CIARON Brown may have enjoyed a double success at Oxford United’s end of season awards, but do the numbers back up him being the club’s star player this campaign?
Statistics from football data website whoscored.com, used by the English Football League for their teams of the week, suggest Elliott Moore may actually have been the key man for United this season.
U’s skipper Moore ended up as the 25th best player in Sky Bet League One this season, scoring an average rating of 7.04.
READ AGAIN: Double success for Ciaron Brown at end of season awards
That put him above other centre backs such as Plymouth Argyle title winner Dan Scarr and George Johnston, who helped Bolton Wanderers to a play-off place.
Moore also placed marginally higher than Portsmouth’s experienced centre half Sean Raggett and Chris Forino of Wycombe Wanderers.
In 37 appearances, Moore won an average of 5.9 aerial duels per game, the sixth-highest in League One and third best for a defender.
The 26-year-old scored one goal, in the 2-1 defeat at home to Barnsley in February, and had a pass success rate of 75.5 per cent.
Cameron Brannagan (64th) and Brown (65th) were the next best-placed United players on the list, both scoring an average rating of 6.88 for the season.
Both made more than 40 league appearances, while Brannagan ended the league campaign with nine goals and two assists.
Brown, who scooped both the U’s players’ player of the year and the Andrew Knapton supporters’ player of the year awards, grabbed two goals and an assist, and won 4.2 aerial duels per game.
Sam Long was the only other United player to make the top 100, ranking 75th overall with an average rating of 6.84.
The 28-year-old managed three goals and two assists in 43 matches, and won 3.7 aerial duels per game.
“He’s someone that will progressively get better and it’s one of those where we have to go away and look at the situation.”
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) May 9, 2023
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According to the whoscored stats, Ipswich Town left back Leif Davis, Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan and Derby County centre back Eiran Cashin were the top three performers in League One.
The U’s came out on top though when it came to the most successful passer in the league.
Marcus McGuane had a pass success rate of 89.5 per cent, finishing above Morecambe’s former United loanee Daniel Crowley (87.1 per cent).
Brannagan (81.1 per cent) and Lewis Bate (80.5 per cent) ranked the next highest for the U’s.
United were the third-highest team for shots per game, with their 14.6 behind Ipswich (17.5) and Wednesday (14.8).
However, the U’s managed just 49 goals and were sixth for shots on target per game (4.6).
United ranked ninth for possession with an average of 53.1 per cent, while their 72 per cent pass accuracy left them 11th.
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About the author
To sign up to Liam’s latest Oxford United newsletter for free, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Formerly the politics reporter for the Oxford Mail, Liam now covers all things Oxford United.
Liam attends the U’s home and away, as well as covering other big sports stories across the county.
His Oxford United newsletter is released every Saturday morning at 6am.
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