‘In the Manchester United strikers, no one is on the same level as Edinson Cavani’, the star Paul Pogba once talked about his Manchester United ‘Red Devils’ teammate.
Pogba is right. Cavani (nicknamed “El Matador”) is proving himself to be a key player in the club at key moments of the season.
The opening goal against Granada on April 16 (Hanoi time) in the quarterfinals of the Europa League was Cavani’s ninth goal in the Man United shirt. This pointy point also has two more tectonic phases.
Value of the goal
From the beginning of the season, “El Matador” played 1,622 minutes, or 18 matches, in all competitions. Cavani’s performance has not completely convinced fans, especially in the context of Man United paying the Uruguayan striker a salary of £ 11 million.
However, Cavani still has its own merits. The 34-year-old striker’s goals are all made at crucial moments. He has 3 goals to open the scoring, 2 goals to help the home team equalize, 1 goal to win, 1 goal to help Man United ahead and 1 to fix the score to end the game.
Cavani still shows the excellent qualities of a striker. Photo: Getty.
The general measure of striker’s excellence is the number of goals. However, experts have more detailed analysis, which is finding the timing of the goal (opening the score, balancing the results, taking the lead, fixing the victory).
Cavani scored all the goals at crucial moments. That helps the Uruguayan striker to make a difference.
According to the Statman DaveCavani has scored 4 goals after the last 5 shots. This shows that the efficiency in the goals of this goal scorer is very high.
Combining the analysis of the moment of the goal and the success rates in the finishes, a picture of Cavani is painted. It is a striker who is sharp in front of goal and can shine at the most important moment.
It is not easy for Man United to find a striker who possesses those qualities. Currently, the “Red Devils” keep an eye on Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. However, these two goals are also within the sights of many other names.
Thus, in order to have the signature of Haaland or Kane, Man United must put in a lot of effort. They need to take their goals seriously and make the fastest and definitive decisions.
Instead of having to plunge into a fierce battle in the transfer market to win Haaland or Kane, Man United can fully rely on Cavani. The Uruguayan striker deserves to be awarded the main kick in the “Theater of Dreams”.
Not waiting for the match against Granada at Old Trafford, Cavani soon showed that he was the “number 9” that the club needed next season when shining in the 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the 31st round of the Premier League on April 11. It was a match “El Matador” scored to help the home team take a 2-1 lead.
Also in the encounter with Tottenham, Cavani tore goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after a smooth movement in coordination with Paul Pogba. The referee did not recognize the goal because Scott McTominay had fouled Son Heung-min earlier.
Cavani is not young anymore. However, the ball does not know how old the operator is. On the field, “El Matador” continued to show the ability to move without the ball smart to reach the opponent’s goal. Thanks to this quality, the former PSG star can also pull the opponent’s defender out of position to create space for his teammates to tape up.
For a week, Cavani kept reminding Man United how brilliant he was, but the future of “El Matador” at Old Trafford is a complicated case.
Cavani is a comprehensive striker. Photo: Getty.
Man United must keep Cavani
The Uruguayan striker is said to have not adapted to the English football environment. The culture here is also different, when just a few lines of “blasphemy” (though not intentionally) also makes Cavani receive a penalty. “El Matador” experienced this in December.
Covid-19 translation has not been pushed back either. This makes life in Manchester stuffy because of the strict restrictions from the government.
Cavani is South American, loves partying, gathering with friends every weekend to relax. In Manchester, “El Matador” has to say goodbye to the fun. This is the reason why the media said the former PSG star wants to return to his home country or Argentina to play.
“For a guy who does not speak English and lives alone, it is difficult to adapt to everything. If Cavani only wants to stay for one season, we have to respect that decision,” said coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Man United said.
The Norwegian teacher also stressed that Man United wanted to keep Cavani. Because, the performance of “El Matador” is completely unlike any “No. 9” club has in recent years.
From Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford to Anthony Martial, they were all one step below Cavani. These players also lack the quality of a “number 9”, which makes Cavani different from the rest.
Cavani can be too expensive for Man United, if you compare the scoring performance and the spearhead salary this spike receives. However, the “Red Devils” also need to recognize the fact that their charm is enough to convince Haaland or Kane to join the club.
Instead of having to “scratch his hair” to solve these problems, Man United should continue to put their faith in Cavani. They will need to persuade and make more drastic moves, to let “El Matador” see how important he is to the club.
“Cavani’s goals indicate that United are not allowed to let the striker go,” said journalist Mark Ogden of EPSN conclude.
Solskjaer: ‘Cavani has a lesson to remember forever’ Before MU rematched PSG in the Champions League group stage, coach Ole Solskjaer spoke up about Edinson Cavani’s inappropriate use of words on social networks.
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