfect and can also be caught at times pressing alone, he is an intelligent team defender when it comes to pressing. Below is an example of how James presses the opposition, using the sideline as an extra defender and checks his shoulder while engaging in the press. By checking his shoulder, he can ensure that other teammates are pressing with him and compressing space, as well as which space they are covering and where he should force the ball carrier.
James quickly reaches the ball and is able to force the opposition into an errant pass down the sideline which is recovered by Matic — the player who James was checking on for support.
Another important factor when pressing, is the timing of the press. There are some moments of the match which are more conducive to pressing than others, these are often known as pressing triggers. While we can´t be 100% certain which triggers Manchester United use, it is still possible to analyze the timing of James pressures. When pressing out of a high block, it is natural to follow some simple rules. These include maintaining half the distance to the receiver which you will press in relation to the distance of the receiver and the ball. In addition to the distance, the timing is also critical. The pass should be pressured at the instant it is played — too soon and the team shape will be vulnerable to penetration in the gap which is left exposed, too late and the receiver will have more time upon receiving the ball. Therefore pressing the instant the ball is released will give optimal timing. Here is a good example where James cut the distance in half and pressed simultaneously as the ball was released.
His patience in the pressure as well as subtle adjustments to his positioning allows him to quickly pressure the ball, forcing a back pass that eventually leads to a clearance which is recovered by United.
One more note to touch on in relation to James ability to press, his the intensity and intent in which he performs these actions. Often players are able to correctly time their actions as individuals and as a team, however it is taking that final step — the willingness and desire to win the ball which can make the difference in the end. James is extremely relentless and aggressive in his pressing style, putting the opposition under a lot of pressure, as seen below.
Back Pressing
Back pressing is another type of pressing which is becoming more and more important in the modern game. With teams pressing higher up the pitch, there will be more space to cover for the team out of possession as opposed to simply sitting in and defending the final third. High pressing systems are not fail proof, and the initial press will often be beaten by a dribble or pass. In these instances, it is very important that the players which have been eliminated are able to get between the ball and the goal once again. James does a brilliant job of this in many situations. It is quite common to see a player, particularly attacking players who are furthest away from their own goal, avoid their defensive duties and give up on the collective defensive effort once the ball has progressed passed them. Here is another moment of the game where James tends to do some of his best work. Whether it was his own actions or a teammates actions which allowed for the opposition to break the press, we can almost always expect to see James returning goal-side at top speed. Not only does he often manage to achieve a good defensive positioning and regain the structure of the block again, but he also is able to pressure the ball carrier from behind into making a mistake. Willingness to make these return runs is perhaps first and foremost the most important factor of a back press, however add to that his energy levels and speed and it makes him a very difficult defender for oppositions to beat.
A wonderful example of James ability to back press can be seen in the images below. United´s high press was broken by Chelsea (which is sometimes known as a manufactured or artificial transition), leaving them with space to attack in front of the United backline. In the top left corner of the screenshot we can see James quickly react and begin his back press.
There appears to be space down the left wing for Rudiger to play a ball into, which he chooses to do in this instance, perhaps the right decision with poor execution, or on the other hand we could choose to think James simply performed his role better.
As in the end of this sequence, James is the first player to reach the pass, beating the Chelsea player who was initially ahead of him, to the ball, recovering possession for United in the process.
Counter Pressing
When a team is in possession and loses the ball, the moment that they transition from attack to defense and the way in which they do it is critical. Many teams will simply prioritize regaining their defensive shape and immediately focus on getting players behind the ball. Other teams will prioritize winning the ball back as quickly as possible by pressing the ball with the nearest defenders and compressing space around the ball carrier with the second line of pressure, cutting out the immediate passing options. Of course there will always be a balance between reorganizing or immediate pressure no matter what club we are discussing, but under Solskjær, United have had more focus on the counter pressing phase then under previous manager Jose Mourinho. Perhaps one of James biggest strengths, if not his best, his ability to counter press. Again, the majority of his attributes mentioned above are suited quite well for a counter pressing side. His reactions and decision making in this phase are arguably the best in this current Manchester United side. Below is a really nice example of the way James works in the counter pressing phase. Forget for a moment that James was initially the player who loses possession as it is really not relevant once the ball is lost. What matters next is simply recovering possession. James plays a pass into the penalty area which is intercepted by the opposition.
Taking a look at the next screenshot, we can see by both James and Bruno Fernandes body shape that they have reacted quickly and are ready to pressure the ball in attempt to win it back. Fred, who is the deepest player in the frame is also well prepared, however looking at Martial and Rashford not every player has the same mentality in this situation.
With Bruno´s help in delaying progression, and Fred and Matic both supporting the attempted recovery from behind, James is able to cover quite a bit of ground, pressure the ball and in the end, he recovers possession for United. With the amount of players Newcastle had in near proximity and the relative lack of help from the rest of the Manchester United players, James does a remarkable job counter pressing in this situation.
James has long been viewed a squad player throughout his time at Manchester United, someone who can come in on the right or the left and give other players some rest. In a long season with the club competing in multiple competitions and fixtures adding up, rotational players are vital for the clubs continual success. As highlighted above his out of possession work is perhaps second to none in this current Manchester United side, and they will have to make some adjustments to replace this output.
The potential for him to fit into Marcelo Bielsa´s system at Leeds United is huge. His work rate, stamina and movement could thrive in a system based on these same attributes.
