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CASTROL EDGE RANKINGS ARCHIVE
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November 08 2009
Ibrahimovic makes his mark in the Castrol Rankings
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proved an instant hit at Barcelona and the November 2009 Castrol Rankings show how the Swedish striker is enjoying a new lease of life following his summer move to the Nou Camp.
The forward moved to Spain in a swap deal that took Samuel Eto'o to Internazionale. While Zlatan Ibrahimovic has flourished, Castrol Performance Analysis also demonstrates how the Cameroon striker has struggled at the San Siro, suggesting Barca got the best of the summer’s highest-profile exchange.
Castrol has applied the same expertise they apply to the development of their oils to create the Castrol Rankings – using objective analysis and highly advanced technology to measure every pass, every tackle and every single move of over 2,000 players and games from Europe’s top 5 leagues over the last 12 months.
That analysis shows that if Ibrahimovic continues his run of form – which has seen him climb 30 places to 19 since the start of the season - he’s certain to challenge at the head of the Castrol Rankings table before too long. Eto’o, meanwhile, has found life far less comfortable in Italy and after figuring strongly in 6th position in the September 2009 Castrol Rankings, he has now slipped back to 36th.
Ibrahimovich has had an explosive start to La Liga, and no other player in the Spanish league has been involved in more goals, with the Swede scoring eight goals and providing four assists. He has found the target with 70% of his shots in La Liga, a ratio bettered only by Lionel Messi (79%) in the Spanish League, and a significant improvement on the 54% he managed last season with Inter.
By contrast, Eto’o has so far failed to score in the Champions League for his new club and, after scoring four Serie A goals in September and October, delivered just two shots on target during 450 minutes of action in November, finding the net on one occasion.
Castrol Ambassador and FIFA World CupTM winner Marcel Desailly said: “A number of people questioned how Ibrahimovic would replace Eto’o at Barcelona but he has shown he is a player of real quality. Great players are inspired by playing alongside other great players and being in the same side as people like Thierry Henry and Messi has allowed him to take his game to another level.”
Desailly, a former AC Milan defender, added: “It’s harder for a striker to switch to Serie A where goals are harder to come by, especially when you have been playing in such a great side as Barca. Eto’o is a world class player and I'm sure he will be back to his best soon.”
Messi recently became the first Argentine to win the Ballon D'Or and continues to press Barcelona team-mate Thierry Henry at the head of the Castrol Rankings. The forward was the only player to complete more than 100 dribbles over the past 12 months and has contributed to 29 goals in 28 La Liga games in 2009 (20 goals, 9 assists) with 56% of those goals coming in the second half of the season suggesting he will increase the pressure on Henry in the new year.
Henry remains top after making a goalscoring return from injury in Barcelona’s 4-2 victory at Real Mallorca. The France forward has an outstanding conversion rate, scoring from 25% of shots compared to Messi’s impressive return of 22%.
Two Premier League goalkeepers are on the rise in the Castrol Rankings with Manchester United's Edwin Van Der Sar moving up to 20 while Chelsea’s Petr Cech has shot up 133 places to 55. Van der Sar is the top ranked keeper largely because of his outstanding record of saving 79% of all shots on target, compared to the Premier League average of 69%. The Dutchman also kept 16 clean sheets which underlines just why Holland coach Bert van Marwijk is keen for the veteran to reverse his decision to retire from international football ahead of next year’s FIFA World CupTM finals.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has broken into the top 20 after firing in more shots (108) than any other Premier League player over the last 12 months while Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin is now up to tenth after recording three assists and one goal last month.
La Liga continues to dominate the Castrol Rankings, however, with eight of the top nine players plying their trade in Spain, including five Barcelona players. There are ten Spanish players in the top 50, seven from France, five Brazilians and just three – Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney from England.
Castrol has applied the same expertise they apply to the development of their oils to create the Castrol Rankings – using objective analysis and highly advanced technology to measure every pass, every tackle and every single move of over 2,000 players and games from Europe’s top 5 leagues over the last 12 months.
That analysis shows that if Ibrahimovic continues his run of form – which has seen him climb 30 places to 19 since the start of the season - he’s certain to challenge at the head of the Castrol Rankings table before too long. Eto’o, meanwhile, has found life far less comfortable in Italy and after figuring strongly in 6th position in the September 2009 Castrol Rankings, he has now slipped back to 36th.
Ibrahimovich has had an explosive start to La Liga, and no other player in the Spanish league has been involved in more goals, with the Swede scoring eight goals and providing four assists. He has found the target with 70% of his shots in La Liga, a ratio bettered only by Lionel Messi (79%) in the Spanish League, and a significant improvement on the 54% he managed last season with Inter.
By contrast, Eto’o has so far failed to score in the Champions League for his new club and, after scoring four Serie A goals in September and October, delivered just two shots on target during 450 minutes of action in November, finding the net on one occasion.
Castrol Ambassador and FIFA World CupTM winner Marcel Desailly said: “A number of people questioned how Ibrahimovic would replace Eto’o at Barcelona but he has shown he is a player of real quality. Great players are inspired by playing alongside other great players and being in the same side as people like Thierry Henry and Messi has allowed him to take his game to another level.”
Desailly, a former AC Milan defender, added: “It’s harder for a striker to switch to Serie A where goals are harder to come by, especially when you have been playing in such a great side as Barca. Eto’o is a world class player and I'm sure he will be back to his best soon.”
Messi recently became the first Argentine to win the Ballon D'Or and continues to press Barcelona team-mate Thierry Henry at the head of the Castrol Rankings. The forward was the only player to complete more than 100 dribbles over the past 12 months and has contributed to 29 goals in 28 La Liga games in 2009 (20 goals, 9 assists) with 56% of those goals coming in the second half of the season suggesting he will increase the pressure on Henry in the new year.
Henry remains top after making a goalscoring return from injury in Barcelona’s 4-2 victory at Real Mallorca. The France forward has an outstanding conversion rate, scoring from 25% of shots compared to Messi’s impressive return of 22%.
Two Premier League goalkeepers are on the rise in the Castrol Rankings with Manchester United's Edwin Van Der Sar moving up to 20 while Chelsea’s Petr Cech has shot up 133 places to 55. Van der Sar is the top ranked keeper largely because of his outstanding record of saving 79% of all shots on target, compared to the Premier League average of 69%. The Dutchman also kept 16 clean sheets which underlines just why Holland coach Bert van Marwijk is keen for the veteran to reverse his decision to retire from international football ahead of next year’s FIFA World CupTM finals.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has broken into the top 20 after firing in more shots (108) than any other Premier League player over the last 12 months while Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin is now up to tenth after recording three assists and one goal last month.
La Liga continues to dominate the Castrol Rankings, however, with eight of the top nine players plying their trade in Spain, including five Barcelona players. There are ten Spanish players in the top 50, seven from France, five Brazilians and just three – Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney from England.
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