I always try to restart the twice-a-year period of transfer-related player performance benchmarking reminding myself that for some it will be the first time consuming the content and analysis.
Please revisit the first iteration posted on Huddle Breakdown shortly after we launched this site, where I went into some detail on the process using then-new signing Arne Engels.
The exercise continues to evolve as I test and learn, and this window I am adding some new video-related analysis to try and amplify some of the analytical conclusions drawn from the process.
I have two sets of images to share, the first showing Julian Araujo’s 2023-2024 season in La Liga playing for Las Palmas, which happened to coincide with Kieran Tierney’s loan spell at Real Sociedad. The second set compares the season at Las Palmas with his 2022 season playing for LAFC in MLS.
As is typical, there some important context relative to team and competitive factors. Las Palmas were an odd duck during that season, playing a possession-centric attacking and pressing style, but apparently doing it quite poorly with a pretty terrible season. They finished 16th but were 19th per Wyscout’s version of xPts, scoring only 33 goals despite the attacking style of play. Woof!
They were third in possession behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, and also the third highest passing rate (passes per minute of possession) behind Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and just ahead of Barcelona. Real Sociedad were directionally similar but more intense pressing out of possession while being less “ticky tacky” in possession. We can see these comparative elements evident within the style of play metrics, where Tierney’s passing profile is much more forward and progressive.
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