Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Solskjaer's appraisal of Wan-Bissaka

Wednesday 08 July 2020 22:30

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signings as Manchester United manager, and the Norwegian has been pleased to see the all-action defender contribute in attacking positions for the Reds.

Aaron's tackling abilities are well known to United fans, with the 22-year-old making on average 3.8 tackles a game, the third-most in the top flight. However, since the restart Wan-Bissaka, along with fellow full back Luke Shaw, have contributed more towards the attacking side of the game, with both defenders now flying up both flank during matches.

Since our 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on 19 June, the right-back has played every single minute of league action, contributed two assists in that time and covering 43.4 kilometres - the most out of any United player. That's not all, as Aaron has made 47 sprints, the same as Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford.

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These stats have pleased the boss, who was quizzed on the improvements made by Aaron during his pre-match press conference for Thursday's Premier League contest against Aston Villa.

"It's always been a requirement from a full-back at Man United that you do go on the attack, that you do run a lot." he said. "Aaron is a young lad, he is a fit lad. We managed to give him a break in the FA Cup, so he's played 90 minutes in every league game, so that's probably the reason that he's the top distance, because other players have rotated more.

“Aaron, definitely, has improved over the season, both his fitness and his understanding and his relationship with the players around him, so he knows his role better and better.”

In his debut campaign as a Red, Aaron has only missed three Premier League matches, which sees him sit third behind Harry Maguire and David De Gea for most minutes spent on the pitch, with 2,721.

His two assists since the restart have also reinforced Solskjaer's appraisal of the youngster. In our first home game back, against Sheffield United, he deceived Enda Stevens to provide for Anthony Martial. Three days later, 'The Spider' played in Mason Greenwood to score our opener on the south coast against Brighton & Hove Albion.

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With Aston Villa, described by Ole as one of the most powerful counter-attacking sides in the division, serving as United's next opponents on Thursday, expect Wan-Bissaka to continue bombing up and down the right flank, helping the Reds in defence and attack.

In the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in December, Wan-Bissaka played an influential role against Dean Smith's Villans, making four crosses, two interceptions and finishing in the top five for most passes and touches, according to data provied by WhoScored.

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