Sheffield United’s new line-up could suit Kieffer Moore perfectly – Opinion

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding Sheffield United’s attack in recent weeks. The club said goodbye to loanee Ben Brereton-Diaz, while Cameron Archer returned to Aston Villa on the basis of the original transfer agreement. More recently, the Blades have seen the talented 20-year-old Daniel Jebbison sign for AFC Bournemouth, in which they will receive £1.5m plus additional compensation packages.

United, on the other hand, have extended their dealings with Bournemouth by signing 31-year-old Kieffer Moore for an undisclosed fee. The Welsh international has signed a three-year contract.

There is still no news on the future of Oli McBurnie, who has been a free agent for the past three weeks. Despite not being signed to the club, there have been rumors claiming the Scottish striker has been training at Sheffield United’s training ground.

But as things stand, it looks like McBurnie’s former Barnsley team-mate Moore will take his place in the United team.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Oliver McBurnie of Sheffield United prepares to take a penalty during the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Manchester United at Bramall Lane on October 21, 2023 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Speaking about his move to South Yorkshire, the experienced target man told SUTV: “I’m very familiar with the area and it’s always nice to come back to places where you’ve had success, it’ll help me settle in too. .

“For me to be back in the area is something I’m looking forward to.

“I’ll take whatever the gaffer says, I’ve had good conversations already and although these decisions take a bit of thinking, once I’ve spoken to the manager I’ve made my decision.

“I’ve always wanted to be somewhere where I play regularly so it was hard not to do that at Bournemouth, last season I wanted to make an impact playing some football and luckily I had a fantastic time with Ipswich.

“I want to bring that experience and know-how to the group and add to what’s already here.”

IPSWICH, ENGLAND – APRIL 13: Ipswich Town’s Kieffer Moore shoots under pressure from Middlesbrough’s Matthew Clarke during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough at Portman Road on April 13, 2024 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

Speaking to the club’s official media team, Chris Wilder said: “You don’t have to look far to see his impact in this division. His goals have helped Bournemouth and, most recently, Ipswich to the Premier League. He is a proven operator.”

Moore is exactly the type of player Chris Wilder needs to secure if he can’t get a deal for McBurnie over the line. Moore scored 54 goals and collected 15 assists in 174 league appearances.

During his loan spell with Ipswich Town last season, he provided seven goals and one assist in 18 appearances, helping Kieran McKenna’s side earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Compared to other strikers in the Championship last season, via FBref, Moore has shown outstanding prospect, ranking in the 91st percentile for goals without penalties, 96th for total shots, 79th for shots on goal and 75th for goals per shot. In particular, his ranking in the 46th percentile for expected goals without penalties per shot suggests that he often took shots from less than optimal scoring positions.

When compared to Oli McBurnie’s 2022/23 Championship campaign, the similarities between the two players become apparent. McBurnie edged out slightly, ranking in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals compared to Moore’s 91st, 97th for total shots vs. Moore’s 96th, 85th for shots on goal vs. 79th Moore’s and 68th for goals per shot compared to Moore’s 75th. However, McBurnie enjoyed slightly better shooting opportunities, as indicated by his 63rd percentile ranking in expected goals without a penalty shot.

Further analysis reveals Moore’s preference for a direct playing style. Last season, he ranked in the 83rd percentile for touches in the attacking third, an astonishing 99th percentile for touches in the opposition penalty area, 76th for progressive passes received and an impressive 99th percentile for aerial duels won.

In contrast, during Sheffield United’s promotion campaign under Paul Heckingbottom, McBurnie ranked in the 86th percentile for touches in the attacking third, 97th for touches in the opposition box, 65th for progressive passes received and 88th percentile for percentage of aerial duels won.

In terms of creativity, neither forward excels at creating many chances for teammates, but their physicality allows them to serve as effective rebound boards. Moore’s stats in this area are quite telling: he ranked in the 73rd percentile for goal-creating actions and 74th for shot-creating actions. However, expected assists ranked lower in the 27th percentile and key passes in the 66th percentile.

Comparatively, McBurnie, in his previous league season, ranked in the 42nd percentile for goal-creating actions and 60th for shot-creating actions, indicating Moore’s superior utility in creating chances. Interestingly, McBurnie had a higher expected ranking in assists (76th percentile), but fell behind in key assists, ranking in the 40th percentile.

With the addition of Callum O’Hare and potential interior signings, added to the recent formation change to a 4-2-3-1, this would no doubt suit someone like Kieffer Moore. The Welshman relies on service, but is able to carve out a chance or two just by flicking it past opposition defenders.

Having someone like O’Hare, who can get the ball past a few players in one round, that could allow Moore to break away from his mark in space, and from there it’s all about playing the ball perfect weighted.

Although Moore is seen as a big target, he is still mobile enough to make runs beyond the defensive line. And I’m sure he can’t wait to play with O’Hare, Gustavo Hamer and Oli Arblaster next season.

The Blades travel to Chesterfield to play their second pre-season game on Saturday afternoon following a 2-1 win over York City last weekend.