Opta Jury: Shaun Wright-Phillips

Shaun Wright-Phillips' move from Man City to Chelsea comes under scrutiny.

July 17, 2005, was a red-letter day for Shaun Wright-Phillips as he made the momentous decision to leave Manchester City and sign for the newly-crowned Premiership champions Chelsea.

The diminutive winger had been linked with a move away from Eastlands for some time but many felt that a move to Jose Mourinho's star-studded squad would stifle the wideman's career. Eight months on, it is arguable that those naysayers were right, as Wright-Phillips has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.

Wright-Phillips' final campaign for Manchester City was one that caught the eye of scouts the continent over as he terrorised opposition defences with a combination of pace and fiendish trickery. He also broke into the England team, scoring on his debut against Ukraine in August 2004 and emerging with great dignity after suffering racist abuse in England's troubled friendly in Spain.

He ended the Premiership campaign with 10 goals, four assists, and the undivided adoration of the Manchester City fans. They were saddened by his decision to move to London but no-one at the club stood in his way. His statistics this season, however, reflect the difficult time he has endured at Stamford Bridge.

Shaun Wright-Phillips	 	 
Player	2004-05	2005-06
Club	Manchester City	Chelsea
Appearances	34	20
Minutes On Pitch	2,997	765
Goal Attempts	 	 
Goals	10	0
Shots On Target	27	5
Shots Off Target	38	7
Shooting Accuracy	42%	42%
Chance Conversion	15%	0%
Passing	 	 
Goal Assists	4	2
Total Passes	959	212
Pass Completion %	75%	70%
Crossing	 	 
Total Crosses	129	39
Cross Completion %	17%	26%
Dribbling	 	 
Dribbles & Runs	341	97
Dribble Completion %	59%	44%

Wright-Phillips' shooting accuracy has remained constant but he has not managed to open his Chelsea goal account and has created just two goals in 20 games for the champions. His pass completion has also declined this season, despite playing for a side that keep possession far better than Manchester City. The one area of his play that has improved is his cross completion, which at least, as a winger, is his stock trade.

But what will disappoint fans of Wright-Phillips the most is the predictable lack of chances he has been given by his new side. He has started just 35 percentage of the games he has featured in this season, the lowest such proportion in his Premiership career.

Season	Appearances	Starts	Start %
2000-01	15	9	60%
2002-03	31	23	74%
2003-04	34	32	94%
2004-05	34	33	97%
2005-06	20	7	35%

Last season, Wright-Phillips made just one substitute appearance, this campaign he has been brought on 13 times.

It is always hard for footballers, even at the highest level, to do justice to their abilities when they make fleeting appearances and with World Cup 2006 looming, the man known as SWP will be yearning for more opportunities to show his undoubted worth.

What do you think? Has Wright-Phillips been a hit, a miss or is the jury still out?