Pablo Aimar

Pablo Aimar - Benfica

Attacking midfielder- Argentina

2010/2011 Mid-season: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: Unranked 
2011/2012 Mid-season: 260
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 203


End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13:

Aimar and being new on the list of course doesn't sound right and he was on the good old 200 list somewhere (edit: at 147 actually, you can check his 2009/10 text at the end).

Recently I've been skeptical though mainly when it comes to his physical limitations and how it, depending on how you feel about him, comes into play against top opposition and his effectiveness in those games. In Europe recently, for an example, despite glimpses of his well known brilliance, I really don't think he has been one of Benifca's best players.
Just the other day I watched him get taken off in a high-tempo game against Porto, played at a very high level, because despite all the well known skill, he was seen as more hurting than helping his team. Zonalmarking covered the game comprehensively HERE.

Aimar has excellent ball control and can still change both direction and tempo with the ball at his feet meaning he still has that great gift of being good enough (and creative enough) to make plays in the small spaces under pressure. His beautiful radar for moving the ball to teammates in those small spaces shouldn't go unmentioned either or that his combination of clever movement and stellar technique makes him someone who can receive and control the difficult passes.

All in all then, what remains of him can still perform brilliant, and if I didn't have the impression that's exactly what's been happening mostly during his time in Portugal he wouldn't be on the list, but he is obviously not someone getting younger or better.

2009/2010:

In his heyday Aimar was the important creative spark for the Rafael Benitez Valencia side that won two La Liga titles and the Uefa Cup.

Then darker times followed struggling with fitness, but he still had at least one season for Zaragoza where in alliance with compatriots Diego Milito and Andres D'Alessandro under the attacking guidance of Victor Sanchez, where he once again was spellbinding.

Still only 30 a lot of indications suggest that Aimar is having one of those spells or close to it at least once again (but sadly maybe for the last time so this is kinda a reward) at Benfica, this time with players such as Di Maria, Ramirez and Saviola, who currently are showing some of the best attacking football in Europe.

With his great speed and ball control even in the tightest of spaces Aimar is exactly the kind of player who can make such an attack click.

As far as more traditional playmaking ability goes when it comes to passing he is different than Riquelme and Veron, in that he has quicker feet and is such an agile threat moving quickly, that his passing is mostly short and direct in speedy combination attempts with others meant to take advantage of just that.

His obvious weaknesses are everything physical. At similar height Messi for an example is a powerhouse compared to Aimar.

Leandro Damiao

Leandro Damiao - Internacional

Striker- Brazil

2010/2011 Mid-season: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: Unranked
2011/2012 Mid-season:  258
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 189



End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13:

I have now seen quite a bit more of Damiao, including full matches, and to be honest this feels like a very conservative ranking (there are many strikers ahead of him where you would pick Damiao without any hesitation whatsoever) but hopefully the huge jump up the list that I'm sure is right around the corner will make things right.

It's still worth noting that Damiao can look a little bit raw in ways you don't expect the Brazilian number 9 to look with some of his touches, but remember this is a big guy and at this point already his combination of physicality and capability with both feet makes him increasingly difficult to control for defenders. Add to that what seems like knack for clever movement and classic born-striker anticipation and you have a striker right on the verge of becoming scary.

His teamwork also looks good and while not yet on the level of his predecessor Brazilian number 9 Luis Fabiano at his peak, when it comes to (one touch) link up play with all the excellent forward talent always surrounding a Brazil number 9, that is something that looks very promising as well.

If I have one overly premature and pessimistic worry when it comes Damiao which hopefully will be proven silly by never even becoming relevant, it would be some fitness weaknesses down the line. He really is big but hopefully that waistline of his won't develop into a lazy Brazilian attacking star stereotype in Europe ala Adriano, the nightmare example because it happened so early, where as at least the likes of Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho had all spent time being the best players in the world. 

2011/2012 Mid-season:

Until he makes his move to Europe, where Tottenham due to their business relationship with Internacional still looks like firm favorites to land him, I won't get to see Damiao a lot, but his name has been gaining momentum for a while now, he scores a lot of goals, is starting to enter the Seleção picture, so here he is on the list.

