End of season player review and awards

So season one of Saunders is about to end and I thought I would take a look at the player statistics for the season. Any form of interpretation of analysis should focus on determining what is there that shouldn't be there and what isn't there that should be there. So are the usual suspects at the top of the average ratings? Or is there someone unfancied who crept in? And importantly who is missing?

Below are a number of lists featuring the leading players using different criteria. All players mentioned have at least 50 appearances to remove outliers. Where specific stats are looked at, a minimum number is applied as an addition feature. For example you can't look at crossing percentage and include DCs who have made only 1 cross in a season - so a minimum of 200 crosses was applied.

Highest average rating - The Lionel Messi Award

1. Kaka - 7.75
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 7.67
3. Lucio - 7.57
4. Luca Toni - 7.49
5. Dani Alves - 7.46



No surprises with Kaka being top. 147 goals in 141 games suggests he is playing AMC and taking the set pieces. Lucio's goal every other game helps boost him to 3rd on the list - someone obviously knows how to use him at corners. And Dani Alves (my favourite player in FML) demonstrates a defender can make it right to the top. But where is Messi? He finished outside the top 50 with a still respectable 7.27 average rating.


Highest goals per game ratio - The Samuel Eto'o Award

1. Kaka - 1.04
2. Luca Toni - 0.97
3. Wayne Rooney - 0.91
4. Fernando Torres - 0.91
5. Didier Drogba - 0.85


Again few surprises, although Kaka has done well to outscore his illustrious company. I guess the lesson here is, regardless of cost, the best strikers will always get you goals. You have to drop to number 19 on the list to find a striker with an acquisition fee less than £500k, Aston Villa's veteran targetman John Carew who scored 310 in 411. The award was named after Eto'o, because even in his 'terrible' season last year he scored 16 in 17 for Barca in the league.


Highest average rating for an Under 19 - The Ian Olney Award

1. Gareth Bale
2. Miralem Pjanic
3. Gabriel Torje
4. Mario Balotelli
5. Toni Kroos


There is some real talent in this list. These players represent some of the most sought after in the game. Gareth Bale averaged 7.23 in senior football games, and that figure is not boosted by being the set piece taker. Right on his heals is Miralem Pjanic, the young Bosnian. As the old adage goes if you are good enough you are old enough. I doubt many regens will ever attain this level of excellence by the age of 18 or 19. Aside from Balotelli, all the others have multiple PPMs.


Highest avg rating - under £100k Acquisition Fee - The Eduardo Albacar Award

1. Alvaro Recoba
2. Marek Heinz
3. Walter Jimenez
4. Sebastian Abreu
5. Frode Johnsen


So yes, it is still worth buying Alvaro Recoba. 157 goals and 250 assists in 408 games and a chart topping rating of 7.32. All for an initial fee of £26k. Not many £26k players have wage demands of £12k a day but he is definitely worth it, and if you ever come across a player with high wages and low acquisition fee it's always worthwhile digging a bit deeper to see why. A year younger at 31, Heinz cost just £24k on his way to averaging 7.32 too. Special mention also goes to Sebastian Abreu who at 32, banged in 93 in 128 games.


Most tackles per game - The John Terry Award

1. James McEveley
2. Jose Buricaga Jr
3. Vitaliy Fedoriv
4. Sam Koskinen
5. Sebastien Pocognoli

Former Blackburn prospect James McEveley topped the average tackles per match rating - maybe helped by the work he had to get through for his 588th ranked manager. I sometimes think that having to make tackles means that players are out of position or you are not dominating possession enough. I personally prefer interceptions to tackles.

Most dribbles per game - The Robinho (at home) Award

1. Mauro Rosales
2. David Odonkor
3. Teo
4. Dani Alves
5. Maicon


Some more familiar names in this list - particularly arguably two of the best DRs in the game in Maicon and Alves. With an average of over 9 dribbles per match Rosales represents a real threat down the right flank and also rather worryingly for opposition managers has 17 for crossing. Some hard tackling and tight marking required for this guy I think.


There is a veritable treasure trove of information under the player statistics tab in All Players. Sensible managers should use it to inform their transfer policy. Any player that can average 7 without taking set pieces or be the dominant DC at corner time is worth consideration. Whilst the Acquisition Fee snobs only look at £1m+ players, a clever manager digs deeper and finds the bargains that can do a job for them.