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CASTROL EDGE RANKINGS ANALYSIS
CASTROL EDGE RANKINGS ANALYSIS RSS Feed
May 26 2010
Super Frank Lampard is top midfielder in Europe
Frank Lampard’s starring role in Chelsea’s first ever double winning campaign means he is the top performing midfielder in the 2009/10 season according to the Castrol Rankings.
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 five leagues over the last 12 months.
This analysis highlights the contribution made by Frank Lampard during Carlo Ancelotti’s trophy-laden first season in charge at Stamford Bridge and picks out the other players who have emerged as the best player in their position over the last year.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi tops the overall Castrol Rankings while his club teammate Gerard Pique, is the highest placed defender. Perhaps more surprising is the standing of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ United States international Marcus Hahnemann at the head of the list of goalkeepers.
Lampard sits 10th in the overall Castrol Rankings and has outshone his fellow midfielders largely because of his success in scoring vital goals from a deep-lying position. Chelsea manager Ancelotti has cited his player’s ability to arrive in the penalty area at exactly the right time as one of Lampard’s main strengths, and that helped the England man to score 22 league goals over the course of the campaign.
The midfielder also emerged as the top provider of chances over the last 12 months, delivering the final pass that led to a shot on goal on 114 occasions, while his return of 14 assists was the joint highest and matched only by Barcelona’s Xavi and AC Milan’s Ronaldinho.
Castrol Ambassador and 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winner Marcel Desailly said: “I played with Frank at Chelsea and I know from first-hand experience how effective he is in an attacking midfield role.
“He has incredible stamina that allows him to move quickly from box to box but he has the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when he should make that final surge into the penalty area behind the main striker.
“He is always quick to see a scoring opportunity and his ability to shoot accurately and powerfully with either foot has brought him so many goals. His scoring record means his technical ability is sometimes overlooked but he always uses the ball intelligently and has an excellent eye for a pass.”
Marcus Hahnemann is hoping to be United States’ number one at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa and the Castrol Rankings shows the Wolves keeper has made a powerful case after a superb season that helped his club retain their place in the Premier League. Mick McCarthy’s side conceded 1.2 goals per game when the North American played compared to two goals per game when he was missing.
Hahnemann, ranked 18th overall, made 4.4 saves per game, more than any of his Premier League rivals, and saved 78.4% of shots on target, the best ratio amongst goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues who made at least 100 saves.
Gerard Pique helped Barcelona record the best defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues with the Catalans conceding only 24 goals in 38 games.
The centre-back always looks assured in possession and completed 87% of passes. He made 2,056 touches in his own half, a La Liga high while four goals and one assist have also contributed to Pique’s standing at 13th in the overall rankings.
Lionel Messi has outshone every player in Europe over the last 12 months. The Barcelona playmaker scored 34 goals in La Liga, including 25 in 20 starts in 2010 alone, more than any other player in the top five leagues this season.
He also delivered 10 assists in the Spanish top-flight this season, a total only teammate Xavi could better (14), while his shooting accuracy was the best in the league with 66% of his attempts hitting the target.
This analysis highlights the contribution made by Frank Lampard during Carlo Ancelotti’s trophy-laden first season in charge at Stamford Bridge and picks out the other players who have emerged as the best player in their position over the last year.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi tops the overall Castrol Rankings while his club teammate Gerard Pique, is the highest placed defender. Perhaps more surprising is the standing of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ United States international Marcus Hahnemann at the head of the list of goalkeepers.
Lampard sits 10th in the overall Castrol Rankings and has outshone his fellow midfielders largely because of his success in scoring vital goals from a deep-lying position. Chelsea manager Ancelotti has cited his player’s ability to arrive in the penalty area at exactly the right time as one of Lampard’s main strengths, and that helped the England man to score 22 league goals over the course of the campaign.
Lampard was the top provider of chances over the last 12 months, delivering the final pass that led to a shot on goal on 114 occasions, while his return of 14 assists was the joint highest and matched only by Barcelona’s Xavi and AC Milan’s Ronaldinho.
The midfielder also emerged as the top provider of chances over the last 12 months, delivering the final pass that led to a shot on goal on 114 occasions, while his return of 14 assists was the joint highest and matched only by Barcelona’s Xavi and AC Milan’s Ronaldinho.
