Ben Davies has emerged as Liverpool's (now) top left-back target, so how does he compare to former top target, Alberto Moreno?
News broke last night that Liverpool FC's pursuit of Alberto Moreno has collapsed with Tony Barrett (Times) and Chris Bascombe (Telegraph) reporting that an initial bid of 8 million pounds for Swansea left-back Ben Davies had been rejected - Barrett clarified by stating that the Merseyside club were ready to return with an improved bid over the coming weeks. Many fans were disappointed by the news that the Spainsh starlet was unlikely to wear the Liverpool red, but what do last season stats say about the drop off of quality between the two targets?
First, let's look at the attacking stats - full backs in Rodgers system are required to 'bomb on' and join the attack when in defensive to offensive transition and therefore a good attacking output is something of a must. In 34 English Premier League appearances for the Swans, Davies created 31 chances in the form of 30 key passes, with one being converted into a goal and thus has the edge over his Spanish counter part. Moreno made 29 appearances in La Liga for Sevilla in which he created 19 chances, all of which were key passes - this is quite a significant drop from the out put of Davies as the Welshman, at first glance, looks to have the offensive edge.
As transition occurs, full backs are required to bring the ball forward and therefore take ons and dribbles completed are a key attacking statistic. It is in taking on an opponent that Moreno excels, while both young left-backs are tied on their percentage of successful take ons (52%), Moreno has attempted significantly more take ons (64) than Davies' rather timid 29. This is where we see the pace that Alberto Moreno possesses seeming to pay dividends - the young Spaniards also attempts on average 1.1 dribbles per-game in La Liga, another vast improvement on Davies' 0.4.
So, a mixed bag of attacking stats, it seems that Moreno creates chances through relying on his pace and movement and thus is more competent at beating his man; whereas Davies uses 'in game intelligence' to compensate for an, albeit small, lack of pace by picking off the correct pass or placing himself in an advantageous position. Different styles clearly with Davies having more general out put than Moreno, however which is the best approach in the long term remains to be seen.
Full backs, of course, have to attack but defence is equally as important - the lack of full back (as well as midfield) cover for the starting centre backs invited pressure and pressure leads to goal concession. Therefore it is key that any potential signing is able to protect the wings next season, so how do the two full backs compare?
The number of times a full back is dribbled past is perhaps they key defensive stat, as it means they are allowing the attacker to move past them and therefore progress the offensive movement - Davies has concerning numbers here! The Swansea left-back was dribbled past 1.6 times per game last season as opposed to Moreno who was beaten a measly 0.8 times per game - potentially a sign that his higher level of pace makes him a much better defensive option.
Davies' numbers at the back aren't all bad however! A 42% tackle win percentage is a 2% increase on Moreno's figures as well as the Welshman attempting 44 more tackles than the Spaniard last term. Both players read the game well, with Davies averaging 6 defensive actions per game and Moreno 5. Forty-eight percent all of Moreno's defensive actions were interceptions, an 18% increase on Davies - it seems that Moreno is slightly more proactive than the Welshman. However, of the defensive actions Davies completed, 63.7% were clearances - a demonstration of his superior positional sense to Moreno (48.7%) as the Welshman is strong at 'mopping up' at the back. Blocking therefore is a facet of the game that neither player relies heavily on, however Davies (5.4%) has a marginal edge on Moreno (5.3%) - both players break down attacks in different ways, however the number of times Ben Davies gets dribbled past is something of a concern.
In and amongst all of the attacking & defensive stats, the most simple number is often lost - pass accuracy. Davies is (quite significantly) victorious over Moreno here, boasting an eight-four percent completion rate, dwarfing Moreno's 79%. All players in Rodgers system need to be comfortable on the ball, not least defenders as the Reds play out from the back and thus Davies looks the best suited in that regard. However, if Rodgers can coach Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher into possession football, there's no reason Moreno couldn't adapt.
Football is of course played on a pitch and not on paper and Reds fans will be wary of stats after the Comolli era of recruitment in which it was categorically proven numbers can't tell the whole story. However, these comparisons seem to suggest, ironically, there's little comparison to draw - both young left-backs have different styles and approach the game in different ways. Just as it looks like Moreno has the edge Davies pips him on another key set of numbers, which style is the best remains to be seen.