Wilfried Zaha

[GetSpurredOn]

Martial strikes me more as a forward who can play wide, he offers more goal threat. Zaha on the other hand, more of a winger who can fill in upfront, less of a goal threat but more dangerous bringing the ball forward and likely to create havoc.
Either would be fine by me, I can see advantages to both.

 

[baldinyid]

Martial strikes me more as a forward who can play wide, he offers more goal threat. Zaha on the other hand, more of a winger who can fill in upfront, less of a goal threat but more dangerous bringing the ball forward and likely to create havoc.
Either would be fine by me, I can see advantages to both.

At the start of the window I was very much in the Martial camp as I know the qualities he has and where that could take him; potential world class. That said, Zaha is pure danger, can pull defenses and midfield out of position creating openings for others to operate.

As you mention, I also see Martial more as a striker (Henry type) and Zaha as a winger who can fill in in the striker role. One other thing I would say about Zaha is that boy has real strength and power on the ball which is ideal as a striker, so have the feeling maybe Poch thinks he could coach with those attributes....obviously finishing is number 1 but Zaha does have the ability but would need improvement, Martial on the other hand is a finisher, that's one of his strengths...

Back and forth, back and forth.........
I'll have both please! Hahahaha.......... No seriously, I've talked myself into it..I want both! Why has no one else mentioned this as an option? Oh yeah, that's fantasy land, Levy will see to that, much like A&C and that notorious ban stick!

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

At the start of the window I was very much in the Martial camp as I know the qualities he has and where that could take him; potential world class. That said, Zaha is pure danger, can pull defenses and midfield out of position creating openings for others to operate.

As you mention, I also see Martial more as a striker (Henry type) and Zaha as a winger who can fill in in the striker role. One other thing I would say about Zaha is that boy has real strength and power on the ball which is ideal as a striker, so have the feeling maybe Poch thinks he could coach with those attributes....obviously finishing is number 1 but Zaha does have the ability but would need improvement, Martial on the other hand is a finisher, that's one of his strengths...

Back and forth, back and forth.........
I'll have both please! Hahahaha.......... No seriously, I've talked myself into it..I want both! Why has no one else mentioned this as an option? Oh yeah, that's fantasy land, Levy will see to that, much like A&C and that notorious ban stick!

You're right there is a lot of back and forth with these two players, I'd happily take either one.

It's good to see you mentioning Zaha's finishing. From what I've seen he's pretty erratic with his final ball or his ability to turn a half chance into a goal. I've got a bit of time on my hands travelling into work I'm going to look into his shots to goals ratio and ball retention in the final 3rd/ with key passes a little more. Better than looking out the window at that monstrosity West Ham have to call home for the next 100 years

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

At the start of the window I was very much in the Martial camp as I know the qualities he has and where that could take him; potential world class. That said, Zaha is pure danger, can pull defenses and midfield out of position creating openings for others to operate.

As you mention, I also see Martial more as a striker (Henry type) and Zaha as a winger who can fill in in the striker role. One other thing I would say about Zaha is that boy has real strength and power on the ball which is ideal as a striker, so have the feeling maybe Poch thinks he could coach with those attributes....obviously finishing is number 1 but Zaha does have the ability but would need improvement, Martial on the other hand is a finisher, that's one of his strengths...

Back and forth, back and forth.........
I'll have both please! Hahahaha.......... No seriously, I've talked myself into it..I want both! Why has no one else mentioned this as an option? Oh yeah, that's fantasy land, Levy will see to that, much like A&C and that notorious ban stick!

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

 

[YiddoInPoland]

Dont watch enough football to really judge him as a player but the occasion i have seen, he is all power and pace but not much finesse. But as an attacking player not sure he has done an awful lot in terms of end product.

For all the shit Lamela gets he has scored 2 goals less over a similar number of games then Zaha (from wiki so could be bollocks).

Not saying he hasnt got the tools to kick on, and i am wrong a fuck load of times when it comes to signings but it concerns me the expectation people will have of him compares to the reality and that we will have a player who is exciting up intill he gets to the 18 yard box on shits his pants.

Martial is better player with a higher top level to me, but honestly have no idea what is on this window.

 

[daryl hannah]

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

Interesting stats - I think it ignores defensive qualities though (of which Martial has very little), and Zaha's only really come into his own the last 18 months. They're slightly different players and play in wildly different teams. Look at Sterling at City - a shite player, bagged 20 goals in a top team. I rate Zaha much higher than Sterling.

Like someone else said, can't we have both?

 

[Hoopspur]

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

Trouble is these (and most stats) don’t take into consideration the quality of the team you are in. United for example may present Martial with better chances in more dangerous positions etc.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Dont watch enough football to really judge him as a player but the occasion i have seen, he is all power and pace but not much finesse. But as an attacking player not sure he has done an awful lot in terms of end product.

For all the shit Lamela gets he has scored 2 goals less over a similar number of games then Zaha (from wiki so could be bollocks).

Not saying he hasnt got the tools to kick on, and i am wrong a fuck load of times when it comes to signings but it concerns me the expectation people will have of him compares to the reality and that we will have a player who is exciting up intill he gets to the 18 yard box on shits his pants.

Martial is better player with a higher top level to me, but honestly have no idea what is on this window.

