Okay so today I felt like messing around with player ratings after watching that intense Real Madrid against Barcelona game last night. You know how those sports sites always put out ratings right after? I wanted to see if I could whip something up myself, just for kicks.
Starting Simple
First, I gotta see who actually played. Pulled up the official lineups on… well, somewhere official. Don’t worry, it didn’t cost me anything. Just a regular website. Wrote down all the starters and subs for both teams in a big messy notebook. Felt like a detective listing suspects.
Then it hit me – how the heck do I even rate them? Decided to go super basic:
- Goals? Gotta be the big one.
- Assists? Important helpers get points.
- Big Mistakes? Like messing up bad leading to a goal.
- Work Rate? Did they run around like crazy?
- Overall Impact? Just my gut feel watching it back.
Trying to Do the Math
Thought a spreadsheet would be smart. Opened up my trusty… um, that free spreadsheet program everyone uses. Made columns for each player and each category. Started typing numbers. 1 point for a goal? 0.5 for an assist? Minus 1 for a big blunder?
Got totally stuck halfway. Like, how much is running around really worth? Is an assist always half a goal? Felt like I was trying to build a spaceship out of toothpicks. Total headache. Even my coffee went cold while I stared at the screen.
Scrapping That & Going Old School
Okay, forget numbers for now. Just gonna re-watch bits of the game, focusing on each player one by one. Got a notepad, scribbling stuff like:
- Keeper: Made that HUGE save early? Important! But maybe shaky later?
- Defender: Solid most of the time, won key tackles? Yeah! But got beat once bad? Not great.
- Midfielder: Worked hard, passed okay? Didn’t create much magic though.
- Forward: Scored! Obviously top marks. But kinda quiet otherwise?
Putting Together My “Ratings”
After scribbling like crazy, I had to give actual scores. Said screw the complex math for today. Went simple:
- 10 = Perfect (Did anyone really play perfect? Probably not!)
- 7-9 = Great Game
- 6 = Solid, Did the Job
- 5 = Meh, Average
- 4 or below = Bad Day
Gave bonus points if someone scored or made a massive play. Took points away for big errors. For the rest? My gut based on the notes and watching. Some players were tough calls – worked hard but nothing special? Usually landed on a 6.
The Final (Messy) List
Here’s the outcome, just off the top of my head:
- Real Madrid
- Keeper: 8 (That save!)
- Big Name Striker: 7 (Got the goal!)
- Busy Midfielder: 6.5 (Ran everywhere)
- Defender: 4 (Oops, that mistake…)
- Barcelona
- Their Star Midfielder: 7 (Always involved)
- That Speedy Winger: 5.5 (Quick but wasteful)
- Centre Back: 7.5 (Solid rock back there)
Why Even Bother?
Honestly, it was just fun to try. Makes you watch the game differently, really focusing on individuals. Doing it properly takes way more time and probably smarter people than me! My spreadsheet was trash, my rating system isn’t scientific, but hey, got me thinking about the game more deeply. Don’t take my ratings too seriously! Maybe I’ll tweak this nonsense method again next time.