After nine months of watching them play, we should all have a decent idea of their abilities by now. However the wide range of views relating to ‘certain players’ led me to decide a full squad evaluation is required. I know Terry and Stuart read this, and I know how highly they regard my opinion, so I decided to add a prediction for next season, as well as appearances and goals in the league only and a basic overall percentage score, carefully worked out on the back of a fag packet.
KENNEDY ADJEI – Fantastic start to the year from the youngster. Made the step up from the reserves with ease. Always looks at home in the team. However tends to give the ball away a little too much for my liking, has a lot to learn in the Conference Premier.
Apps/Goals – 25(3)/2
Rating – 61%
Next season – At Dons, 12 appearances mostly sub
BELAL AITOUAKRIM – Apparently a ‘forward’. Barely registered. Even when he was on the pitch I scarcely noticed. Half hearted when on the field. Just not strong enough physically or mentally.
Apps/Goals – 2(7)/0
Rating – 12%
Next season – At Dulwich, top scorer in Ryman 1 South
ROCKY BAPTISTE – End of season impact player whose only impact was to score the ‘winner’ against Bromley. Thanks for coming along to help though.
Apps/Goals – 0(1)/1
Rating – 59%
Next season – An Indian summer back at Farnborough.
JAY CONROY – If Garrard had stayed fit he wouldn’t be at the club. Calm, assured, he looks part of the furniture already. Has what it takes to stay with the club a long time, but does he want it?
Apps/Goals – 8/0
Rating – 70%
TOM DAVIS – Midfield battler. Does more work than he is given credit for. Lightweight in a tackle, yet makes so many challenges. Should score more goals. Does the simple things well. Sports ‘just back from Gran Canaria’ tan even in mid-February.
Apps/Goals – 38(1)/4
Rating – 65%
Next season – Half a dozen turnouts then gone by Christmas
A DIVOT – Not the most mobile of strikers, he knew exactly the right place to divert Sam Hattons freekick into the net at Thurrock. A wandering soul, he turned up a few weeks later to wreck Andy Sambrooks Dons career before the game even begun, somewhat souring his reputation among the Dons fans.
Apps/Goals – 0(1)/1
Rating – 50%
Next season – Hoping to get a full season under his belt at Hampton.
ANTHONY FINN – Lazy, yet puts just enough effort in at the right time. Should be a football league player with his talent, Can’t play on the wing as doesn’t seem to understand how to track back. Up there with Ursell in terms of showmanship. A massive waste of ability.
Apps/Goals – 24(15)/3
Rating – 60%
Next season – Three goals in first five outings, back to the Ryman by Xmas.
LUKE GARRARD – Perhaps the most complete footballer in the squad. Can play all 11 positions. Knee injury was a tragedy for him, but has worked so hard to get back for next year. Would have challenged for player of the year if his season wasn’t ended in November. A genuine good guy and future captain.
Apps/Goals – 15/1
Rating – 72%
Next season – 38 appearances and awards aplenty.
NICK GINDRE – Proved an experienced backup following Little’s injury. Deserved his runout and clean sheet on the final day.
Apps/Goals – 1/0
Rating – 60%
Next season – Shock move to Scottish First Division club.
ELLIOTT GODFREY – Quality forward. Never stops working for the team. Had some bad luck and couldn’t quite establish himself early on, but came back even more determined after Xmas. Has earned a place in the squad next season.
Apps/Goals – 29(8)/6
Rating – 70%
Next season – Just behind the front two, 14 goals.
JASON GOODLIFFE – Legendary leader. Influential and experienced defender. Never say die attitude. Brave as anyone. But… Liable to be shown up by pacy defenders. Wondering how long he really has left in him.
Apps/Goals – 18(9)/1
Rating – 73%
Next season – Shock departure of the summer. Next seasons Sutton captain.
MICKY HASWELL – Solid if unspectacular full back. Losing his pace to a 19 year old should mean curtains for his Dons career, as he doesn’t look entirely convincing at centre-half or in midfield.
Apps/Goals – 10(11)/0
Rating – 47%
Next season – Rushden, Dover, Grays, Thurrock.
SAM HATTON – The previous season he looked one season away from being a quality Ryman midfielder, and looked a season away from being a quality BSS midfielder this time around. Has a big future at the club if he keeps on improving, and has shown he has the desire to do so.
Apps/Goals – 39(1)/9
Rating – 73%
Next season – One year away from being a quality Conference midfielder.
CHRIS HUSSEY – Won his place on merit and never looked like losing it. Tailed off badly towards the end of the season. Looked a little lost at times. Occasionally sends hopeful balls into the left channel to nobody when he runs out of ideas. Young enough to keep improving. Must be concerned about losing his place for Wycombe/Hampton games.
Apps/Goals – 32(7)/1
Rating – 71%
Next season – battling for no.3 with a new signing… and winning.
KEZIE IBE – Looked the real deal in his cameo appearances on loan from Ebbsfleet. All pace and power, but perhaps too one dimensional?
Apps/Goals – 3(2)/1
Rating – 61%
Next season – Top scorer for Woking.
ALAN INNS – Would run through brick walls. Loyal as any fan. Rarely beaten in the air. Tends to get a little overexcited from time to time.
Apps/Goals – 23(6)/3
Rating – 76%
Next season – In and out the side challenging for places with new arrivals.
