Sorry RVP, you're not the MVP... and neither is Suarez, Aguero or Fellaini (you'll be surprised who is!)
By MARTIN KEOWN
Who is a team’s most important player? Every pundit and fan has their opinion but something I read recently made me wonder if there was a more scientific approach that could be taken.
I saw former Preston manager Graham Westley on MailOnline saying that the biggest indicator he used to pick his team was players’ points per game.
If the team wins lots of points when a player is in the side, he needs to start. If they don’t, he risks being dropped.
It sounds obvious and of course is not going to be right all the time, but it sounds like a good guide and a look at each club’s best performers in the Premier League makes for interesting reading. Not all the ‘best’ players are the usual suspects.
Shock: None of Robin van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Marouane Fellaini or Luis Suarez make this MVP list
One of the themes of the past week, rightly, has been the importance of Gareth Bale to Tottenham but Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele are two of the three players who are most associated with Spurs wins this season — two ex-Fulham players.
Martin Keown's inspiration
Dempsey has not had an easy transition at Spurs and has been given a hard time from the fans at times but he works very hard and Andre Villas-Boas has been impressed enough to play him ahead of the talented Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The situation is similar at Manchester United, where Jonny Evans tops the list for his club and, in terms of points per game, for the whole of the Premier League.
On the other side of Manchester, Roberto Mancini might be wondering if the champions would have dropped fewer points if Carlos Tevez had started more games.
Liverpool fans will no doubt be surprised at Joe Allen’s influence. The midfielder has not started a Premier League game since the January defeat by Manchester United but before that he was statistically their most valuable player. He keeps the ball, helps the team find their rhythm and yet people were fairly quick to criticise him.
Winners: Jonny Evans, Matija Nastasic, Phil Neville and Joe Allen top the lists for their respective clubs
Two other midfielders who are their clubs' key men and are worth a mention are Phil Neville and Yohan Cabaye. Neville has started 18 games this season and is David Moyes’ leader on the pitch. He is the manager’s voice on the pitch and they missed him in the defeat by Norwich last weekend.
Cabaye’s absence lines up with the troubles Newcastle had earlier in the season. Since his return from injury in January, they have lost just twice and he has scored three goals. He is an outstanding talent and it’s no surprise he is his club's most important points-per-game player.
A final mention for an even less heralded player. Few people paid much attention when Wigan manager Roberto Martinez lamented a serious injury to defender Ivan Ramis in January. ‘That is the real negative of the afternoon,’ said Martinez. ‘I thought Ivan was outstanding. You are starting to see a centre half that has adapted to the British game and is someone very, very important.’
Martinez was right as he is Wigan’s top performer, who has played in five of Wigan’s six league wins this season.
There’s a comfort when players like that are in the team. There is a trust and confidence in players who win regularly. That’s why the players on this list will almost never be dropped.
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