Michu

Rayo Vallecano

Attacking midfielder/Forward - Spain

2010/2011 Mid-season: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12:  Unranked
2011/2012 Mid-season:  287
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 227
 
2011/12 Mid-season:

By all accounts a hugely improved player this season carrying Rayo Vallecano to some impressive performances and being absolutely instrumental to their attacking play.

What has really caught my eye is his rather unique play, at least in some games, combining to some extent target-man play (he is top 3 in Spain with 4.4 aerial duels won per game), linking very well with others, head or feet through skillful one touch play, with more along the lines of attacking midfield play being a presence in more places on the pitch and even doing some intense defensive work. There is certainly not anything wrong with Michu's workrate, and when you then can somehow add to all of that, some impressive looking poaching in the box featuring good positioning, quality runs and sheer reaction/anticipation resulting in impressive goalscoring, then all in all, I'm not really sure I've ever quite seen all of those things done before by a good player simultaneously in games, quite that way, in the style, that Michu manages.

Maybe those words are too big. Way too big even. Maybe he is just in a short spell of unreal form. After all it was not long ago that he more looked like a player destined for an average professional career. Maybe even below La Liga, but this season at least, and I guess I'm celebrating that here in a non-holding-back manner, Michu is a pretty unique player.

Thinking about it, I can't quite find anyone to compare him with. A Spanish version of (one who is based more on technique than physique) Tim Cahill (in his prime)? I'm really not sure.

If I was to speculate it's possible Michu's improvements could just be much better fitness and becoming a lot stronger, allowing him to play up to his natural talent and do many more things than he ever could before. It could also be something tactical, being in the perfect role at the perfect time and no matter what Rayo manager José Ramón Sandoval definitely deserves a lot of credit for Michu's fantastic breakthrough this season.

To conclude, I do think I'll know more once the next list comes around. For now he was just too damn interesting not to include.

Mikel Arteta

Everton

Midfielder - Spain



Original 200 writeup:

Due to a knee ligament injury suffered last season unfortunately Arteta was out for large parts of this one as well.

Therefore I did consider not including him, but once he made a strong return featuring several classy performances from January and onwards it was clear he had to be included.

Still, it is something that has hurt his ranking and I do worry about him a little bit, since rightly or wrongly, I'm not sure if coming back he was as dynamic as before the injury.
Of course even if I'm not wrong that could easily have to do with him playing primarily central midfield when he returned and not the more attacking and/or wider roles that we also used to see him in regularly over the years.

But not worrying at all was the level of his play where skill and intelligence reading the game were apparent immediately.
Arteta has excellent technique in all areas with a range of passing featuring some real playmaking ability whether it's shorter passes or crossing, he also has very good ball control and shooting ability.

Needless to say almost, Arteta is also good on set pieces.

The 300 update:

From teammate Fellaini's update:

This season though has been yet another slow start for them and with even the Everton midfield spending good parts of the season now missing pieces making up for missing pieces elsewhere is a lot more difficult. Not helping is better competition around them and rather than another giant upswing, continued up and down results look the more likely.

And Arteta in all of this?

Well I think he is as classy a midfield operator as ever but I also think I was right in my fear that he is just not a dynamic player anymore and for an example out wide would not be a place where he would feel at home anymore.

And this is Everton's problem I think. There is a clear as day lack of any dynamic threat.

The strikers Yakubu and Saha and their bodies are faltering. New signing Beckford hasn't proved ready. The only goalscorer, and not through pace, has been Tim Cahill.

Out wide Seamus Coleman will look promising but for the time being remain largely ineffective and on the other side Bilyaletdinov, who started promising enough last season, has apparently lost the trust of David Moyes. Steven Piennar is much better but like Arteta he could really use a quality striker to work with.

As it is right now, in large parts through not having a striker the quality work from both Arteta and Pienaar are going to waste and Everton's attacking threat is reduced to runs into the box from Cahill meeting the always reliable deliveries from left-back Leighton Baines. That's a very nice bonus-weapon to have, but simply not enough for a top half team in the strongest league in the world.

Tim Cahill

Everton

Central midfielder - Australia



Original 200 writeup:

Yet another really tough player to rank. Some years ago, Ballon d'Or nominee and everything, a a much higher ranking would have seemed obvious, but rightly or wrongly, it's my impression that Cahill has slowed down some, or at least at the moment isn't quite on the same level as the last few years.

He still has a good work rate and in the opponent's penalty area of course is a very proven goal scorer with both head (especially that) and feet but overall it just seems that it's to a lesser extent than before.

Though decent enough in his own right Cahill's never been a great technical player, this list
will be full of better ones, but what set(s) him apart are the things above (workrate/goalscoring) and if those two great qualities are lesser now because of presumably less effective movement he loses some real value.
Though he is not old yet at 29, he has had some serious injuries along the way and that could be a reason for any correctly perceived slowdown or decline.

One interesting thing to look out for at Everton is to what extent Cahill and Fellaini will play together or if one, they do share a lot of qualities, will be preferred over the other. Earlier this season manager David Moyes expressed doubts over fitting them both in at the same time and commented it was a real dilemma.

I suspect for now at least, just like on this list, Cahill will still be ahead but if not able to find room for both (Arteta at some point will come back too) I don't think Cahill should be given a long a leach at all.
Meaning if he isn't just as effective in the final third as he used to be, Fellaini younger and stronger likely will be, it's only a matter of time anyway, and should be given the chance.

The 300 update:

If he really has slowed down it isn't much I don't think, and at least this season he seems to be at the same level as the last couple of years. A level I probably didn't reward highly enough last time around.

I'm not sure how well the toughness often bordering on dirtiness that also he depends on in his game, would translate into a much less lenient Southern European league, but in England he continues to be a very good and valuable player.