Identifying the right match: would Mika Godts’ profile be a good stylistic fit for Manchester United?

In a recruitment context, Kognia tactical data can add an additional layer of insight. For example, a club may have four players on their shortlist for a particular position, and Kognia’s focus on player behaviour, in their context of their surroundings (teammates, pitch, opponents) can provide crucial information to inform a scouting decision, and ultimately reduce risk when bringing in a new player.

In this (entirely hypothetical) example, we explore whether Ajax’s Mika Godts, a right-footed left winger, would be an ideal fit for Manchester United. Here’s a snapshot of what we see.

• Mika Godts is a winger who tends to make runs into the box before receiving the ball and creating danger.

• Mika Godts is a player who gets behind the opposition defence and capitalises on the resulting gaps.

• Mika Godts likes to be involved in the build-up play, receiving the ball between the lines and making movements to provide support, both to beat opponents and to link up with the third man.

• Given his profile and Ajax’s style of play, Mika Godts has all the makings of a good signing for Manchester United.

Mika Godts’s winger profile, viewed through Kognia’s attacking and supporting‑play metrics

Mika Godts ranks above the 80th percentile across these Kognia tactics that measure attacking ability, support play and breaking through defensive lines.

Mika Godts is a very well-rounded winger, according to some of Kognia’s specific metrics that help underpin his profile. He is an attacker capable of contributing to the build-up play, showing himself to be proactive in building from deep to beat opponents (99th percentile) and linking up with the third man to drive forward (80th percentile). However, it doesn’t stop there, as he tends to be very dynamic, exploiting defensive imbalances (87th percentile), receiving the ball after runs into the box (95th percentile) and after breaking behind the defensive line (92nd percentile).

How does Godts’ dynamic runs compare against Manchester United’s left sided options?

If we put Godts output here amongst all Premier League players, he ranks sixth when it comes to receiving the ball following these runs into the box.

Kognia’s sub-metrics, which measure average speed and average distance, as well as ball receptions following off-the-ball movement, demonstrate the Belgian player’s performance in these situations.

The graphics below visualise Godts, Dorgu and Cunha here, seeing how each of them make their approaches into the box.

Now that we have a better understanding of Mika Godts’ profile thanks to Kognia’s metrics, it is time to address one of the most pertinent questions raised in this article: how would Godts adapt Manchester United?

Ajax and Manchester United are two teams with clear similarities in their attacking play in certain very specific aspects that define and directly influence Mika Godts’ profile. To this end, we have carried out a comparison, highlighting the following key points:

• Ajax and Manchester United are two teams that play well on the ball. They are aggressive in attacking spaces, breaking behind the defensive line and capitalising on the imbalances created in the opposition’s defence.

• Ajax and Manchester United are two teams that enjoy developing the play, although the English side are managing to find the third man more often and more effectively, and are looking to create links between the lines. This is an important aspect, as Mika Godts is comfortable moving into central areas and making an impact when in possession.

Through this analysis, we have learned that Mika Godts has clear qualities to adapt to Manchester United, especially due to his ability to attack space and drift inside. The team’s more vertical style and stronger interior connections could enhance his offensive impact and add another attacking option for the team.