Opta Jury: Amdy Faye
Amdy Faye is the latest player under the Opta Jury microscope.
Amdy Faye arrived in English football in August 2003 to bolster Portsmouth's attempts to survive in their debut Premiership campaign.
As a member of Harry Redknapp's international squad, Faye played a significant part in Pompey's 13th placed finish, well clear of the danger zone. The Senegal international made the most tackles (132) of any Portsmouth player that season and only Steve Stone attempted more passes than the central midfielder.
Faye's combative style throughout the season often brought him to the attention of the league's officials, who pulled him up for 54 fouls and seven yellow cards in his 27 appearances.
Faye remained a regular fixture in the Pompey midfield in 2004/05 and his performances attracted the interest of other Premiership clubs including Newcastle.
The Toon had kept just two clean sheets in 19 league games under Graeme Souness at the time of Faye's move north and were desperately searching for a defensive influence on their side.
Since arriving on Tyneside, Faye has made 17 league appearances for his new employers. Newcastle's summer transfer policy saw the arrival of top midfielders such as Scott Parker and Emre, reducing the Senegalese enforcer's playing time in the famous black and white stripes.
As a result, Faye has seen his shots per game (0.62 to 0.24), passes per game (36 to 26) and tackles per game (4.7 to 2.1) all reduce at his new club. However, the Newcastle number 15 has also been committing fewer fouls (1.8 to 1.1) and completed a higher percentage of his passes (76 to 79).
St James' Park is a huge stage for any footballer to play on, and the demise of Faye's influence on his team's performance since his move north is likely to be down to the manager as much as the player himself. The statistics suggest that Faye has been utilised in a more constrained role than on the South Coast, and that unless Souness finds a role to suit him the Geordie faithful may not see the best of Amdy Faye.
| Player | Amdy Faye | Amdy Faye |
| Team | Portsmouth | Newcastle United |
| Appearances | 47 | 17 |
| Minutes On Pitch | 3811 | 1034 |
| Goal Attempts | | |
| Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Shots On Target | 10 | 1 |
| Shots Off Target | 19 | 3 |
| Passing | | |
| Goal Assists | 0 | 0 |
| Total Passes | 1709 | 436 |
| Pass Completion % | 76% | 79% |
| Crossing | | |
| Total Crosses | 18 | 15 |
| Cross Completion % | 11% | 40% |
| Dribbling | | |
| Dribbles & Runs | 124 | 15 |
| Dribble Completion % | 69% | 73% |
| Defending | | |
| Tackles Made | 223 | 35 |
| Tackles Won % | 73% | 83% |
| Blocks | 13 | 1 |
| Clearances | 58 | 26 |
| Interceptions | 25 | 10 |
| Discipline | | |
| Fouls | 87 | 19 |
| Yellow Cards | 11 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 1 | 0 |
 | ||