To ease your concerns somewhat, he has upped his game in the last 12-18 months to the point where he has put a whole team on his back and saved them from relegation (they genuinely couldn't win without him). 9 goals, 3 assists is a decent return for a palace player, Benteke only got 5.

What I like about him is he seems to have just hit a new level, so it would be great to see how his talents translate to a much better team.

Pep singled him out for praise in the MNF special he did at the end of the season. He knows a bit about quality footballers.

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

Trouble is these (and most stats) don’t take into consideration the quality of the team you are in. United for example may present Martial with better chances in more dangerous positions etc.

True but I do find the fact Zaha has had over 300 more crosses than Martial yet only created 2 bigger chances than him telling. As another post said these stats don't take into account things like defensive attributes or team they are playing in but my instant impression when comparing the two was that Martial is more productive in the final third than Zaha which looking at the stats does seem to be the case.

I like Zaha and I think he's about to come into his peak so he really could be an animal for our club but Martial does seem to have a more potent pedigree when picking out a pass for a chance or making the use of the ball when he has it in comparison to Zaha.

If both are available and interested in coming it'll be a really hard call figuring out which one will add all the qualities both as a player and a man that fits the team well. Tricky decisions on the horizon with time ticking away perhaps

 

[baldinyid]

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

Great analysis! You should definitely ignore that pile of @#£# more often when en route to work if it means we benefit like today

 

[Tit&Ham]

It should be easier creating chances and scoring goals in man utd compared to Palace

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

Great analysis! You should definitely ignore that pile of @#£# more often when en route to work if it means we benefit like today

I'd rather do an analysis of Kevin Scotts time with us than look at that calamity of a stadium every morning :s What an eyesore it is

 

[barry]

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

What defines a big chance missed, and a big chance created?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

We're at the risk of doing these comparisons to death, but for me you can boil it down and I agree with what a lot of others are saying:

Zaha is more explosive, stronger and more a threat in space with the ball at his feet. He's also peaking and has come into his own recently - we'd be getting someone at the top of his game. He's also best described as a winger.

Martial is a more technically accomplished player - a better finisher, better touch, better final ball. He's arguably got a higher ceiling, and at 22 could go on to achieve almost anything, but will take some managing. Also more of an inside forward.

For my money, Martial would be a better buy - more suited to what we're missing, better long term potential, value could easily double in the space of a season - but right now I'd bite your hand off for either

 

[tiger666]

Interesting stats - I think it ignores defensive qualities though (of which Martial has very little)

Hard to judge stats on defense for attacking players in different teams but for what it's worth. Opta says:

 

[JonnySpurs]

I'd be delighted with either Zaha or Martial just as long as we manage to add one of them then I'll be giddy with excitement.

 

[DazzyWazzy55]

Appearances in Premier League
Zaha - 143
Martial - 86

Goals
Zaha - 22
Martial - 24

Shots at goal
Zaha - 196
Martial - 148

Shots on target
Zaha - 72
Martial - 59

Shooting accuracy
Zaha - 37%
Martial - 40%

Big chances missed
Zaha - 22
Martial - 9

Assists
Zaha - 16
Martial -15

Crosses
Zaha - 432
Martial - 153

Big chances created
Zaha - 26
Martial - 24

The big tell tale for me is that Zaha has had nearly 300 more crosses in the Premier League yet created only 2 big chances more, 1 assist more and has missed 13 bigger clear cut chances than Martial has. Martial seems to take more shots at goal and less crosses than Zaha, but is more accurate with both his shots and cross/ pass ratios.

End product at the top end is key, Martial wins it for me which he did initially, even though I really like Zaha's qualities

You have to take into consideration the team around him. He's put 300 crosses in where the main striker has been outscored by a fullback, and the top scorer is a midfielder. So you cannot just look at the stats in isolation, if Zaha was putting in 300 crosses with Kane, Eriksen, and Alli at the end then the chances created and goals stats would likely be significantly higher.

 

[wrd]

I don't think the attribute we need is necessarily finishing although obviously it's great but our weaknesses are speed in defence to attack transition and our players ability to breakdown teams who sit back. We have good passing ability but we lack people willing to commit defenders. Zaha blows everyone in the prem away bar Hazard for take ons.

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

You have to take into consideration the team around him. He's put 300 crosses in where the main striker has been outscored by a fullback, and the top scorer is a midfielder. So you cannot just look at the stats in isolation, if Zaha was putting in 300 crosses with Kane, Eriksen, and Alli at the end then the chances created and goals stats would likely be significantly higher.

True but it's his lack of big chances created from those 300 extra crosses that is a bit alarming. To me that indicates that he can be a little bit hit and hope someone is there or does look up and gets the pass wrong. It could also mean that his teammates aren't finding the space in areas he's hitting the ball like Kane or Alli would etc.

There are so many variables to take into account with stats, that's why it's risky to pin analysis onto them but they do give a nice overall breakdown to help drill down into when you don't get the chance to watch a player and their team play every/ most 90 minutes.

 

[daryl hannah]

Hard to judge stats on defense for attacking players in different teams but for what it's worth. Opta says:

I was thinking more along the lines of pressing and running one's arse off/tracking back for the team.

Edit: Is there a stat for number of times a defence sh*t themselves when the player was running at them?