Jesse Lingard: A smart move or a costly risk?

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Jesse Lingard has completed a move to newly promoted Nottingham Forest, but will he be a good fit at the City Ground?

But, with high wage demands of around £80,000 per week, is the 29-year-old still worth the big bucks?

He undeniably has talent, but Lingard has not always performed consistently. This article breaks down his performances from the last three seasons, so you can see how much quality he still has in his locker.

 

2021-22 – Manchester United 

The beginning of the 2021-22 campaign was a tumultuous time for Lingard as there was a lot of doubt surrounding his future, after being unable to break into the Manchester United side for a long period. 

He also had just one year left on his contract, so United would have had to sell him then to generate any cash from his departure.

However, the then-United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to keep Lingard, saying he “still had a part to play” for him. Unfortunately for Jesse though, Solskjaer was sacked by November and he was left without many minutes for the Red Devils. 

In total, under three different managers in Solskjaer, Michael Carrick (interim) and Ralf Rangnick, Lingard played 22 matches for United. Although 17 of these appearances came off the bench, so he only played 548 minutes for the club across the campaign.

A creative attacking midfielder, the most important aspect of his game is creating and scoring chances, but given he was usually only given a 15-minute stint on the pitch; he was not very involved in the games he played. 

He averaged 9.1 passes per game for United, which is extremely low for a number 10; but again, this is probably a result of not getting much game time. 

His only real memorable moment was a terrible back pass against Young Boys in the Champions League group stages, which ultimately lost the Red Devils the game. 

Despite this, overall Lingard still managed to play 0.5 key passes per game – showing he could still create opportunities for his teammates. He also very rarely gave the ball away, with an excellent pass success rate of 88.3%. 

He often took shots when he had the opportunity, too, averaging 0.5 shots on target per game for United. So, he still looked dangerous at times. 

Some United fans felt the club let Jesse down somewhat, as his performances off the bench warranted him getting more opportunities. However, they were still few and far between for him. 

He made just one assist in the 2021-22 season and scored two goals in total, including one 89th-minute strike against (ironically) West Ham. 

It was definitely a disappointing season for Lingard, with a lack of chances to show his remaining quality. He put in some good performances, but some poor ones too, but it seems unfair to judge him on this season given the instability at United. 

Played: 22 
Tackles per game: 0.6
Average passes per game: 9.1  
Key passes per game: 0.5
Pass success rate: 88.3%
Shots per game: 0.5
Assists: 1
Goals: 2 

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2020-21 – Manchester United and West Ham (loan)

The 2020-21 season was a different story for Lingard though, as he finally saw himself backed by a manager: David Moyes, who he rewarded with some fantastic performances for West Ham, nearly helping them secure Champions League football.

Lingard played just three matches for United in the first half of the season as he was unable to get ahead of Bruno Fernandes in the pecking order. After it became apparent that he was unlikely to break into the team, Solskjaer opted to send him out on loan in January 2021 so he could get some regular minutes.

At West Ham, Jesse played 16 matches, all of which he started. As a result, he had one of the best seasons (or half-season) of his career. 

One of the big differences in his stats was his number of passes per game – making 39.6 on average for the Hammers. This shows that when he does play 90 minutes, he’s very involved in the game and doesn’t shy away from receiving the ball. 

In terms of creating chances, Lingard was extremely effective – making 1.1 key passes per game. Often these were through balls or passes in behind to get his teammates into dangerous positions. He linked up particularly well with Michail Antonio, who he assisted on several occasions. In total, he made nine assists for West Ham. 

He also rediscovered his shooting boots, too. On his debut against Aston Villa, it looked like he was trying to send a message to United and he certainly did, with two goals.  He also scored one phenomenal solo goal against Wolves, where he ran half the length of the pitch, going past three Wolves players to finish perfectly with his left foot. 

He netted five times in total for the Hammers; seemingly, he must have been motivated to shake off his ‘forgotten man’ reputation at Old Trafford. Overall, he averaged 0.74 goal contributions per game: a fantastic effort. 

Lingard’s great performances earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England European Championship squad. Despite not playing a game in the tournament, it still shows that if he’s playing regularly, Jesse is still a world-class player on his day.  

Played: 19  
Tackles per game: 0.8
Average passes per game: 39.6 
Key passes per game: 1.1
Pass success rate: 83.6%
Shots per game: 2.6
Assists: 9
Goals: 5

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2019-20 – Manchester United 

Lingard played more regular for United during the 2019-20 season, but he still wasn’t a consistent starter. In total, he made 38 appearances, but 19 of these came off the bench. In fairness, he didn’t exactly perform very well when he got given chances, so perhaps it’s not a surprise about his lack of minutes. 

He still looked dangerous going forward, making 0.9 key passes and taking 1 shot per game. He very rarely gave the ball away too, with an 87.7% pass success rate. This is a stat that has been consistently high throughout his career, so he will bring calmness on the ball to whatever club he ends up at next. 

However, during the campaign Lingard simply wasn’t clinical enough – only scoring four goals and making just two assists. His confidence seemed to be knocked as he didn’t seem as up to the pace as he had previously in his career. 

He played his best football in the Europa League and captained United once in the competition. He scored twice in Europe and played the majority of United’s matches, which saw them reach the semi-finals. He was left on the bench as they were knocked out by Sevilla, so perhaps if he had started that game too, it would have been a different story. 

Overall, it was a disappointing campaign for Lingard as he failed to force his way into becoming a consistent starter. Looking back, it was probably the beginning of the end for his time at Manchester United. 

Played: 38 
Tackles per game: 0.7
Average passes per game: 17.8
Key passes per game: 0.9
Pass success rate: 87.7%
Shots per game: 1
Assists: 2
Goals: 4

Despite two underwhelming seasons with the Red Devils since 2019, Lingard’s five-month loan spell at West Ham showed that he still has the quality to be a top player. 

If he is on top form, his new club will have a creative, quick, dangerous attacking midfielder, who can also play as a winger… on his day, he is unplayable. 

But, if his head is not in the right place he can also go missing in games at times, as he did often in the 2019-20 season with United. His new suitors will have to weigh up these factors, plus his £80k a week wage bill, before deciding whether to sign him. 

At just 29 years old, wherever he ends up next may prove to be his last chance to leave a lasting legacy on the Premier League. 

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