Saturday 26 December 2015 12:51, UK
Morgan Schneiderlin has shown his worth defensively - but will he be able to contain one of the Premier League's top creators on Boxing Day?
Saturday's football festivities begin at the Britannia Stadium with Stoke City and Manchester United hoping to bounce back from recent defeats in the league.
The Potter's marquee summer signing, Xherdan Shaqiri, has quickly become his side's chief creator, and it will be his responsibility to carve a way through the visitors' defence.
Shaqiri has not only created more chances than any Stoke player this season but has done so at a much faster rate, with his total of 28 coming at an average of one every 36 minutes. Fans will expect more from the Switzerland international as he adjusts to English football, so to already be posting this production - a ratio that ranks in the top 15 for the Premier League's most creative players - is an impressive start.
This won't surprise those familiar with Shaqiri's career. The former Bayern Munich attacker also led the way in these categories during the Euro 2016 qualifiers, and created at a similar rate while at Inter Milan.
No Stoke player has created a chance more regularly than every 42 minutes over the past three seasons, so Shaqiri clearly represents a sizable creative upgrade. Now all the Potters need is for their strikers to finish these chances - Stoke currently boast the Premier League's poorest conversion rate of 9.66 per cent.
While Shaqiri generally operates from a wider berth, he will also drift in-field and look to thread through balls to his forwards. This is where Manchester United must be particularly wary.
United have fielded 43 players this season, a tally only Manchester City surpass. They are one of three sides yet to name an unchanged XI and, after home defeat to Norwich, Louis van Gaal may well shuffle his pack once again. One player he should consider recalling, however, is Morgan Schneiderlin, who would help suppress Shaqiri's threat.
The former Southampton midfielder has been a victim of United's well documented scoring struggles, losing his place in recent weeks with Van Gaal seeking more in attack.
Schneiderlin offers less on the ball than his fellow midfielders, passing less and in less dangerous areas, yet it's hard to ignore how effective he is off the ball. He wins back possession through tackles and interceptions far more regularly than any team-mate which can itself be an effective platform to attack from. If he can dispossess Shaqiri with Stoke committed in attack, a quick pass can launch his side on the break with fewer defenders ahead.
Schneiderlin also offers more energy to his team. He covers more ground per 90 minutes than any Manchester United player and, Ander Herrera aside, whose appearances have almost exclusively been in attacking berths, he sprints far more than anyone in Van Gaal's midfield core.
With such constant focus on their attacking woes, it's perhaps understandable for Van Gaal to veer away from a player whose strengths lie off the ball, but United have been far more successful with Schneiderlin involved.
As Van Gaal attempts to solve his side's attacking limitations, he must be wary of disrupting their defensive efficiency; after all, it was this efficiency that kept them in the title conversation until a few weeks ago. It's worth noting, keeping clean sheets have won Premier League sides an average of 2.33 points per game this season, and no Schneiderlin seems to reduce United's chances of recording one.
Shaqiri is Stoke's leading attacking threat and Manchester United need a midfield presence to protect their back four, as Schneiderlin did so well at the start of the season. If the Frenchman is given that task again, Stoke will find it far harder to break down their Boxing Day guests.
Watch Stoke v Manchester United live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12.30pm on Boxing Day
