25/04 - 20:00
There is no end in sight to the suspension. With the Belgium Pro League becoming the first European top-flight to award its title early, we may not see football on our screens for another few months.
However, Playmaker will do its best to keep you all entertained in the interim period and, following on from our League Two team last week, we have put together a League One ‘Team of the Season’ based on performances to this point...with the kicker being that we can only select one representative per L1 club.
Based on the above premise, here is our League One ‘Team of the Season’ so far:
GK – Seny Dieng, Doncaster
Doncaster may sit five points off of the Play-Off pack in ninth, but the club have the third-best defence in the league this season. This is in part down to QPR loanee Seny Dieng.
The 25-year-old is yet to make an appearance for his parent side, despite multiple loans away since signing in 2016. In his fifth loan spell away from the London club, the Swiss goalkeeper has finally asserted himself as the first-choice in a side.
Confident and commanding in the penalty area, Deng is one of only four keepers to concede under one goal a game in League One. He also has the second best save-percentage with 76% from 91 shots faced.
Deng extended his loan move in January to remain with Rovers until the end of the season. Whether he remains in South Yorkshire once the suspension is lifted is yet to be seen, but the young keeper has certainly had a positive impact in his time at the club.
RB – Luke O’Nien, Sunderland
O’Nien could have made this team in a multitude of positions, having appeared in at least five different positions for Sunderland which led to local media dubbing him “Mr Versatile”.
The Black Cats have the second best defence in the league, behind table topping Coventry. The 25-year-old has contributed towards this in both defence and midfield with a per-game average of two tackles, two interceptions, two clearances and five aerial duel wins in his last ten games.
O’Nien’s versatility, work-rate and indispensability has led him to become a target for many clubs in the divisions above. Sunderland fans will certainly be hoping to hold on to their uncrowned player of the season, and one of Wearside’s new heroes.
CB – Michael Ihiekwe, Rotherham
“He has been virtually faultless this season. I think he is a future captain of this team”. That is how Rotherham boss Paul Warne described his side's most influential player this season.
Ihiekwe wins on average eight aerial duels per 90, the most in the league for players who have made 15 or more appearances. He also makes an additional five clearances and two tackles per game.
The backbone of The Millers’ defence actually suffered a knee injury in March, which may have meant his season had ended prematurely anyway. The dominant centre-back will certainly be looking to return to full health soon and continue his great run of form.
CB – Christian Burgess, Portsmouth
Burgess has been in talks with Portsmouth about extending his contract which ends this summer, with the club desperate for the 6’5” defender to stay. Pompey boss Kenny Jackett has even described his side as “defensively vulnerable” without Burgess.
His performances this season have not deterred any interest from clubs in the Championship either, with the 28-year-old proving his commanding presence in defence with a per-game average of seven clearances and six aerial duels won in his last ten games.
After battling to establish himself as a first choice centre-half at Fratton Park, Burgess has now made over 200 appearances for Pompey since joining in 2015. This season, he has also found his shooting boots with all four of Burgess' strikes coming in wins - and Portsmouth recording clean sheets each time he has found the target in League One.
LB – Joe Jacobson, Wycombe
Jacobson went viral at the start of the season after scoring a spectacular hat-trick against Lincoln City, that reinforced his dead-ball specialist moniker. After tucking away a neat free-kick for his first, Jacobson would go on to score directly from a corner-kick, twice!
This would kick-off an unforgettable season for the Welshman. He has been Wycombe’s best player this year, in a campaign that has seen him win ‘League One Player of the Month’ for November and make his 500th career appearance.
Like many wing-backs in modern football, the 33-year-old plays a role in both attack and defence. Offensively Jacobson has two goals and one assist in his last five games, with an average of two key passes, six long-balls and two crosses per game.
In the same time frame he has also recorded an average of three clearances, three aerial duels won, two tackles and one interception per game. Incredibly well-rounded stats that show key Jacobson still is to Wycombe towards the latter end of his career.
RM – Liam Feeney, Blackpool
Feeney’s crosses have become iconic to Seasiders’ fans this season, with only Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne assisting as many times as the Tangerines 'Starman' in all domestic competitions in England this season (17).
The 33-year-old has remained Blackpool’s main creative output this season whether playing on the right side of defence, or the left side of the attack. His now famed crosses can be seen whipped in well from either flank, with Feeney attempting a staggering nine per game this season.
