Loughborough University FC
Season Summary, 2015/16
The Best Eleven
I don't think I used Luke Wright as a DM for more than 20 minutes all season. He's not rated to play there at all. This team does represent our eleven most important players fairly well, though.
Goalkeepers
I don't think there was a better 'keeper in the league than
Connor O'Keefe. He didn't let in easy goals, and his ability to play with the ball at his feet allowed us to play the kind of football I like. Connor also converted the only penalty he took during the season.
Harry Waldram and
Melvin Minter took over for some cup ties, and I counted on them when
O'Keefe hurt his wrist back in the fall.
Minter, in particular, probably deserved more playing time, but it was hard for me to put our club's captain and leader on the bench when he was available.
Defenders
There was never a dull moment with right back
Elliott Legg. His ability and willingness to join the attack gave our offense extra bite, and his 12 assists testify to his effectiveness. However, at the same time, he picked up 11 yellow cards, almost twice as many as any other player in the league.
Tom Gilbey and, then,
Dale Minor were steady and reliable on the left flank.
Jack Horan and
Kyle Hempshall formed a resolute center back pairing.
Horan's composure worked well with
Hempshall's power, and I never had doubts about the stability of our defense with them on duty. The situation got even better with the arrival of
Alex Howard in March.
Central Midfielders
The acquisition of
Luke Wright and
Ben Grant, who arrived on the same late August day, was a huge key to our successful season. They brought quality and presence to our midfield, and they were the second- and third-best players in the league according to average rating. It's a credit to
Jack Willbye and
Amadu Waritay that we didn't miss a beat when either (or both) of them were on the pitch, and by the end of the season I was rotating four men through my CM pairing. Make that five;
Wes George, another March arrival, was every bit as effective, if not even more so.
Rob Switon and
Danny Leonard split time at the DM position, and both were solid.
Jack Poxon didn't see much of the pitch during the second half of the season.
Wide Midfielders
At the beginning of the season, I underestimated
Tom Berwick. I thought he might have value as a set piece specialist, but he proved he's a much more valuable player than that. His 11 goals and 11 assists were both second best in the team. A varied cast of characters manned the right flank, with
Jimmy Warnett the best of the lot. Injuries kept
Sheridan Rodgers from making a bigger impact, and attitude problems were
Ryan Johnston's undoing.
Danny Whitehall's ability to play on the wings offered him opportunities to earn playing time. So did his ability to work magic in stoppage time, especially in cup ties.
Forwards
George Conway began the season as our front man, and he was among the league's top scorers when he wrecked his knee. That offered an opportunity for
Derrick Otim, and he grabbed it with both hands. Derrick's 18 goals in all competitions led the team. Hoewever, he found himself playing on the right more often after
Will Abbotts arrived in March. Will proved to be an adept scorer, basically getting a goal every other game, and
Otim kept finding the net at his new position, too. If the goals
Conway,
Otim,and
Abbotts scored while leading our line were added together and credited to one striker, they'd win the league's Golden Boot by a comfortable margin.
Honors
Supporters' Player of the Season:
Luke Wright (34%);
Elliott Legg (28%),
Ben Grant (23%)
Goal of the Season:
Jack Willbye's 22-yard laser against Durham City on 24 February
Signing of the Season:
Aidan Blanchard (I'd have picked
Willbye, but that's just me)
Young Player of the Season:
Luke Wright (they're all young players)
Midland Football League Premier Division Pat Fellows Memorial Player of the Year: Derrick Otim
Get in, Derrick!