2011 / 2012 Mid-season rankings update

I've fallen a little bit behind with the writeups and the latest are missing but here is the list so far:

300: Julian Draxler Germany - Schalke 04
299: Marcel Schmelzer - Germany - Dortmund
298: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - England - Arsenal
297: Juan Arango - Venezuela - Borussia Mönchengladbach
296: Nolito - Spain - Benfica
295: Deco - Portugal - Fluminense
294: Maxime Gonalons - France - Lyon
293: Gastón Ramírez - Uruguay - Bologna
292: Gary Medel - Chile - Sevilla
291: Jose Callejon - Spain - Real Madrid
290: Felipe Melo - Brazil - Galatasaray

289: Rafael - Brazil - Manchester United
288: Chris Smalling - England - Manchester United
287: Gabi - Spain - Atletico Madrid
286: Michu - Spain - Rayo Vallecano
285: Younes Kaboul - France - Tottenham
284: Roman Shirokov - Russia - Zenit
283: Isaac Cuenca - Spain - Barcelona
282: Yuto Nagatomo - Japan - Inter
281: Lukasz Piszcek - Poland - Dortmund
280: Mathieu Debuchy - France - Lille

279: Hugo Campagnaro - Argentina - Napoli
278: Luuk de Jong - Netherlands - Twente
277: Granit Xhaka - Switzerland - Basel
276: Kwadwo Asamoah - Ghana - Udinese
275: Fabrizio Miccoli - Italy - Palermo
274: Bobby Zamora - England - QPR
273: Andrés D'Alessandro - Argentina - Internacional
272: Giovani Dos Santos - Mexico - Tottenham
271: Isco - Spain - Malaga
270: Aaron Lennon - England - Tottenham

269: Antonio Nocerino - Italy - Milan
268: Ola Toivonen - Sweden - PSV
267: Dries Mertens - Belgium - PSV
266: Bryan Ruiz - Costa Rica - Fulham
265: Oriol Romeu - Spain - Chelsea
264: Darren Bent - England - Aston Villa
263: Michael Dawson - England - Tottenham
262: Douglas - Netherlands - Twente
261: Fabricio Coloccini - Argentina - Newcastle
260: Clint Dempsey - USA - Fulham

259: Pablo Aimar - Argentina - Benfica
258: Leandro Damiao - Brazil - Internacional
257: Fred - Brazil - Fluminense
256: Seydou Doumbia - Côte d'Ivoire - CSKA Moscow
255: Moussa Sow - Senegal - Fenerbahce
254: Rodrigo Palacio - Argentina - Genoa
253: Diego Lugano - Uruguay - PSG
252: Ledley King - England - Tottenham
251: Cristian Ledesma - Italy - Lazio
250: Jose Antonio Reyes - Spain - Sevilla

249: Alberto Aquilani - Italy - Milan
248: Phil Jones - England - Manchester United
247: Konstantin Zyryanov - Russia - Zenit
246: Sven Bender - Germany - Dortmund
245: Lars Bender - Germany - Bayer Leverkusen
244: Esteban Granero - Spain - Real Madrid
243: Senad Lulic - Bosnia and Hercegovina - Lazio
242: Eduardo Vargas - Chile - Napoli
241: Milos Krasic - Serbia - Juventus
240: Jon Obi Mikel - Nigeria - Chelsea

239: Theo Janssen - Netherlands - Ajax
238: Balázs Dzsudzsák - Hungary - Dynamo Moscow
237: Marko Marin - Germany - Werder Bremen
236: Papiss Cisse - Senegal - Newcastle
235: Ibrahim Afellay - Netherlands - Barcelona
234: Dejan Stankovic - Serbia - Inter
233: Juan Manuel Vargas - Peru - Fiorentina
232: Benoit Assou-Ekotto - Cameroon - Tottenham
231: Stephan Lichtsteiner - Switzerland - Juventus
230: Adrián - Spain - Atletico Madrid

229: Alvaro Negredo - Spain - Sevilla
228: Andrei Arshavin - Russia - Arsenal/Zenit
227: Adam Johnson - England - Manchester City
226: Alexandr Kerzhakov - Russia - Zenit
225: Daniel Agger - Denmark - Liverpool
224: Dirk Kuyt - Netherlands - Liverpool
223: Alessandro Nesta - Italy - Milan
222: Ivan Rakitić - Croatia - Sevilla
221: Anatolij Tymoshchuk - Ukraine - Bayern München
220: Holger Badstuber - Germany - Bayern München

219: John Terry - England - Chelsea
218: Juan - Brazil - Roma
217: Sandro - Brazil - Tottenham
216: Domenico Criscito - Italy - Zenit
215: Cheik Tioté -Côte d'Ivoire - Newcastle
214: Kim Källström - Sweden - Lyon
213: Mauricio Isla - Chile - Udinese
212: Aaron Ramsey - Wales - Arsenal
211: Gareth Barry - England - Manchester City

