Mason Greenwood’s performances this season have shown the benefits of being two-footed
for attacking wide players and strikers.
Three of the top seven strikers in the league so far show a good distribution of goals between
their left and right-foot, with Jamie Vardy arguably the most well-rounded in terms of
how he finishes. Greenwood is, by percentage of passes made
with either left or right foot, United’s second most evenly distributed player of those
who’ve played over 900 minutes. Greenwood’s eight goals this season have
actually come largely from his left foot, with seven, and only one right-footed goal,
but it is his ability to use both feet that makes him hard to defend against and affords
him opportunities that more one-footed players don’t benefit from.
When playing wide, for instance, being able to use both feet is a clear advantage. While
some one-footed players, like Arjen Robben, are effectively able to repeat the same trick
of cutting inside and shooting because they’re so good at it, having two feet of roughly
equal strength is preferable, as it means defenders are always guessing.
A right-footed attacker on the right wing can be shown outside, where the touchline
is effectively another defender. If the defender can block the cross, the attacker has little
else they can try other than attempting to beat the defender with pace.
A left-footed attacker on the right will try to cut inside, to avoid having to cross with
a weaker foot. But, in response, a defender can use their body position to usher the player
further infield. This opens a broader shooting angle, but also means the attacker is more
likely to run into traffic or be challenged by a player dropping back to assist the defence.
But, in isolation, a defender can become unbalanced. By putting more weight on one foot than the
other, it creates an opportunity for the right kind of forward to exploit - and two-footed
attackers possess the capacity to do exactly that, with the ability to beat a man in either
direction. That’s why defenders are more likely to
try to stay front on and square against an attacker like Greenwood, who can do either,
so they can adjust quickly to a change in direction. But this means they are also guessing
at the attacker’s intentions and being more reactive.
Centrally, there’s a benefit to being two-footed as an attacker, too. If a defender is confronting
an attacker moving towards them in a central position – and the ball is unwinnable - they
will be looking to affect a block or close down the shooting angle.
If a player is naturally right footed, the defender will likely angle their left shoulder
towards the ball, providing a wider, more solid barrier than angling the right shoulder
across, while also keeping the hands in a natural position and out of the way.
Or, they can stretch their left foot towards the right foot of the attacker, but this is
a commitment – with balance disrupted, the defender cannot easily recover should the
attacker draw the ball back across to shoot from the other side.
Both of these defensive approaches commit the defender to a stance or position from
which it’s harder to recover. A two-footed attacker, therefore, either requires the defender
to not commit, meaning that they’re less likely to make a successful block, or – alternatively
- punishes him for gambling, shifting the ball down the less protected side.
Greenwood’s two-footedness also means he doesn’t need to dwell on the ball. Comparing
him to the other top team’s right-sided attackers in the league, excluding those at
Wolverhampton Wanderers because their system is so different, a few things stand out.
The first is that Greenwood’s goals per 90 exceeds the other attackers in his position,
but also that he is less of an all-round creator.
But what’s also interesting is that he manages the second highest number of shots on target
per 90, while also taking the fewest touches and making the fewest successful dribbles.
And that’s not because he’s bad at dribbling; his success rate is the highest.
Greenwood is the most two-footed of these players by pass percentage off either foot,
with Salah next, before Pepe. While it’s impossible to say if his two-footedness
is the cause, Greenwood is the most efficient of these attackers as a goal-scorer, when
looked at in terms of touches per 90 and dribbles per 90, and he’s also the most two-footed.
That dexterity means that he can adapt more quickly to situations, that he doesn’t need
to take extra touches to get the ball onto a favoured foot, and that he doesn’t need
to try to beat a man in order to manufacture a shooting opportunity.
This is the great advantage of two-footed attackers, and it’s one of the reasons why
Mason Greenwood has made such an impact this season.