New Year Player Audit

[Old Abingdonian]

It seems timely to look at our current squad in the context of Division 4, and ask how good our players are. Rather than assessing their place in our team, how would they be viewed by a notional mid-table Division 4 manager? Might I suggest the following scale: 9 - exceptional, too good for this league 8 - automatic pick, delighted to have this player 7 - would want in the side, generally performs well 6 - OK player, might be trying to replace 5 - OK sometimes, but a definite weakness 4 - embarrassment.

Focusing on those who seem to be in Wilder's plans (and we have seen play):

1 Clarke
2 Batt
3 Tonkin
18 Kinniburgh
23 Purkiss
22 Worley
6 Wright
30 Futcher
8 Heslop
14 Hall
11 Clist
28 Payne
17 Cole
15 Potter
9 Constable
32 Maclean
29 Craddock
24 Green
10 Midson?

My IT skills are not up to doing anything fancy with this, but I presume you can cut and paste the player list, and I can aggregate the scores. Just doing this shows how much we need midfield cover, assuming Wotton and Baker are gone.

[Boogie]

OK. I'll have a go.

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 6
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 4
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 7
17 Cole 6
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 8 (Looked so much better yesterday with Maclean down the middle and him going down the channels at inside left or right)
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 5
24 Green 7
10 Midson 8

[Swissbloke]

1 Clarke 9
2 Batt 7
3 Tonkin 4
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 5
22 Worley 8
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 7
8 Heslop 6
14 Hall 5
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 9
17 Cole 5
15 Potter 6
9 Constable 7
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 6
24 Green 6

[Sideshow Rob]

1 Clarke 7
2 Batt 7
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 6
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 6
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 5
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 6
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 7
17 Cole 3
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 9
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 7
24 Green 7
10 Midson? 6

[Shoobedoo]

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 5
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 6
11 Clist 7
28 Payne 7
17 Cole 5
15 Potter 7
9 Constable 7
32 Maclean 8
29 Craddock 6
24 Green 6
10 Midson 7

[OUFC4eva]

OK. I'll have a go.

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 6
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 4
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 7
17 Cole 6
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 8 (Looked so much better yesterday with Maclean down the middle and him going down the channels at inside left or right)
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 5
24 Green 7
10 Midson 8

Midson 8, Craddock 5. You're joking, right ?

Cole a 6. What's the thinking there ?!

[Boogie]

Well Midson wins the ball in the air, holds the ball up and links the play well. Also he played a big part in our success last season.

OK Craddock has scored but when he shoots from distance he has no conviction and he can be quite greedy. IMHO he is a lightweight. Luton fans were not too unhappy seeing him leave.

I am not the only one marking Midson higher than Craddock BTW.

If Maclean does not stay and no other striker comes in I would like to see Midson central like Maclean v Macca and leave Constable to run the channels. If Craddock is such a great striker you should be comfortable with him becoming a &quotsupersub&quot when we need to rescue the game

I just haven't seen enough of Cole to make a proper judgement so I thought six was appropriate.

[Sackcloth Ox]

OK. I'll have a go.

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 6
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 4
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 7
17 Cole 6
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 8 (Looked so much better yesterday with Maclean down the middle and him going down the channels at inside left or right)
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 5
24 Green 7
10 Midson 8

Midson 8, Craddock 5. You're joking, right ?

Cole a 6. What's the thinking there ?!

Crikey Boogie, there's me thinking you knew a bit about football.

Midson is NEVER an 8. I'd have Batt as a 7 and Cole as a 4, (a massive disappointment), Green and Tonkin as 5's ( both been poor).

Apart from that reasonable analysis.

[YF Dan]

Green 5? Really only 1 point better than Cole.

I bit harsh SO. Scored possibly the best goal at Wembley this year, and was going at a goal every two starts until Wilder started tinkering.

His knack of scoring vital goals was one of the key reasons we got out of our awful run last season.

Hasn't done much this term, I admit, but I really don't think he's been given a fair crack.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 6
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 5
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 6
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 8
17 Cole 5
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 8
32 Maclean 8
29 Craddock 6
24 Green 6
10 Midson 7

[Geoff]

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 7
3 Tonkin 7
18 Kinniburgh 7
23 Purkiss 7
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 7
8 Heslop 8
14 Hall 6
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 8
17 Cole 5
15 Potter 8
9 Constable 8
32 Maclean 9
29 Craddock 7
24 Green 7
10 Midson? 7

[Ancient Colin]

1 Clarke 8
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 5
23 Purkiss 5
22 Worley 6
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 4*
8 Heslop 6
14 Hall 5
11 Clist 7
28 Payne 7
17 Cole No idea.
15 Potter 6
9 Constable 8
32 Maclean 8
29 Craddock 6
24 Green 5
10 Midson? 7

Futcher 4 based on the games I've seen (and from recollection of him as opposition), but haven't seen his more recent performances.

Creighton?? 6-7 depending on opposition. I think he's game-to-game better than Worley, although the latter has youth on his side can improve, clearly.

[Snake]

“It seems timely to look at our current squad in the context of Division 4, and ask how good our players are. Rather than assessing their place in our team, how would they be viewed by a notional mid-table Division 4 manager? Might I suggest the following scale: 9 - exceptional, too good for this league 8 - automatic pick, delighted to have this player 7 - would want in the side, generally performs well 6 - OK player, might be trying to replace 5 - OK sometimes, but a definite weakness 4 - embarrassment.

[Matt D]

my take:

1 Clarke 9
2 Batt 6
3 Tonkin 6
18 Kinniburgh 5
23 Purkiss 6
22 Worley 7
6 Wright 8
30 Futcher 6
8 Heslop 7
14 Hall 5
11 Clist 8
28 Payne 6
17 Cole 5
15 Potter 7
9 Constable 8
32 Maclean 8 going on 9
29 Craddock 7
24 Green 7
10 Midson? 6

the thing is, other managers look at the potential for their squad, not necessarily just how a player has done for Us. cole has been a big disappointment, but i can't help thinking that, put him somewhere else, we'd see more to him. i just don't think he's settled here, for whatever reason. similarly, i suspect constable wouldn't quite be what he is for Us somewhere else.

the players who i think you could take anywhere and they'd be terrific are clarke, wright, and clist.

i still look at what's going on below Us in the table at the moment. i've missed most of our winning run, admittedly, but i'm still in 'worried' mode at the moment. right now, not being involved in any relegation struggle would do me fine for the season.

[Boogie]

So we have our new holding midfielder now in Paul McLaren.

He was apparently a 7/8 in Division 1 a few seasons ago.

Hopefully that will keep Hall permanently warming the bench.