Wednesday 23 November 2016 10:42, UK
Newcastle are dominating the Sky Bet Championship, but the stats suggest it's Barnsley skipper Conor Hourihane who's the star player in the second tier.
After the Magpies became the first team to reach the 40-point mark this quickly since Mick McCarthy's Wolves back in 2008, it's fair to say that most are of the opinion that Rafa Benitez boasts the league's best players.
Nevertheless, while the league leaders are on a superb eight-game winning streak at present, as highlighted in last week's piece from WhoScored.com, their success is owed to the collective rather than one star man. Indeed, a look at the player ratings leaderboard shows that not a single Newcastle man is among the top 10 at present, with the league's leading scorer, Dwight Gayle (7.42), now the top performer for the table toppers.
The debate as to the second tier's best player is certainly an open one, but the man heading the list right now will no doubt come as a surprise to many. Indeed, based on statistical ratings, Barnsley captain Hourihane has been the Championship's star turn so far this campaign and we asked WhoScored.com to explain why, ahead of Barnsley's Friday night clash with Nottingham Forest, live on Sky Sports 1...
Simply put, the Irishman scores so highly because he is involved in so much of his side's play. A real all-action midfielder, the 25-year old played a key role in Barnsley's promotion last season in terms of contributing in the final third, scoring 10 times, but it's his work off the ball that has really shone this time around.
Hourihane is top of the league in terms of tackles, with 54, and his tireless running has been pivotal to the Tykes' solid start to life back in the Championship. Often seeming to let runners get beyond him, the Barnsley skipper has tracked back on countless occasions this season to slide in and rob opponents of possession just when they appear to be mounting a meaningful attack.
With just one foul per game to boot, while Hourihane does go to ground when necessary, his timing in the challenge has been excellent. Moreover, the middle man has shown exceptional anticipation to produce 52 interceptions this season, which is a figure that only three Championship players can better.
Nevertheless, Hourihane's ability on the ball is perhaps even more decisive to Paul Heckingbottom's side. Not only does their captain - who was handed the armband midway through last season - have an important role in regaining possession, but he is the side's main distributor too.
His average of 55.3 passes per game is the most for Barnsley by a country mile ahead of right-back Andy Yiadom's 41.3, meaning Hourihane is very much at the heart of everything last season's League One play-off winners do. However, far from just being a sitting midfielder looking to keep things ticking over in the middle of the park, the former Sunderland academy graduate is tasked with getting his side on the front foot.
Always looking to play forwards whenever possible, Hourihane's pass success rate is relatively modest (81.1%) due to his willingness to try to break the lines by finding a front-man. Indeed, when excluding defenders, his total of 281 forward passes ranks among the league's top outfielders. Furthermore, only Jonjo Shelvey (34.5%) has played a higher proportion of his total passes forwards than the Barnsley man (33.9%).
This tendency to look for a killer pass rather than always opting for the safe option has also led to an average of 2.3 chances created per game - ranking 12th - and four assists. While a fair portion of those key passes have come from set pieces, his delivery from such situations, and indeed open play, is yet another asset to a very well-rounded skill set.
An average of 0.7 key passes per game from free-kicks is another league high, using his favoured left foot to great effect from deep positions in particular. This impressive technique has also enabled Hourihane to rank third for shots on target from outside the box, with one of three goals this season having come from a pinpoint direct free-kick.
Deemed 'very strong' at key passes, long shots, tackling and ball interception, and strong at passing, taking set pieces and direct free-kicks according to WhoScored.com's statistically calculated player characteristics, it's clear Hourihane has a lot going for him.
All of this and more has helped contribute to a WhoScored.com rating 7.83, as well as reported interest from north and south of the border. Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers are both thought to be monitoring Hourihane's progress, while Aston Villa were also linked with a move earlier this season. With his current contract set to expire next summer and his performances this season proving he is more than capable of competing at a higher level, that list will surely grow.
For all of the reasons above, then, it wouldn't be a surprise if the scouts were out in force when Barnsley host Nottingham Forest on Friday night. The hosts will just hope that they can convince a player that is so essential to everything they do that his future remains at Oakwell. It already seems as though that will be easier said than done.
Watch Barnsley v Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Friday.
