Actim Stat Attack

15th May 2007

Didier Drogba clinched top spot in the Barclays Premiership Actim Index ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo - but Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov ended the season as the man of the moment.

Chelsea striker Drogba and Manchester United superstar Ronaldo fought an enthralling battle for superiority from the moment the season kicked off last August.

But, while Sir Alex Ferguson’s men clinched their ninth Premiership title since the inception of the Premiership in 1992, it was Drogba who ended up as the top man.

The Ivory Coast international was the Premiership’s top scorer with 20 goals, three more than Ronaldo, to help him earn a final Index score of 628 points.

His goal-laden contribution culminated with the crucial second-half equaliser against Everton during Sunday’s 1-1 draw against the Merseysiders- which ultimately landed him the Actim crown.

The point preserved Chelsea’s three-year unbeaten home run in the Premiership and confirmed that Drogba’s goals have carried the deposed champions this season.

Yet Ronaldo’s contribution to United’s cause this season has been equally significant.

Indeed, the brilliant Portuguese winger may have eclipsed Drogba at the top of the Index had he not appeared only as a second-half substitute during Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to West Ham.

Ronaldo ended up with a higher average match score (19) than Drogba (18) while Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is also worthy of mention.

Given that he missed a large part of the season, it is no surprise to see him finish way down the Index in 83rd place after beingActim’s top dog for the last two campaigns.

However, it is worth noting that Henry’s average match score was a remarkable 21 points, out-gunning surprise package Berbatov who was good enough for an average of 19 points per game.

The Bulgarian simply ran out of games - having played three less than Drogba and one fewer than Ronaldo - to sit just 17 points off the top of the standings.

A £10.9million purchase from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen last summer, Berbatov must be worth considerably more after scoring 12 goals to help Martin Jol’s men to a fifth-placed finish in the Premiership for the second season running.

Accordingly, Berbatov’s performances earned him a place in the Barclays Premiership’s Actim Index Team of the Season after edging out Wayne Rooney - who finished fourth overall.

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James secured his place between the posts in that team, a string of consistent and brilliant displays helping him to 489 points, Steve Finnan and Phil Neville, two quietly efficient performers from either side of Stanley Park, also forcing their way into Actim’s elite XI.

15th May 2007

Birmingham starGary McSheffrey has been crowned the Coca-Cola Championship Actim Index player of the year after managing to hold off the challenge of Colchester hotshot Jamie Cureton.

McSheffrey went into the final game of the season with a 30-point lead over the Us frontman and despite earning a weekly score of minus three points,Cureton netted just 13 as his side went down 2-0 to Crystal Palace to leave him in second spot overall.

McSheffrey amassed 735 points over the course of his 43-game campaign, playing 44 minutes more than his closest rival but his consistency proved the telling factor.

Sunderland winger Carlos Edwards’ 20-point haul against his former club Luton was enough to claim third place ahead of Chris Iwelumo, who could only manage nine points in the Palace defeat.

Norwich forward Darren Huckerby (631 points) snatched fifth place from Cardiff`s Michael Chopra by just a single point.

McSheffrey averaged 21 points per appearance this season, ahead of Edwards and Iwelumo (20 points per match) and Cureton, Diomansy Kamara and Dean Windass (all 19 points), the Hull man earning plaudits for his contribution to City’s successful relegation fight.

Home form was the key to both player’s success, McSheffrey earning 470 points of his total on home turf-second only to Iwelumo’s 471-point return.

Cureton brought in 430 points at Layer Road but was quietly efficient on his travels with 292 points.

Southampton striker Gregorz Rasiak was the most-prolific man away from home, scoring a staggering 364 of his 461 points away from St Mary’s.

In the final week of scoring, Kevin Phillips’ stunning hat-trick in the 7-0 drubbing of Barnsley earned him the highest score of the gameweek - and the second best of the season.

Veteran striker Phillips, who continued his scoring spree in the Baggies` play-off victory against Wolves on Sunday, had four shots on target and one off with one assist to his credit.

Phillips saw his 74-point haul ensure a 51st-place finish in the final Actim standings.

The score was second only to Colchester striker Chris Iwelumo, who posted 87 points following a four-goal performance against Hull in November 2006for the top score of 2006/2007