Interestingly described by national team manager Mario Menezes in these terms:
"Leandro Damiao belongs to a rare family of strikers that are hard to find in Brazilian football. You need someone with his strength and penalty area presence,” he certainly looks the part with his tall figure and when that, even from short clips, is to be safely assumed being combined with at least pretty good technical ability, then we're dealing with serious potential.

Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey - Fulham
 
Forward/Midfielder - USA

2010/2011 Mid-season: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: 277
2011/2012 Mid-season: 261
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 204

End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13:

That was a great season from Dempsey and he is rewarded with his best ever ranking.

In many ways his role at Fulham is tailor made for him and this season (Zamora not around anymore) he was clearly the centerpiece of their attack. He did that so well that a long awaited chance at a bigger club is closer than ever. The question is if being a star for Fulham and around 200 on this list is his limit or if he can produce at a high level for a better team? I think he has at least earned the chance to prove it.


2011/2012 Mid-season:

I will claim that Dempsey is one of the more limited players on the list when it comes to passing and technique. Personally when I watch him my impression is of someone without good ideas in his passing game. Fortunately he has other qualities.

But actually looking at it, his passing percentage, with a similar number of touches, have gone up this season from a low 74 to 82 percent but a lot of that is decided by where he spends more time on the pitch (players with touches where space is most narrow will always suffer) and of course it's also possible that Fulham under Martin Jol keeps it a little bit more on the ground than what they did under previous managers.

What would indicate I'm right about his limitations, is the number of times he is dispossessed or turns it over. Players who dribble a lot (Dempsey doesn't) will see their numbers rise in those areas but Dempsey at 0.6 dribbles is dispossessed 2.1 times per game and turns it over 2.3 leading his team. I'm fairly confident those are high numbers. Last season they were worse at 2.3 and 3.0 respectively.

Dempsey however is also the most fouled player on his team indicating that he is indeed threatening opponents (the impressive number of goals he scores being the obvious proof of course) and I do think what he perhaps lack in excellent technique (he is obviously not bad or anything, in fact isn't his first touch rather good?) he makes up for with very good strong aggressive movement without the ball and just sheer intelligent and insistent opportunism. For an example his 4 shots on goal per game (up from 2.7 last season) does seem pretty amazing for someone running (successfully) so little with the ball and posses no great pace that he can use as a weapon, with or without the ball.

Dempsey is intelligent. A hard worker who knows where to be for the benefit of his team and when he is there has effective ability to score with both head and feet.

Fabricio Coloccini

Fabricio Coloccini - Newcastle

Centreback - - Argentina

2010/2011 Mid-season:  Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: Unranked
2011/2012 Mid-season: 261
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 214

2011/2012 Mid-season:

In previous years I remember having the impression that Coloccini was far from solid and pretty mistake prone overall, both for club and for country but I think certainly this season, and probably the last one as well, that he has been very good and a distinct leader holding it together defensively for Newcastle.

He is a pretty good footballer who can bring the ball forward. Sweeper style defender with an impressive activity-range, so to speak, of making tackles, interceptions and clearances. Good pace. Good in the air and I'm pretty sure a skilled organizer as well these days, comfortable controlling things both in higher line (defending open space) and deeper (defending tight man on man space) around the area. A defender who can master both is a great positive.

I'm not sure he is elite one on one but he reads the game well and has a lot of impact (again with his efficient defensive activity) helping out what I think is a very suspect defensive bunch surrounding him at Newcastle, so I definitely give him a lot of credit for that.

Douglas

Douglas - Twente

Centreback - Netherlands/Brazil

2010/2011 MID-SEASON RANKING: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Beginning of 2011/12: Unranked

2011/2012 MID-SEASON RANKING:

262

Playing in the Eredivisie, Douglas isn't the player I get to see the most. He has however by all accounts been one of the best defenders there for years now.

There is even talks about him replacing, Vertonghen at Ajax (who will likely be leaving) but while the Belgian is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the world, Douglas have weaknesses there.

I do have a sneaking suspicion I've ranked him too high. A very experienced proven solid Brazilian defender in Europe, Benfica captain Luisao, missed the list this time and then there are more up and comers like the impressive looking Miranda for Atletico Madrid and in Brazil itself, Dede (Vasco da Gama) considered the best centreback in Brazil with several big clubs currently aiming for his signature. I have a feeling all of those could be ahead of Douglas on the next list.