zin
Anthony Gardner
Another month, another undefeated month, our worst month of the season.
Bizarre, to say the least but this has been our lowest rated month with 6.09, beating the previous worst of 6.14 in November. We were knocked out of the Europa League on penalties after two 2-2 draws and won 1 and drew 2 of our three Premier League games, all games ending with 4 goals.
We beat last season's champions 3-1 but this was only our 15th best match of the season, even surpassed by a 0-0 draw vs Lazio back in September. The 6.80 in this game and the 6.61 in the game away to Basel were the only two games in which we were above the season average of 6.33. These ratings also tell us that the Everton game was only a 6.18 but what this meant was that if we had lost that game we'd now be on the same points and with a similar goal difference with them, albeit with a game in hand therefore a late draw was rather welcome.
Same with Wigan, the rating of 5.85 combined with the 5.35 against them back in November means they are the team we've performed most badly against this season. Let's hope our game against Chelsea doesn't make that statistic even worse. That said a last minute draw with Wigan means they now sit 5 points from safety, and with them having to play Arsenal still one can hope that means they will raise their game even more to get out of the situation they are in.
Finally our 2-2 home draw against Basel was our third worst game of the season with 5.02 and pretty much one of the main reasons we are out of the Europa league. Our 5.00 against Inter Milan (A) and 4.98 vs Leeds in the FA Cup are just about worse however as both those were defeats the Basel score is also a huge 0.53 rating less than our next worse draw, the 1-1 home draw vs Norwich in only our 3rd game of the season and when the team was still in its AVB infancy.
Over to the players, and this was by far the closest race for player of the month, having swayed backwards and forwards on individual ratings alone with Walker just edging it over Huddlestone. The difference? 0.01. Closer than the 0.04 when Sandro won it over Bale in November.
Both players have had by far their best months, helping their season ratings go over 6.00. Walker's 7.79 against Basel (A) beat his previous best of 7.43 earned in the Inter Milan (H) game and Huddlestone's 7.72 against Emirates Marketing Project (having come off the bench to impact the game) beat his previous best of 6.91 set against Maribor (H) back in November. In fact 3 of Huddlestone's ratings in April were better than that Maribor game and having improved so much it is a bit of a shame that he misses out on the monthly prize, especially considering he was MOTM in two of the four games he played in whereas Walker was in none.
Having said that Walker was the second best player on the pitch three of the four games he played in, two of the games Huddlestone was MOTM in and the one against Basel (A) in which Dawson got his highest rating of the season with 7.90 for the second month running, beating the 7.79 he got against Arsenal. Unfortunately Dawson's inconsistecy in April also meant his rating of 6.33 for the month matches the season average of the team.
Of our big players Lloris came third for the month with a slightly above personal season average of 6.63, however had he played in the games against Basel this could have been lower. With Bale getting his lowest rating of the season with 5.01 in the home game against Basel and Dembele winning the lowest rated MOTM in the same game with 6.14 (Bale's 6.22 vs Leeds being the previous lowest) both players averaged more than April's average but less than the team's season average as well as way below their own personal season averages.
Of the remaining above season average performers it's good to see both Sigurdsson and Holtby there as they've had difficult first seasons however it's disappointing to see last month's Barclays Premier League player of the month Vertonghen have such a poor month. Further disappointing is last season's Spurs Player of the Season Scott Parker's performances this time round, his season average now being just below Walker's, Huddlestone's and Sigurdsson's who have all at one time been somewhat berated by our supporters. Parker now joins that list, especially after his worst player on the pitch performance against Wigan.
The season's most inconsistent player Clint Dempsey has seemingly forgotten about his good December and January form and continues to perform randomly, getting decent ratings in the games he scores and horrible ratings, including a worst player on the pitch performance against Everton, in the games he hasn't. He has the second lowest season rating but nowhere near the season average of 5.65 of Adebayor who got his highest rating of the season with 7.25 against Everton and his only MOTM award of the season however in his other three games was again poor and the worst player on the pitch against his former club Emirates Marketing Project, bringing his total worst player on the pitch performances to double figures in just 30 games.
We seem to also have an issue at left back, with Naughton being the worst player of the month, closely followed by Assou-Ekotto however neither player was the worst player in any of the five games and although Benny has now played 19 games he's never actually been the worst player on the pitch at any time, impressive for someone who has the 3rd worst season rating with 5.89.
A quick mention of our squad players for the month, the ones who only got 1 or 2 games. Gallas' 3.46 in the game against Basel (H) is the second lowest score of the season, only Adebayor's 3.30 against Arsenal (A) in which he got sent off is lower. Gallas hasn't been seen on the pitch since, apparently injured, and with his contract up at the end of the season that may have been his last game for the club. Of the others, Friedel probably won't be playing again this season seeing as there are no more cup games and his score of 6.20 in 20 games for the season is respectable enough although a little below the season average.
Caulker has only played 7 games since the start of the year and with Kaboul back next season it will be interesting how many more he will get for the club with his 5.48 against Everton not particularly helping his cause. That said he's had a decent enough season, averaging 6.46 and being along with Dawson and Sandro one of the most consistent performers this season, without particularly excelling or being bad. His rating against Everton is in fact only his second sub-5.5 rating in 25 games this season.
Not much to say about Lennon and Defoe, both of whom are coming back from injury, Defoe straight back into performances like the one against City in which he scored followed by being mostly anonymous against Wigan. Finally Tom Carroll's performance against Basel as a substitute will hopefully be something we see more of in the future.
