Oliver Norwood was once again at the centre of all good things Sheffield United did against Huddersfield Town, displaying his exceptional passing ability particularly in the first half.
Norwood is nearly 32, but he is still one of the most important players in the squad, and the Blades will be looking his way to spray passes left, right and centre on Monday night against Wigan Athletic.
Last Saturday, the experienced deep-lying playmaker made 5 key passes and 10 progressive passes – most out of anybody else on the pitch in both categories.
Additionally, Norwood leads the entire league in progressive passer per game with 6.7. The former Northern Ireland international has registered a remarkable shot-creating actions number per game for his role that he plays, with 4.5 – leaving him 5th in the entire league. Everyone else above him plays much more of an advanced role.
But what gets lost in all the brilliance that Norwood does in possession is his off-the-ball work. Oliver Norwood’s defensive ability is ridiculously underrated. Norwood lacks the pace that other Blades midfielders have, but his reading of the game is just as good defensively as it is offensively.
In tackles and interceptions combined, Norwood averages 4.22 per game, making him the 4th-best player in the league at breaking up play. Remarkably, everybody in the top 5 of this category are below 25 years old – apart from Norwood who is 31, showing that intelligence and experience is just as effective as being fresh and athletic.