I also don't get the comments about him stagnating or even regressing.
I mean okay, his goals & assists are a bit worse than last year (14&8 vs. 16&6), but that's a stupid way to judge 99% of players and especially young players anyways.
His other, more significant stats tell a different story:
- He had a higher pass success rate this season (73% vs. 70%)
- He makes more passes per game this season (33.1 vs. 27.3)
- He completes more long balls this season (2.1/game vs. 1.2/game)
- He completes more crosses this season (1.1/game vs. 0.9/game)
- He completes more through balls this season (1.5/game vs. 1.4/game)
- He has more succesful dribbles per game this season (1.2 vs 0.9)
- He's dispossessed less often per game this season (1.9 vs. 2)
- He has less bad controls this season per game (2.3 vs. 2.4)
- He has more succesful tackles this season (1.7/game vs. 1.3/game)
- He has more interceptions this season (1/game vs. 0.8/game)
- He fouls less often (1.8/game vs. 2/game)
- He made more key passes per game this season (1.5 vs. 1.4)
Literally every stat has improved, even if some only slightly.
http://www.whoscored.com/Players/118542/History/Domenico-Berardi