2016-2017 Season Performance Review: Jesse Lingard

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – MAY 24: Jesse Lingard of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Europa League final match between Ajax and Manchester United at Friends Arena on May 24, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /

Pre-Season

Jesse Lingard featured in all three pre-season games for 45 minutes a piece. The Englishman wasn’t able to produce the end product but impressed with his pace and dribbling ability. In the Community Shield, Lingard scored an incredible goal after dribbling straight through the Leicester City defense.

Start of the Season

Unfortunately, Lingard picked up an injury in the Community Shield and was unable to play his first match until the Manchester Derby. He was very poor in this match and was subbed off at halftime. He came back in the 4-1 victory against Leicester and scored goal as well as providing an assist. After this impressive performance, he earned himself a spot in the starting lineup. His performances earned him an England call up as well. After the international break, he added a goal in the Europa League and an assist in the league against West Brom.

Mid-Season

Lingard had a slow start to the second half of the season but his work ethic kept earning him a place on the pitch. His best moment came in the EFL Cup where he scored a great goal to put United 2-0 up on Southampton. A few weeks later, he had a man of the match performance and scored an incredible goal from outside the box. This was the peak of his season by a long shot.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 21: Jesse Lingard of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on May 21, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) /

End of the Season

As the season came to a close, Lingard was unable to create the final product for United. His biggest criticism is his ability to finish in front of goal. This became especially true in the end of the season as he had no goals and no assists after the March international break. The Englishman will need to work on his game in front of the goal if he wants to become a United star in the future.

Overall Stats

Lingard featured 42 times for United this season and was a favorite of Jose Mourinho. He scored 5 goals and added 3 assists on the season. In order to become the man for United, he must be a double-digit goal scorer. He will need to work on this in the off-season and if he is able to combine a great goalscoring ability with his work ethic, then he will become a force for United.

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