It\u2019s not just that S\u00e1nchez hasn\u2019t scored for his new side in 693 minutes \u2013 which has cost United \u00a313 million \u2013 it\u2019s that the Chilean has been absent from their attack in a way he\u2019s never shown before.<\/p>\n
Manchester United Need to Solve the Alexis S\u00e1nchez Problem<\/h1>\n
Using Scott Willis<\/a>\u2019 Offensive Value Added<\/a> we can see roughly how much value Alexis S\u00e1nchez is contributing to the attack per 90 minutes \u2013 an OVA of one equates to one added goal.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez is contributing roughly one goal every three matches \u2013 assuming he plays a full 90 minutes \u2013 easily his worst output in English football. For context, 0.31 OVA\/90 is only slightly better than James Milner\u2019s and worse than Nacho Monreal\u2019s this season.<\/p>\n Worse than that, S\u00e1nchez\u2019s eight shots this season have registered a combined .0.39 expected goals, and despite the forward\u2019s propensity to outperform his expected goals, this is still lower than what spectators have come to expect from Manchester\u2019s \u00a335 million man.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez\u2019s tenure at Manchester United has been far from ideal but that doesn\u2019t mean he should be written off.<\/p>\n At 29-years-old the forward still boasts an impressive work rate and an incisive passing ability. Against Wolves<\/a> S\u00e1nchez attempted eight passed into the penalty area, and although he only connected on three, those account for nearly half of all his final third passes; S\u00e1nchez was 13\/20 in the attacking third.<\/p>\n This season he has proven himself \u2013 once again \u2013 to be a dangerous passer, capable of moving the ball into dangerous positions, but even there, in an area where he succeeds, S\u00e1nchez is behind his former self.<\/p>\n Returning to Willis\u2019 data, this time his Passing Progression Value Added<\/a> stat, similar to xG Chain or xG Build Up, we can measure the average value of S\u00e1nchez\u2019s passes per 50 attempts. This season he\u2019s leading United with a PPVA\/50p of 0.26, but that is significantly down from last season \u2013 0.36 \u2013 or his career total in England: 0.33.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tough to discern whether this change comes from playing under Jose Mourinho, S\u00e1nchez\u2019s age, a lack of interest, or is simply a run of bad form, but the fact of the matter is that the player United thought they acquired in January has yet to appear.<\/p>\n Alexis S\u00e1nchez is a valuable player, and he has not been entirely absent, but in this case, good simply isn\u2019t good enough, as pointed out by his manager after another disappointing performance, this time against Wolves.<\/p>\n \u201cWolves, by the way, they faced the game, I think they deserve it. They play like I like to play which is like the World Cup final,\u201d Mourinho said in his post-match press conference<\/a>, before singling out some of his players.<\/p>\n \u201cI could say we were tired. I could go in this direction but Alexis S\u00e1nchez and Jesse Lingard didn\u2019t play. It\u2019s a mental situation, an attitude. One team was coming to play the game of their lives, the other to relax,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n Mourinho will have to decide how much leash he\u2019s willing to extend his star player because he\u2019s costing a pretty penny and keeping young players like Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford off the starter\u2019s sheet.<\/p>\n Main Photo:![\"Alexis](\"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/Sanchez-OVA-300x67.png\")
![\"Despite](\"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/Sanchez-Passing-300x211.png\")
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>