Conor McGrandles
Interestingly, Sheffield United is the stronger example I’ve picked for McGrandles. Within the same 3-0 defeat, he completed 36 of 39 passes in his 63 minutes, a success rate of 92.3%. That included 12 of 14 forward passes and four of five into the final third, so there was meaningful progression within that accuracy.
He also made 12 recoveries, eight in the opposition half, and won seven of 12 duels. Bayliss and McGrandles weren’t playing identical minutes or necessarily doing identical jobs, but their different returns are a useful reminder about judging individuals within a disappointing result. There was plenty in McGrandles’ passing and recovery work that stood up, even though the afternoon as a whole gave us very little to enjoy.
West Ham at home on 14 October is a much clearer weak example, although the reason is different. McGrandles was dismissed in the 23rd minute, cutting short his contribution and leaving the team a player down. He completed four of five passes, but an 80% completion rate from such a small sample tells us very little compared with the consequence of the red card.
Discipline is part of a performance, and that is where this one falls down. His recovery work and distribution are valuable qualities, as the Sheffield United figures show, but we need him available to provide them. At West Ham, his involvement ended before the game had reached the half-hour mark.
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