BEN JUDGE – Best defender in the BSS by a mile. Reads the game better than even Goodliffe. It all looked too easy for him at times, Will be a key member of the first team for 2-3 years yet, possibly more.
Apps/Goals – 37(1)
Rating – 88%
Next season – Club captain.
DANNY KEDWELL – Absolute value at £10k. Added a whole new dimension to the team on arrival. Doesn’t understand the meaning of the words ‘lost cause’. Does the jobs Jon Main can’t. Could perhaps be a bit more clinical in front of goal No, I can’t bear to criticise him. Will be a Dons legend for years to come.
Apps/Goals – 30(4)/14
Rating – 85%
Next season – 16 goals and 16 assists.
JAKE LEBERL – Strong, experienced, willing to put himself on the line – the sign of a good centre half. Forgetting that he’s playing centre half and finding himself waaaaaay out of position – the sign of a defensive midfielder playing out of position. His loyalty should ensure another season of acting as the defensive utility man.
Apps/Goals – 23(11) – 1
Rating – 66%
Next season – More time on the bench…
DWAYNE LEE – Looked too good for the BSS at times. Disappeared into thin air the rest of the time. Held his position and thus did his job, but the ball seemed to bypass him too many times. Also he gave the ball away a lot for a player of his standing. The John Smiths Stand Player (We Love To Hate) Of The Year.
Apps/Goals – 16/1
Rating – 67%
Next season – ‘Maybe tomorrow, I’ll wanna settle down…’
ANDY LITTLE – A nasty knee injury has done his chances of returning to the side no good. A slightly better kicker than Pullen, but his rival beats him hands down in all other departments. Pullen also has the bonus of time on his side.
Apps/Goals – 20/0
Rating – 54%
Next season – Don’t expect to see him in a Dons shirt. Sorry Andy.
JON MAIN – For 3/4 of a season he looked a beast of a striker, simply too good for any defense put in front of him. Then, he went a few games without a goal, then a few more, and just couldn’t get that monkey off his back. Proved his worth with the goal that won the league. No one deadlier when given a split second to get his shot away, his strike rate actualy decreases when given time to think. May have suffered from complacency due to having no real competition for his shirt.
Apps/Goals – 38(3)/33
Rating – 81%
Next season – Finghting for his place and back to his best.
DEAN MASON – Did a fantastic job as an impact substitute at the start of the season. A lack of appearances as Main started flagging suggests Terry has lost a bit of faith in him. Back for the reserves next year, if hes lucky. Perhaps needs to earn more experience away from the club.
Apps/Goals – 0(9)/1
Rating 41%
JAMES PULLEN – Can approach next season with the confidence of knowing he is first choice. I’m absolutely certain his poor kicking is more down to a lack of concentration than anything – we all saw him in the warmups, pinging 50 yard balls to feet across the pitch. Apart from that, he has a chance to resurrect any hopes of a professional career over the next season or two, lets hope he takes it.
Apps/Goals – 21(1)/0
Rating – 70%
Next season – A whole year in the red, green or light blue shirt.
LUKE PIGDEN – By no means did Luke look out of place in his three appearances, but he has to live with the knowledge that Sam Hatton is always going to have a headstart over him. He will find his place to the first team blocked by more experienced men, unless he can get away on loan again – if he’s given a chance of another year at the club.
Apps/Goals – 0(3)/0
Rating – 38%
Next season – At Kingstonian (and possibly on a contract there)
ANDY SAMBROOK – The unluckiest man of the season. Would have finished the season if Divot hadn’t intervened. His final day selection seemed more a ‘thankyou and goodbye’.
Apps/Goals – 7/0
Rating 60%
Next season – St Albans
ROB SAUNDERS – An enigma really. We didn’t see too much of him during his loan spell, yet Terry has referred to some negotiations taking pace with him over the summer. Seemed like a lightweight Elliott Godfrey. Has gone back to help Farnborough in the playoffs, and good luck to him.
Apps/Goals – 1(3)/0
Rating – 40%
Next season – Having a great year (in the BSS).
JACK STAFFORD – Learning from Marcus Gayle in the reserves, a decent minor cup performance put him in the first team shop wimdow, yet his selection on two occasions probably reflect more on the quality of all the young youth than just himself. Will be lucky to get near the bench next season, and will continue his learning in the second string.
Apps/Goals – 0(2)/0
Rating – 42%
Next season – Suburban League champions medal
CHRIS SULLIVAN – The unfortunate Sullivan just never seemed to get himself fit. What must have been more galling for Tery Brown was we had to go to tribunal for him. Its been a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for Sullivan, who unfortunately looks like he will be continuing his career elsewhere.
Apps/Goals – 0(1)/0
Rating – 21%
Next season – Anywhere but Kingsmeadow (except possibly for K’s)
So there you go – my squad evaluation. Of course all this means –
Anonymous Don Player of the Year – Ben Judge
Young Player of the Year – Sam Hatton
Biggest Waste Of Space – Belal Aitouakrim
Biggest Impact By A Loanee/Short Term Contract – Jay Conroy
Sympathy Award For Failure To Pick Up Any Other Awards Anywhere – James Pullen
Angry that I dissed your favourite player? Need to put me right on a few things? Thats what the comments section is for… especially if I’ve managed to leave out a player or something…
The Anonymous Don 