[thread]Edinson Cavani: Guide to Movement for strikers

Since his arrival at Manchester United, Cavani's movement inside the box has been spoken a lot and seen as well. Someone who has a unique ability to create space and separate himself defenders is a rare and dying art.

What makes him special is not just movement but his desire and hunger to make those difficult runs between defenders or to track back and win the ball is a quality that sets him apart from other strikers at United.

Edinson Cavani is in red-hot form, with the most non-penalty expected goals per 90 and the most goals per 90, in Premier League Midfielders and Forwards with > 8.0 90s to their name:

So how does he receive so many chances?

- Excellent Movement
- Superb Decision Making
- Right- Timing of those runs

I am learning a module at my University on Decision Making which happens at top management level and I tried to find out some similarities in football and applied to @ECavaniOfficial playing style and some key observations were as follows :

1. Choice of runs he makes (between players or behind defenders)
2. To go for the cross or to keep it down
3. Or Simply to hold his position

As @EricLaurie highlighted in one of his threads about movement and its types, here are some of the screenshots for the same

Key Aspects to Timing are:

- triggers shown by defenders
- Wait to delay runs
- straight for quick runs
- committed/passive movement
- instinct of the player

Cavani is so often seen arriving onto a cross - this is a sign of very good run timing.

An example of how mistiming a run by just a second can result in a more difficult chance:

Cavani must overhead versus Arsenal

To put all in context :

- Cavani's movement is lit
- Experience and instinct allows Cavani to make more informed decisions over which run to use
- Should we extend his contract? A resounding yes

Some players earn more respect after retirement, and Cavani may fall into that category, which is a shame. Whether he is the key forward or quietly producing in the background, Cavani will finish his career as one of the most lethal goalscorers we have ever seen – statistically.

Yet he likely wouldn’t be the first name on everyone’s mind when discussing the best forwards over the last decade.

Not everyone can score on the grandest of stages, win Golden Boots in two separate leagues or settle into their surroundings as well as Cavani.

It would be a travesty if the football world fails to recognise his accomplishments when he calls time on his career.

credits : @EricLaurie and @JamiescottUV

@ManUtdMumbai @Iyertheterrible @FootballFundits