Grzegorz Rasiak eased the pressure on boss Brendan Rodgers with a brace in Reading`s 3-1 victory at Coventry and the Polish striker’s exploits ensured he was the leading points scorer for the week in the Actim Championship Index. The former Tottenham forward scored in the first minute and added the crucial third goal for the Royals to pick up a total of 51 points and move up 118 places in the Actim Index to 226th. Rasiak had only scored one goal in the Championship before his double at the Ricoh Arena and Rodgers will be looking for more of the same if his side are to move away from the relegation zone.

Matty Fryatt was once again Leicester’s match-winner in their clash at QPR and the prolific striker’s double at Loftus Road has resulted in him moving into the top 10 in the Actim Championship Index. The pacey predator scored both goals in a 2-1 victory as the Foxes maintained their impressive start to the season and he also amassed 47 points for the week to move up 10 places to seventh in the Index. The former Walsall man has scored nine Championship goals this season from 25 shots on target for Nigel Pearson’s side.

Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan still leads the way in the Actim Index with 300 points for the season. However, the former Bolton man had one of his least profitable weeks, having registered only 15 points in the Magpies’ 1-0 victory against Sheffield United. In-form Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham is hot on Nolan’s heels in second place despite also having a poor week in terms of Actim points, picking up just 10 in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest. Sought-after Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson is in third place, while Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard moved up to fourth after scoring his ninth Championship goal of the campaign in the Robins’ 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

West Brom defender Jonas Olsson was included in the Actim Championship Team of the Week after scoring and playing his part in keeping a clean sheet in the Baggies’ 5-0 thrashing of Watford. The Swede scored 36 points against the Hornets and has now scored three goals for the season, as well being solid at the back for Roberto Di Matteo’s side having made 29 clearances, 17 interceptions and winning 33 tackles and he moved up 11 places to 11th in the Index. Olsson’s team-mate Gianni Zuiverloon was also in the Team of the Week after scoring 38 points for the week, with the Dutchman also on the scoresheet against Watford.

Swansea are one of the form sides in the Championship at the moment and their Dutch forward Cedric Van der Gun made the Team of the Week after scoring his first goal in English football in the 2-0 win at Scunthorpe. The Swans are now unbeaten in nine Championship games and former Ajax man Van der Gun, who scored 35 points for the week, looks like being a key player if Paulo Sousa’s side are to push for promotion. In the overall Index, Ashley Williams is the Welsh side’s leading performer and the big defender, who is ranked 23rd overall, has won 62 tackles and played a major role in ensuring Swansea have conceded only two goals in their last nine league matches.

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Well, there there was certainly no doubting the star of this week’s Actim Index, was there? After weeks of replacing a number of conservatory and house windows, the double glazing firms of Portsmouth can take it easy. Aruna Dindane has finally found his shooting boots. It would not be unkind to say that the Ivory Coast striker has struggled to adapt since moving to England but, as Wigan found out to their cost on Saturday, the boy is a little handy. Three goals and a week–high score of 64 earned him the performance of the week and a place in the Team of the Week. His sketchy performances of earlier in the season means he is still down in 141st place overall, though, but hey, who’s complaining?

Well, Hull manager Phil Brown was actually. If the Geordie Jose Mourinho didn’t have enough on his plate before Saturday’s clash with Burnley, then ‘beachball ref’ Mike Jones ensured that he was full up by the time he left Turf Moor. The Tigers were beaten 2–0 at Turf Moor, with evergreen Burnley star Graham Alexander scoring twice earning his 48 points – the third best of the week. Alexander is as grizzly and as seasoned as they come and was maybe the sort of player new Hull chairman Adam Pearson was referring to on Monday when he said City’s squad had “too much champagne and not enough ale.” Brown will need some of his home brews, namely Jan Venegoor of Hesselink (262nd), Nick Barmby (272nd) and King Tweeter Jozy Altidore (349th) to show their worth if he is to save his job against Stoke on Sunday.

Tottenham certainly made a lot of noise about being able to match Arsenal stride for stride, didn’t they? And what better way to put it to the test than a good old ding–dong of a north London derby. And, for a while, it looked like game on. Then, as quickly as you can say ‘Cesc Fabregas has got the ball and made a mug out of Tottenham’s midfield’ the game was over. Robin van Persie led the way for the Gunners, with his brace bringing him 52 points. He occupies fourth place in the overall Index, with Fabregas second and Thomas Vermaelen in fifth. Robbie Keane is Tottenham’s highest-ranked player in eighth. As they say on the London underground, mind the gap.

