A few days late I grant you but we haven’t played a game yet in 2023 so still valid!

Many frown about these sort of “calendar year” analyses but after a fairly dismal 12 months I thought it would be nice to see who came out on top statistically for the club. And…I can’t stress this enough…this shows which individuals amassed the best basic stats in a team game so not necessarily the best XI over the year.

My criteria for inclusion is pretty simple – at least 10 league and cup games played AND more than 5 starts, just to rule out and false statistical outliers!

Formation? 3-1-4-2 as although we didn’t play that way a great deal in 2022 it fits neatly with what the model has chucked out. So without further ado let’s get cracking!…

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GOALKEEPER

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Only two make the cut as, although a staggering 6 players have featured between the sticks, the likes of Sandford & Terell(4 each), White(3) & Scott(1) simply did not feature enough so we are left with just two and the one who will don the dreaded “no.13 shirt” is…

Ross Fitzsimmons

A tough time for Ross during the first half of the year as we dived out of the conference national and there was only so many times his fine reflexes could dig us out of trouble so his stats probably more reflect more the situation of the team at the time rather than his individual performances. In total his goals against averaged 2.00, Win% 4.0, Points per game 0.54, Clean Sheets 12%.

OUR NO.1 – ZAKI OUALAH

And therefore it is Zaki who dons the gloves! Critics will say he is a agent of fortune, picked here purely in terms of “right place, right time” during the Bobby Wilkinson renaissance and that his goals against average is only slightly better than that of Fitzsimmons at 1.83 but his shot-stopping ability cannot be doubted and that must be a factor in the 11x higher win%(44), 2.5x higher points per game(1.83) and nearly doubling clean sheets(22%).

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DEFENDERS

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No less than 10 qualify here (if you count Bearwish as he has been oft used in a back line) but we can only pick four so those not making the grade are – Kyprianou(10th), Harfield(9th), Drewe(8th), Cordner(7th), Howe(6th), Bearwish(5th)

DEF – 4th choice – HAJI MNOGA

Despite the Portsmouth loanee solely featuring in our relegation winter/spring, it’s pleasing to see the stats reflecting what many felt, that we were lucky to have such a class act for as many as 20 games at that time. Although he scored 7th best in terms of defenders win%(10.0) he had the 4th best goals against average(1.90) and 3rd best points per game(0.74)

DEF – 3rd choice – LUKE NIPPARD

Young Luke has impressed in his return to the club after initially featuring briefly as a whipper-snapper in 2019. He secures his place with the 4th best PPG(0.64) and 4th best win%(27.8) but most impressively only one defender bettered his goals against average of 1.78. (Yes perhaps he is more of a defensive midfielder but I envisage him sitting just in front of a back three for this exercise!)

DEF – 2nd choice – DAN MATSUZAKA

Although three defenders have a better goals against average than Dan’s 1.88, no one can better his 30.8 win% and he can also boast the second best defensive PPG at 0.79. He has also weighed in with two important goals during his first 26 games for the club.

DEF – 1st choice – NATHAN CARLYLE

Statistically there can be no debate on the best defender for the Terras in 2022 as Irishman Nathan tops the tree in all three categories with the joint best win%(30.8), least goals against on average(1.77) and highest points per game by far(0.90). These stats are even more impressive when you consider almost half of his 33 games were before the upturn in form under Bobby Wilkinson!

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MIDFIELDERS

Ten names qualify here and I have included Nippard again and Harfield in the reckoning in that tally as a “wing back”. Those not making the grade are – Harfield(10th), Robinson & McQuoid(joint 8th), Mussa(7th), Murray(6th).

MID – 4th choice – SEAN SHIELDS

Technically Nippard finished 4th and Sean 5th when we score midfielders on wins, GD, PPG, assists and goals scored but we have already used Nippard in defence so Sean will get the nod here. His ranking is impressive considering 2022 was not his best year with the club as we crashed out of the 5th tier but three goal contributions over 17 games in the calendar year before he left in the summer is impressive when only one game was won during that period when he featured!

MID – 3rd choice – TOM BLAIR

Often forgotten Tom has featured in 48 games during 2022. His record of 22.9% wins and -0.83 goals against average both rank 4th versus his peers in the middle of the park. However he is 3rd best when it comes to PPG(0.70) and goals per game(0.06). Also with seven assists at 0.15 a game he is only bettered by one midfielder on that score.

MID – 2nd choice – ZANDER McBURNIE

Another player who quietly goes about his business, Zander has benefitted from largely an injury-free run in the squad this campaign. Over 30 games in the calendar year he has not featured in the goals or assists columns but maybe has a positive impact on the team in less calculable ways as he has the 3rd best win% of the midfield men (26.7) and tops the charts in terms of goal difference(-0.40) and a whopping 0.96 PPG.

MID – 1st choice – KEELAN O’CONNELL

Many famously say there are lies, damn lies and statistics but here I truly believe the stats back up what most fans believe – that we have been truly lucky to enjoy Keelan’s skills for 29 games in 2022. In terms of goals per game only Josh McQuoid tops his 0.10 ratio(3 from 29) and many would argue McQuoid should be classed a forward anyway. However it’s in his goal provision that Keelan clearly excels with 7 from 29 at a rate of almost 1 in 4, the best in our underperforming team. He also has the most pre-assists with 5. Truly a class act!

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ATTACKERS

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Incredibly only four strikers have played 10 games with more than 5 starts during the calendar year. In fourth – Tom Bearwish, third place goes to Brandon Goodship.

ATT – 2nd choice – BRAD ASH

It has most definitely been a great 2022 for Brad Ash. 14 goals in 40 games is none too shabby at a team best 0.35 a game. Yes six of those have been pens but he was instrumental in winning at least two of those so let’s banish any Pen-ashdo chants! Besides it’s also in goal creation he has done well, 3rd in the team overall with 0.13 a game.

ATT – 1st choice – AHKEEM ROSE

No other word for it but Rose has blossomed in 2022. Fortunate perhaps to miss all games this season through injury until Bobby Wilkinson’s debut but you still have to take you chances in life and he has grabbed the thorny prospect of elevating this team with both hands. He may not quite have Ash’s goal scoring ratio but at 0.24 that is still almost 1 in 4 for a side averaging 21st over the year and his ratio from open play is the best in the whole team. He can also boast the best GF average of any attacker in games he plays with 1.33. Here’s to Rose smelling even more sweetly in 2023!

HOW WE LINE UP! – My Terras statistical team of 2022

Do you agree or not? Is it pointless using stats influenced by team events to build a team? Let me know!