Castrol Ambassador and 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winner Marcel Desailly said: “I played with Frank at Chelsea and I know from first-hand experience how effective he is in an attacking midfield role.
“He has incredible stamina that allows him to move quickly from box to box but he has the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when he should make that final surge into the penalty area behind the main striker.
“He is always quick to see a scoring opportunity and his ability to shoot accurately and powerfully with either foot has brought him so many goals. His scoring record means his technical ability is sometimes overlooked but he always uses the ball intelligently and has an excellent eye for a pass.”
Top 10 Midfielders - Season 2009/10
| Pos | Player | Club | Castrol Rankings Points |
| 10 | Frank Lampard | Chelsea | 845 |
| 17 | Toni Kroos | Bayer Leverkusen | 804 |
| 19 | David Silva | Valencia | 800 |
| 21 | Florent Malouda | Chelsea | 790 |
| 25 | Francesc Fabregas | Arsenal | 783 |
| 26 | Xavi | Barcelona | 781 |
| 37 | Kaká | Real Madrid | 756 |
| 38 | Andrey Arshavin | Arsenal | 755 |
| 39 | Nani | Manchester United | 753 |
| 43 | Lucho González | Marseille | 745 |
Marcus Hahnemann is hoping to be United States’ number one at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa and the Castrol Rankings shows the Wolves keeper has made a powerful case after a superb season that helped his club retain their place in the Premier League. Mick McCarthy’s side conceded 1.2 goals per game when the North American played compared to two goals per game when he was missing.
Hahnemann, ranked 18th overall, made 4.4 saves per game, more than any of his Premier League rivals, and saved 78.4% of shots on target, the best ratio amongst goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues who made at least 100 saves.
Top 10 Goalkeepers - Season 2009/10
| Pos | Player | Club | Castrol Rankings Points |
| 18 | Marcus Hahnemann | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 801 |
| 28 | Edwin Van der Sar | Manchester United | 772 |
| 30 | Jose Reina | Liverpool | 770 |
| 34 | Marco Storari | Sampdoria | 760 |
| 41 | César Sánchez | Valencia | 749 |
| 59 | Hugo Lloris | Lyon | 732 |
| 59 | Daniel Aranzubía | Deportivo de La Coruña | 732 |
| 61 | Stéphane Ruffier | Monaco | 729 |
| 65 | Thomas Sørensen | Stoke City | 726 |
| 69 | Joe Hart | Birmingham City | 720 |
Gerard Pique helped Barcelona record the best defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues with the Catalans conceding only 24 goals in 38 games.
The centre-back always looks assured in possession and completed 87% of passes. He made 2,056 touches in his own half, a La Liga high while four goals and one assist have also contributed to Pique’s standing at 13th in the overall rankings.
Top 10 Defenders - Season 2009/10
| Pos | Player | Club | Castrol Rankings Points |
| 13 | Gerard Piqué | Barcelona | 830 |
| 14 | Daniel Alves | Barcelona | 820 |
| 24 | Carles Puyol | Barcelona | 788 |
| 29 | Sami Hyypiä | Bayer Leverkusen | 771 |
| 30 | Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid | 770 |
| 33 | Daniel van Buyten | Bayern München | 766 |
| 34 | John Terry | Chelsea | 760 |
| 36 | Naldo | Werder Bremen | 759 |
| 44 | Branislav Ivanovic | Chelsea | 742 |
| 46 | Marcelo | Real Madrid | 741 |
Lionel Messi has outshone every player in Europe over the last 12 months. The Barcelona playmaker scored 34 goals in La Liga, including 25 in 20 starts in 2010 alone, more than any other player in the top five leagues this season.
He also delivered 10 assists in the Spanish top-flight this season, a total only teammate Xavi could better (14), while his shooting accuracy was the best in the league with 66% of his attempts hitting the target.
Top 10 Forwards - Season 2009/10
| Pos | Player | Club | Castrol Rankings Points |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 1133 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 1065 |
| 3 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 936 |
| 4 | Wayne Rooney | Manchester United | 920 |
| 5 | Arjen Robben | Bayern München | 897 |
| 6 | Gonzalo Higuaín | Real Madrid | 888 |
| 7 | Fernando Torres | Liverpool | 861 |
| 8 | Luis Fabiano | Sevilla | 858 |
| 9 | David Villa | Valencia | 854 |
| 10 | Ivica Olic | Bayern München | 845 |
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