The former Bournemouth and Millwall midfielder signed on a free in August 2018, after making over 400 appearances in league football in his career. If Feeney can maintain this excellent form post-suspension, then he will certainly break the 500-mark at the Lancashire club.
CM – Liam Walsh, Coventry
Walsh has been Coventry City’s outstanding performer this season and arguably the league’s best central midfielder. His displays have been so good that he has even garnered a comparison to Lionel Messi from defender and teammate Kyle McFadzean.
On-loan from Championship side Bristol City, Walsh is likely to remain with The Sky Blues if they can secure promotion following the league's suspension. Coventry currently sit top of League One with a five point lead and a game in hand.
It is clear why the former Everton man is wanted so much by both his current and parent club. Walsh has achieved over 80% pass success rate this season and on average records four long balls, two shots, two dribbles and one key pass per game.
Walsh is one of the brightest prospects in the football league currently and is certainly one to watch from this team.
CM – Scott Fraser, Burton
Fraser has been Burton’s best creator this season, sitting second in the league for most assists with 11 - despite the Scottish attacking midfielder not assisting since New Year's Day.
Since the signing of Joe Powell from West Ham in the winter window, Fraser has actually only started two of his side's last ten games. However, Powell is certainly seen as more of a successor than a replacement for the likely-departing Fraser.
Offensively in midfield is where the 25-year-old works best, with Fraser recording an average of two key passes, two dribbles, two shots and three long balls per game all season.
It is this consistency and quality that has made Fraser’s move away from Burton even more likely with his contract up in the summer.
LM – James Henry, Oxford
Like Feeney and O’Nien, James Henry could have made this team in more than one position. Free-flowing Oxford’s most productive player with 14 goals and 9 assists this season, the former Reading, Wolves and Millwall man has played across the midfield, mostly appearing as an attack-minded right midfielder.
The 30-year-old signed a contract extension with The U's in October, after a September that yielded five goals and an average game rating of 8 - and his standards haven't slipped since.
In his last five games he averaged three key passes, two crosses, two long balls and two shots per game; asserting himself as the main creative force in the second-best attack in League One.
ST – Ivan Toney, Peterborough
If there is one player guaranteed to make 99% of everyone’s League One team of the season, it is Ivan Toney.
Toney is League One’s best performing player this season, with his 24 goals putting him eight goals above his nearest rivals for the league’s top goalscorer award.
The 24-year-old is the focal point of the best attack in League 1, contributing not only with goals but also through creating chances for his teammates. In his last ten games, Toney has scored ten goals and assisted three. He also averaged five shots, five aerial duel wins and two key passes per game in this period.
Costing Peterborough £500k in August 2018, Posh now reportedly value Toney at over £10 million, in what is surely an attempt to scare off any potential Championship and Premier League suitors.
ST – Paddy Madden, Fleetwood
Madden may be the most consistent striker in the English Football League over the last decade.
With 17 goals this season, joint-second best in the league, the Irishman has now scored more than 15 goals in five of his last eight seasons in English football.
His goal-scoring ability at this level is unquestionable and was perfectly displayed in his 10-out-of-10 performance against Burton in October, when he scored a 32-minute second half hat-trick as his side won 4-1.
Fleetwood were on a 12-game unbeaten run and burgeoning favourites for promotion before the suspension was brought in, form that Madden and his Cod Army will be hope to continue when normal service is resumed.
🔥 #Playmaker's L1 'Team of the Season' (2019/20)*:
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 3, 2020
2⃣4⃣ Seny Dieng
1⃣3⃣ Luke O'Nien
◻6⃣ Christian Burgess
2⃣0⃣ Michael Ihiekwe
◻3⃣ Joe Jacobson
1⃣1⃣ Liam Feeney
1⃣7⃣ Liam Walsh
◻8⃣ Scott Fraser
2⃣0⃣ James Henry
1⃣7⃣ Ivan Toney
1⃣7⃣ Paddy Madden
* max one player per club. pic.twitter.com/7y1vCsIQwX
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NameSeny Timothy Dieng Born/Age1994-11-23(29 -yrs-old) Nationality Senegal  Switzerland PositionGoalkeeper | |
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