Mass makes the Championship top 20 despite being a league 1 standard player

[nasser95]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11689/10860825/top-25-players-in-the-championship-201617-according-to-whoscored-com?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Congrats to Mass who, despite having a stumble for a big part of the mid-season, should easily have been considered in contention with Smithies for player of the year.

[James1979]

Mass - he is a decent championship player. At the back end of the season he put in some very good performances and proved me wrong. I'm pleased he signed an extended contract. However, in a midfield 3 with Hall dropping back, I would have Freeman and Manning as the other 2. Football's all about opinions afterall and I don't personally switch off when someone says X made X tackles compared to last week. To me its about influencing games and you judge that on what you see, not what the stats say. He's not league 1. But he certainly isn't in the top 5 championship midfielders either.

[ChiswickHoop]

Agree with the above, hes unbelievably average in my opinion. How hes in that list and smithies isnt is beyond me.

I would put Hall, Manning and Freeman ahead of him in centre mid. In the championship quite a few look a lot better than him who werent included in that list...Ryan woods, Lansbury, Mooy, Brown at hudds to name a few

[upperloft]

Agree with the above, hes unbelievably average in my opinion. How hes in that list and smithies isnt is beyond me.

I would put Hall, Manning and Freeman ahead of him in centre mid. In the championship quite a few look a lot better than him who werent included in that list...Ryan woods, Lansbury, Mooy, Brown at hudds to name a few

Yep, agreed. Very Average. Expected a lot more from him TBH.

[Cjskinz]

Mass is everywhere. He is the engine in that midfield, not anyone else. And you can't underestimate the tackles he makes or more importantly (I feel) the interceptions he makes. Think he is a quality player who will shine when he has someone to do the dirty work for him.

Not saying he is better than Freeman or Manning, although at this moment in time he is better than Manning. Just don't think he gets enough credit!

[Brian Wilson]

What a time to be alive!!!!!....for Nasser95

[Shepherds Mush]

Not bad for someone played out of position.

[nasser95]

My personal belief is that as a team, we are better with mass in than out. The guy runs and runs both off the ball and on it. His passing isn't amazing but his movement with the ball is really brilliant (hence his dribbling being so high despite being deployed rather deep for most of the season) and his defensive work is unmatched at the club, even by Hally imo (who hasn't really been at the same level he was last season). For someone so small, he wins a lot in the air and his bulldog-like approach makes him a nuisance to deal with.

[davieqpr]

Takes a long while to get going.So often he has to be carried for most of the first half.

[Shepherds Mush]

his defensive work is unmatched at the club.

Depends what you look at. Tackles maybe as he is in an area where he should be tackling - as should Manning or any other CM.

I doubt he does more blocks, interceptions, clearances or headers than everyone else though.

[brightonr]

Oh Nasser.

In contention with Smithies for player of the year?

Seriously?

[James1979]

Oh Nasser.

In contention with Smithies for player of the year?

Seriously?

speaking of Smithies, not on the list? Very surprising.

[Bigdave]

When he's good he's very good but he's not very good nearly enough to be classed as highly as Nasser rates him but then it's all about opinions

[Pinkie]

My personal belief is that as a team, we are better with mass in than out. The guy runs and runs both off the ball and on it. His passing isn't amazing but his movement with the ball is really brilliant (hence his dribbling being so high despite being deployed rather deep for most of the season) and his defensive work is unmatched at the club, even by Hally imo (who hasn't really been at the same level he was last season). For someone so small, he wins a lot in the air and his bulldog-like approach makes him a nuisance to deal with.

His defensive works unmatched?! can think of quite a few goals where he never picked up his man or tracked back, so not too sure about that comment! always thought diakite was superb and wasted, had all those attributes apart from rash tackling but brilliant at bringing the ball forward!

[nasser95]

His defensive works unmatched?! can think of quite a few goals where he never picked up his man or tracked back, so not too sure about that comment! always thought diakite was superb and wasted, had all those attributes apart from rash tackling but brilliant at bringing the ball forward!

Mass for me is what I wanted diakite to be. If diakite kept his head he'd be a faster more direct running mass, but imo Mass is much more technical with the ball and uses his dribbling rather than his speed to get past players. I still think Mass will soon get the recognition he deserves from people here, but I'm under no illusions that my vocal backing of him just brings more opposition to it ahaha.