For ongoing discussion and realtime (at random times) updates/writeups go (to the last page for the very latest) HERE

Michael Dawson

Michael Dawson - Tottenham

Centreback - England

2010/2011 MID-SEASON RANKING: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Beginning of 2011/12: 192

2011/2012 MID-SEASON RANKING:

263

I realize having him ahead of Kaboul, who is having a better season, is a bit strange and a tough argument, especially since Dawson's injury issues have resurfaced this season, but I like him a lot as a player, he has great range of passing and can move the ball pretty good out of defense (meaning less defending!) where he is also a natural leader. His team just happen to have one already in Ledley King.

I like that he is kind of both the sweeper style defender (while tall) clearing trouble and reading the game higher up, making interceptions, at his best able to overcome lack of mobility, I guess that I really like what seems be to great defensive instincts, but that he is also fully at home playing the more traditional English centreback, making strong tackles, winning headers, protecting the box right where it's at.

I see Kaboul more as a very strong athletic version of that type of centreback, including the kind of pace that puts him ahead of just about anyone of those, but if his technique is also even better than I've already given him credit for, not least his passing repertoire, then Dawson with worse health and less athletic ability, has little argument left and I'm guessing Kaboul will have caught up to him on the next version (remember at 192 last time around Dawson had a good head start).

Darren Bent

Aston Villa

Striker - England

2010/2011 MID-SEASON RANKING: 196
End of 2010/11 - Beginning of 2011/12 Ranking: 176

2011/2012 MID-SEASON RANKING:

264

Bent has the physical tools to be a consistent goalscorer in the strongest league in the world. That fact alone makes it hard to exclude from the good company on this list.

He moves both fast and strong on his way to the good goalscoring chances that he is skilled in seeking out.

However he is also a pretty limited footballer. Zonalmarking's Michael Cox said this:

"Darren Bent usually makes himself look good, rarely makes his side look good".

All in all then, I think this ranking, his lowest so far, is a better representation of his skill than the previous.

Bryan Ruiz

 Bryan Ruiz - Fulham

Winger/Forward - Costa Rica

2010/2011 MID-SEASON RANKING: 234
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12 ranking: 185
2011/2012 MID-SEASON RANKING: 266
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 295

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

Ruiz only registered 0.9 shots per game for Fulham. That's not even in their top 11!

Clearly this has not been working optimally neither for him or the team. A prolific flamboyant goalscorer and creator in Holland he barely gets to shoot on goal ever playing for Fulham, or be involveld in the centre of the pitch, and to the benefit of no one is pretty much relegated to attempting crosses from the wing with questionable successes. He just hasn't fitted in very well and it must get better.

People who saw him for Twente at one point arguably being the second best player in the league after Luis Suarez will know about his qualities, but even at Fulham in a poor first season there are subtle signs or arguments to be found that Ruiz should play an increased attacking role to the benefit of the team.
Bless Clint Dempsey and his goals but with 0.7 successful dribbles per game his turnover and dispossessed ratio stands at 2.3 and 2.4.  Ruiz has 1.1 successful dribbles per game but just 1.6 dispossessions and 1.2 turnovers. Give the man some more touches and in other places.  Ruiz has a lot more to offer than we've seen so far but need a different or bigger role in the attacking game to really showcase it.

 2011/12 Mid-Season:

The very best of times Ruiz was almost dominating in Holland, but he has struggled to find his skillful feet in England so far and at times not really blending well in with the players around him and overall has been quite up and down. Only barely so far, I think it's safe to say, avoiding being tagged (prematurely) as a flop.

It's very possible things are looking up though, Dembele who has more tools as a player than the majority out there, and who I'm guessing will make a comeback on the list the next time, has recently been playing in central midfield with Danny Murphy, hopefully meaning that very limited, when it comes to everything that has to do with technique, Steve Sidwell must be out, and up front new big man (and also formerly ranked) Pogrebnyak has always liked to use his feet. Overall I think such player constellations will have a better chance of creating chemistry with Ruiz.

Ruiz of course is very much a flair player and can put that into great passing of different ranges, from one touch passing combinations to sweet deliveries into the box, sublime touches including dribbling and if put into position to do so (which has rarely been the case so far in England where he is criminally averaging just 1 shot per game YIKES!) also be a dangerous goal-scorer.

