|
OPTA INDEX
|
Goalkeepers |
Ranking |
Player |
Team |
Rating |
1 |
Darren Ward |
Notts County |
991 |
2 |
Patrick Kenny |
Bury |
941 |
3 |
Steve Phillips |
Bristol City |
803 |
4 |
Martin Taylor |
Wycombe Wanderers |
774 |
5 |
Gavin Ward |
Stoke City |
758 |
6 |
Mark Gayle |
Chesterfield |
737 |
7 |
Derek Stillie |
Wigan Athletic |
723 |
8 |
Billy Mercer |
Bristol City |
677 |
9 |
Vince Bartram |
Gillingham |
673 |
10 |
Mark Ovendale |
Bournemouth |
654 |
|
Defenders |
Ranking |
Player |
Team |
Rating |
1 |
Brian Carey |
Wrexham |
725 |
2 |
Steve Davis |
Burnley |
693 |
3 |
Richard Liburd |
Notts County |
680 |
4 |
Eddie Howe |
Bournemouth |
673 |
5 |
Mickey Bell |
Bristol City |
671 |
6 |
Michael Clegg |
Wigan Athletic |
668 |
7 |
Andy Holt |
Oldham Athletic |
638 |
8 |
Ian Breckin |
Chesterfield |
614 |
9 |
Alan White |
Luton Town |
608 |
10 |
Shaun Garnett |
Oldham Athletic |
596 |
|
Midfielders |
Ranking |
Player |
Team |
Rating |
1 |
Keith Ryan |
Wycombe Wanderers |
741 |
2 |
Andy Hessenthaler |
Gillingham |
707 |
3 |
Darren Caskey |
Reading |
701 |
4 |
Graham Kavanagh |
Stoke City |
689 |
5 |
Tim Cahill |
Millwall |
658 |
6 |
Paul Cook |
Burnley |
650 |
7 |
Darren Sheridan |
Wigan Athletic |
639 |
8 |
Paul Bolland |
Notts County |
597 |
9= |
Willie Boland |
Cardiff City |
585 |
9= |
Michael Simpson |
Wycombe Wanderers |
585 |
|
Attacking
Midfielders |
Ranking |
Player |
Team |
Rating |
1 |
Danny Boshell |
Oldham Athletic |
886 |
2 |
Paul Ifill |
Millwall |
843 |
3 |
Ryan Williams |
Chesterfield |
827 |
4 |
Jermaine McSporran |
Wycombe Wanderers |
812 |
5 |
Scott Murray |
Bristol City |
790 |
6 |
John Mullin |
Burnley |
728 |
7 |
Brian Tinnion |
Bristol City |
681 |
8 |
Karl Duguid |
Colchester United |
680 |
9 |
Mark Walters |
Bristol Rovers |
679 |
10 |
Craig Ramage |
Notts County |
585 |
|
Attackers |
Ranking |
Player |
Team |
Rating |
1 |
Peter Thorne |
Stoke City |
1,255 |
2 |
Neil Harris |
Millwall |
1,167 |
3 |
Karl Connolly |
Wrexham |
995 |
4 |
Andy Payton |
Burnley |
883 |
5 |
Steve McGavin |
Colchester United |
876 |
6 |
Sean Devine |
Wycombe Wanderers |
857 |
7 |
Tony Thorpe |
Bristol City |
841 |
8 |
Trevor Benjamin |
Cambridge United |
829 |
9 |
Steve Butler |
Gillingham |
778 |
10 |
Andy Preece |
Blackpool |
771 |
|
Opta Nationwide Football League
Division Two Index
[6 matches up to 1st May 2000]
Goalkeepers
Top Man: Notts County fans will hope that Darren Ward stays at Meadow Lane for a long time. The agile Welshman has had another excellent season for County.
Riser: Wigan may be out of contention for automatic promotion and without first choice goalkeeper Roy Carroll, but
Derek Stillie is a more than adequate reserve. He is up to 7th in the Index.
Defenders
Top Man: Wrexham have won their last four games, and central defender Brian Carey has been as strong as ever in the rearguard. He will hope that next season brings some joy for the inconsistent Robins.
Riser: Mickey Bell has signed a new contract at Bristol City, and he celebrated by curling a beautiful free-kick into the top corner at Colchester to give the Robins a dramatic 4-3 win.
Midfielders
Top Man: Wycombe manager Lawrie Sanchez has decided to rest Keith Ryan for the rest of the season, but his form until the Colchester game means that he is the top midfielder in Division Two over the last six games.
Riser: And Ryan's midfield partner Michael Simpson moves into the Index in ninth place after a series of good games for the Chairboys. He is the most accurate passer at the club and can unlock any opposition defence.
Attacking midfielders
Top Man: Oldham youngster Danny Boshell has been excellent since coming into the Oldham team a few weeks ago. Andy Ritchie has blooded a number of players in the hope that next season can be more productive.
Riser: John Mullin returned to Burnley in the summer, and has not enjoyed the greatest of seasons. But as the Clarets surge towards Division One, he has started to play a key role and is up to sixth in the Index.
Strikers
Top Man: 12 goals in 11 league games from Peter Thorne have helped Stoke to the edges of the play off race. If he can continue to fire at the same rate, the Potters could be on for a quick return to
Wembley.
Riser: Karl Connolly is the darling of the Racecourse Ground faithful and he has had a fine end to the campaign. Unfortunately for the Robins, he is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a move to Division One side Tranmere Rovers.
statistics supplied by Carling
Opta
* A team of specially-trained Opta analysts monitor and record every touch of the ball in the FA Carling Premiership, Nationwide Football League and Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League using state-of-the-art digital voice-recognition software. Each touch is awarded plus or minus points based on a system originally devised in conjunction with former England coach Don Howe. The Opta database then averages out each player's scores over the last six games to produce the Index, widely considered to be the quintessential guide to player form. Players must have played at least 225 minutes over the last six games to qualify.
See also
OPTA - Cambridge v Chairboys
Form guide to the final game of the 1999/2000 season.
OPTA - Stat Attack up to 30 April 2000
Sean Devine tops the shooting charts
OPTA - Div II Team of the Week
15 April 2000
Keith Ryan and Steve Brown rewarded for memorable displays against
Colchester.
|