4 games left. Bring on May, COYS!
Bizarre, to say the least but this has been our lowest rated month with 6.09, beating the previous worst of 6.14 in November. We were knocked out of the Europa League on penalties after two 2-2 draws and won 1 and drew 2 of our three Premier League games, all games ending with 4 goals.
We beat last season's champions 3-1 but this was only our 15th best match of the season, even surpassed by a 0-0 draw vs Lazio back in September. The 6.80 in this game and the 6.61 in the game away to Basel were the only two games in which we were above the season average of 6.33. These ratings also tell us that the Everton game was only a 6.18 but what this meant was that if we had lost that game we'd now be on the same points and with a similar goal difference with them, albeit with a game in hand therefore a late draw was rather welcome.
Same with Wigan, the rating of 5.85 combined with the 5.35 against them back in November means they are the team we've performed most badly against this season. Let's hope our game against Chelsea doesn't make that statistic even worse. That said a last minute draw with Wigan means they now sit 5 points from safety, and with them having to play Arsenal still one can hope that means they will raise their game even more to get out of the situation they are in.
Finally our 2-2 home draw against Basel was our third worst game of the season with 5.02 and pretty much one of the main reasons we are out of the Europa league. Our 5.00 against Inter Milan (A) and 4.98 vs Leeds in the FA Cup are just about worse however as both those were defeats the Basel score is also a huge 0.53 rating less than our next worse draw, the 1-1 home draw vs Norwich in only our 3rd game of the season and when the team was still in its AVB infancy.
Over to the players, and this was by far the closest race for player of the month, having swayed backwards and forwards on individual ratings alone with Walker just edging it over Huddlestone. The difference? 0.01. Closer than the 0.04 when Sandro won it over Bale in November.
Both players have had by far their best months, helping their season ratings go over 6.00. Walker's 7.79 against Basel (A) beat his previous best of 7.43 earned in the Inter Milan (H) game and Huddlestone's 7.72 against Emirates Marketing Project (having come off the bench to impact the game) beat his previous best of 6.91 set against Maribor (H) back in November. In fact 3 of Huddlestone's ratings in April were better than that Maribor game and having improved so much it is a bit of a shame that he misses out on the monthly prize, especially considering he was MOTM in two of the four games he played in whereas Walker was in none.
Having said that Walker was the second best player on the pitch three of the four games he played in, two of the games Huddlestone was MOTM in and the one against Basel (A) in which Dawson got his highest rating of the season with 7.90 for the second month running, beating the 7.79 he got against Arsenal. Unfortunately Dawson's inconsistecy in April also meant his rating of 6.33 for the month matches the season average of the team.
Of our big players Lloris came third for the month with a slightly above personal season average of 6.63, however had he played in the games against Basel this could have been lower. With Bale getting his lowest rating of the season with 5.01 in the home game against Basel and Dembele winning the lowest rated MOTM in the same game with 6.14 (Bale's 6.22 vs Leeds being the previous lowest) both players averaged more than April's average but less than the team's season average as well as way below their own personal season averages.
Of the remaining above season average performers it's good to see both Sigurdsson and Holtby there as they've had difficult first seasons however it's disappointing to see last month's Barclays Premier League player of the month Vertonghen have such a poor month. Further disappointing is last season's Spurs Player of the Season Scott Parker's performances this time round, his season average now being just below Walker's, Huddlestone's and Sigurdsson's who have all at one time been somewhat berated by our supporters. Parker now joins that list, especially after his worst player on the pitch performance against Wigan.
The season's most inconsistent player Clint Dempsey has seemingly forgotten about his good December and January form and continues to perform randomly, getting decent ratings in the games he scores and horrible ratings, including a worst player on the pitch performance against Everton, in the games he hasn't. He has the second lowest season rating but nowhere near the season average of 5.65 of Adebayor who got his highest rating of the season with 7.25 against Everton and his only MOTM award of the season however in his other three games was again poor and the worst player on the pitch against his former club Emirates Marketing Project, bringing his total worst player on the pitch performances to double figures in just 30 games.
We seem to also have an issue at left back, with Naughton being the worst player of the month, closely followed by Assou-Ekotto however neither player was the worst player in any of the five games and although Benny has now played 19 games he's never actually been the worst player on the pitch at any time, impressive for someone who has the 3rd worst season rating with 5.89.
A quick mention of our squad players for the month, the ones who only got 1 or 2 games. Gallas' 3.46 in the game against Basel (H) is the second lowest score of the season, only Adebayor's 3.30 against Arsenal (A) in which he got sent off is lower. Gallas hasn't been seen on the pitch since, apparently injured, and with his contract up at the end of the season that may have been his last game for the club. Of the others, Friedel probably won't be playing again this season seeing as there are no more cup games and his score of 6.20 in 20 games for the season is respectable enough although a little below the season average.
Caulker has only played 7 games since the start of the year and with Kaboul back next season it will be interesting how many more he will get for the club with his 5.48 against Everton not particularly helping his cause. That said he's had a decent enough season, averaging 6.46 and being along with Dawson and Sandro one of the most consistent performers this season, without particularly excelling or being bad. His rating against Everton is in fact only his second sub-5.5 rating in 25 games this season.
Not much to say about Lennon and Defoe, both of whom are coming back from injury, Defoe straight back into performances like the one against City in which he scored followed by being mostly anonymous against Wigan. Finally Tom Carroll's performance against Basel as a substitute will hopefully be something we see more of in the future.
4 games left. Bring on May, COYS!
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