2011/2012 Mid-Season Rankings update

The list so far:

300: Julian Draxler Germany - Schalke 04
299: Marcel Schmelzer - Germany - Dortmund
298: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - England - Arsenal
297: Juan Arango - Venezuela - Borussia Mönchengladbach
296: Nolito - Spain - Benfica
295: Deco - Portugal - Fluminense
294: Maxime Gonalons - France - Lyon
293: Gastón Ramírez - Uruguay - Bologna
292: Gary Medel - Chile - Sevilla
291: Jose Callejon - Spain - Real Madrid
290: Felipe Melo - Brazil - Galatasaray

289: Rafael - Brazil - Manchester United
288: Chris Smalling - England - Manchester United
287: Gabi - Spain - Atletico Madrid
286: Michu - Spain - Rayo Vallecano
285: Younes Kaboul - France - Tottenham
284: Roman Shirokov - Russia - Zenit
283: Isaac Cuenca - Spain - Barcelona
282: Yuto Nagatomo - Japan - Inter
281: Lukasz Piszcek - Poland - Dortmund
280: Mathieu Debuchy - France - Lille

279: Hugo Campagnaro - Argentina - Napoli
278: Luuk de Jong - Netherlands - Twente
277: Granit Xhaka - Switzerland - Basel
276: Kwadwo Asamoah - Ghana - Udinese
275: Fabrizio Miccoli - Italy - Palermo
274: Bobby Zamora - England - QPR
273: Andrés D'Alessandro - Argentina - Internacional
272: Giovani Dos Santos - Mexico - Tottenham
271: Isco - Spain - Malaga
270: Aaron Lennon - England - Tottenham

269: Antonio Nocerino - Italy - Milan
268: Ola Toivonen - Sweden - PSV
267: Dries Mertens - Belgium - PSV
266: Bryan Ruiz - Costa Rica - Fulham
265: Oriol Romeu - Spain - Chelsea
264: Darren Bent - England - Aston Villa
263: Michael Dawson - England - Tottenham
262: Douglas - Netherlands - Twente
261: Fabricio Coloccini - Argentina - Newcastle
260: Clint Dempsey - USA - Fulham

259: Pablo Aimar - Argentina - Benfica
258: Leandro Damiao - Brazil - Internacional
257: Fred - Brazil - Fluminense
256: Seydou Doumbia - Côte d'Ivoire - CSKA Moscow
255: Moussa Sow - Senegal - Fenerbahce
254: Rodrigo Palacio - Argentina - Genoa
253: Diego Lugano - Uruguay - PSG
252: Ledley King - England - Tottenham
251: Cristian Ledesma - Italy - Lazio
250: Jose Antonio Reyes - Spain - Sevilla

For ongoing discussion and realtime (at random times) updates go HERE

Dries Mertens

PSV

Winger/Attacking midfielder - Belgium

2010/2011 Mid-season: Unranked
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: Unranked
2011/2012 Mid-season:  267
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 266

 End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13:

Well PSV once again failed to win the championship and it was another one for Ajax.

Mertens continued to play well and his stats still look extraordinary finishing with 21 goals and 16 assists. I'm a little bit unsure how he compares to other current star wingers in Dutch football, Ola John, Narsingh or Assaidi who's brilliant flashy technical flamboyance made me debut him on the list this time around. I think they'll move closer to each other on future lists.

2011/2012 Mid-season:

Tiny super quick agile winger who has been one of the best attacking players in Holland, basically ever since joining Utrecht but having now joined PSV (13 million Euros) is currently hitting new heights with a great season so far.

Excellent dribbler with all his skill and small player attributes. He is someone who can almost fly with the ball at his feet, seemingly excel in both small and more open spaces, and with his great right foot he can finish himself or create for others in passing combinations where again his quickness can be a real difference-maker taking advantage of available space or simply creating it on his own too quick to be stopped.

With PSV top of the table Mertens has a very impressive 16 goals and 12 assists in 23 games this season.

Could have a good case for a better ranking.

Ola Toivonen

PSV

Forward - Sweden
-------------------------------
2010/2011 MID-SEASON RANKING: Unranked

End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: Unranked

2011/2012 MID-SEASON RANKING:

268

No doubt Rasmus Elm or the much hyped right now John Guidetti (his full name btw is John Alberto Fernando Andres
Luigi Olof Guidetti) would be the more sexy choices among the Eredivisie Swedes, but that's still way too premature for me, having not even seen Guidetti over 90 minutes and Elm apparently being very good now, if true, being something that has well and truly been sneaking up on me. It might be exactly what Sweden has been lacking though, for a long time now, mostly developing good strikers, solid defensive midfielders and a few centrebacks here and there but a midfielder with at least some potential for attacking difference-making has been very rare in recent years.

Anyway, with Toivonen I guess I'm rewarding the solid. He seems to do everything pretty well. Good teamwork with the ball linking with others and without it decent movement for his size. Versatility and physicality with both striker, target man and more attacking midfielder play in his arsenal. Very solid player.