Barometer of 10 games

10 game marker. Thoughts?

Two defeats in ten, or seven games without a win. It does depend how full your pint glass is. A great August, a bad September, and then an unusually long break, another draw at home, but on the face of it a good point on the road on Tuesday night.

I always feel that 10 games is a good barometer, 21% of the season gone, but I am not going to dissect the team’s start to the season, we all do that after every game these days, but I will take a look at the players.

I like a list as you know, and I reckon 10 league games plus a couple of Carabao Cup games is enough for me to pick our best early season five players and also select our worst five players thus far.

Maybe it was my pint glass being half full, but it did seem a lot easier to pick five best players than it was five worst players, in fact in that category five was actually quite difficult.

Here are the best five, but there was also a couple of others that could easily have made the list.

⭐️ Tyreece Campbell – 919 minutes

Campbell has been our only real goal threat this season playing in his favoured position. He has brought a confidence and a swagger to his game, and we have to hope that he can maintain that standard. He has looked less fired up since his return from international duty, but he still had our best chance at home to Bristol City.

⭐️ Billy Koumetio – 465 minutes

Proving to be an astute signing. Half a million quid from Dundee in the summer, the 23-year old and he’s rolled up shorts has slotted neatly alongside Lloyd Jones. Annoyingly he missed 6 games after getting injured at Tottenham, but has returned looking as good. Confident on the ball, mobile and very able to bring the ball out into more advanced positions.

⭐️ Ivan Mesik – 647 minutes

Liking this boy a lot. Comes across as a level headed character, he’ll be wanting more minutes, and I’d like to see him more too. Loves a tackle and quick to get forward, he is a more natural wing back and we’ll still re-running that goal at Burnley in our heads.

⭐️ Lloyd Jones – 1,065 minutes

Well, of course. Lloyd has played every minute of every league game. Leads by example whether he’s got the armband on or not. A couple of goals, including that overhead kick and an assist to his name in 10 games as well. Dominant in the air against almost anyone.

⭐️ Miles Leaburn – 754 minutes

Oh for a goal for Miles. He desperately needs one before we all just end up comparing him to his father. Yet, he has led the line very well, although getting less support as the weeks move on. Miles has looked stronger and more aggressive and has had a good start to the season, but he is a striker and they need to score goals.

Okay, onto the worst performing players in the squad. Happily easier to collate than the above list. Let’s start with the obvious.

🗑️ Timothy Ouma – 186 minutes

Currently missing somewhere between Kenya and south London. Thankfully the club didn’t sign him permanently. 186 minutes the vast majority of which he has looked a liability. He made me nervous on his debut at West Brom, and has since looked miles of the level required. Obviously as worthless of the field as he is on it.

🗑️ Oliver Skipp – 520 minutes

Underwhelmed when we signed him on loan from Leicester, and still underwhelmed. He looks a worker bee but no more. Still time to turn me around, but how he was once signed for £20 million might explain his parent’s club’s dramatic fall from grace.

🗑️ Millenic Alli – 360 minutes

I think he had ‘impact sub’ written on his contract, but he is yet to do even that other than against Preston. I do see some ability but it has been well hidden and he stunk the place out when I saw him in the flesh at Cardiff.

🗑️ Sonny Carey – 333 minutes

I like Sonny and his 8 goals last season were invaluable. Yet, he faded as the season went on and he is still on the fade. He has dropped behind a whole host of #10’s even those that are not #10’s and I’d have Knibbs in there over Carey at the moment. An appearance as a sub and a late goal could change everything.

🗑️ Tyler Bindon – 405 minutes

The Kiwi has a lot of good characteristics, and at just 21 has considerable upside, but he looked shaky in the five games he started, which brought a volatility to the whole backline. Sheffield United fans said he was hit or miss, but he did also have a run of very good games up there. Probably only signed to cover injuries, so no doubt we’ll see him again at some point.

As always, I’d welcome your thoughts.