It was also another bad week for Liverpool. Down to nine men and beaten 3–1 at Fulham, questions are being raised, yet again, over Rafael Benitez’s future. The media made a big fuss of footage of him sweating on the touchline at Craven Cottage, trying to make out the pressure was getting to him. And, if it was, who can blame him? With Fernando Torres (3), Glen Johnson (15) and Steven Gerrard (52) all injured, the Spaniard’s squad is bound to feel the pinch. But, is Benitez partly to blame? His much–maligned back-up strikers come in as follows: David Ngog (256), Ryan Babel (273) and Andriy Voronin (313). His castaways, namely Keane (8) and Craig Bellamy (17) suggest that Rafa shouldn’t be having to sweat quite so much.

There’s been a lot of brouhaha about Graham Taylor’s comments that Rio Ferdinand’s best days are behind him. The original Rolls Royce of English defending, if there was one thing that wasn’t going to let Rio down then it was surely his legs? But, Sir Alex Ferguson insists Ferdinand will be back and, who is to argue with the great knight? But, maybe Fabio Capello is looking at possible alternatives for South Africa 2010? And if he is, here’s who might be fancying their chances. Sunderland’s cut–price bargain Michael Turner (formerly part of the Phil Brown Ale already mentioned) is 21st in the overall Index, with long–term England squaddy Gary Cahill in 22nd. You’d probably be happy to take either to the tournament, as you would Joleon Lescott (85) and Matthew Upson (105). All are charting higher than Rio (196), but brother Anton Ferdinand (58) and Titus Bramble (33)? A return first–class ticket for Mr R Ferdinand, please.

And finally, it wouldn’t be fair to go through the week without mentioning Chelsea. A supreme performance at Bolton, capped off by the arguable the goal of the season from Didier Drogba. Those that said Drogba and Nicolas Anelka couldn’t play together have not been heard for a while either. Drogba leads the way in the Index, holding a 37–point lead over Fabregas, while Anelka is tucked away in sixth. The envy of many, Ashley Cole, is in 23rd while Frank Lampard is surprisingly in 34th. But, with the England midfielder now back in the scoring groove, he can expect to climb the Index quicker than the Bolton fans are to boo manager Gary Megson.

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Newcastle returned to winning ways after back-to-back defeats with a late victory over Doncaster last week. That 2-1 win came courtesy of Kevin Nolan’s 18-yard strike and his performance in that win earned him enough points to climb to the top of the overall Actim Index, overtaking Michael Chopra who drops to fourth.

The week’s best performer was Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham, who scored a hat-trick for his side in the thrilling 4-3 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. That performance earns him the highest score of the week with a mammoth 73, which is the second best individual score of the season, behind Cardiff team-mate Chopra. He obviously takes his place in the Team of the Week and moves up seven places to second in the overall Index.

Watford had a fantastic time against Sheffield Wednesday, beating them 4-1 in the televised clash last Friday, and four of their players have forced their way into the Team of the Week as a result. Defenders Jon Harley and Adrian Mariappa, Arsenal loanee Henri Lansbury and Manchester United loanee Tom Cleverley all take their place in the select XI. The team is completed by Peterborough’s Joe Lewis and George Boyd, Coventry’s Ben Turner, Preston’s Billy Jones, Derby’s Robbie Savage and Cardiff duo Whittingham and Jay Bothroyd.

Managers can often be heard in post-match interviews saying the Coca-Cola Championship is a long season and there are plenty of games. And they would be right, as the players are already racking up the minutes on the pitch. Three players are sharing the most amount of time on the pitch and they are all from the same club. Nottingham Forest trio Chris Gunter, Wes Morgan and Lee Camp have all spent 1367 minutes sweating blood and tears for Billy Davies’ men this term. Meanwhile, Derby duo Stephen Bywater and Dean Moxey have been positively lazy, with just 1366 minutes of game-time. It must be something in the East Midlands water.

Famous for being lobbed from the halfway line for THAT goal by David Beckham and for almost denying England a route to Euro 2000 when he played for Scotland in the play-off, Neil Sullivan is still plugging away and this season, at the age of 39, he is the oldest player in the Coca-Cola Championship. Derby veteran Paul Dickov and QPR coach Gareth Ainsworth are the oldest outfield players to grace the pitch this term, aged 36. At the other end of the scale, Ipswich’s Connor Wickham is having a baptism of fire to his career, but he is adapting well at Portman Road and has played over 300 minutes, despite just being 16.

It was a great week for Nathan Ellington as his last-minute equaliser for Watford against Ipswich not only saw him score his first goal of the season, but also saw him climb a gargantuan 197 places up the Index. He still loiters well down the rankings in 409th, but it was an impressive week nonetheless. That is not something Crystal Palace’s Nick Carle can say as his Index score of -7 sees him slip a rather embarrassing 104 places in the overall standings.

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Newcastle returned to winning ways after back-to-back defeats with a late victory over Doncaster last week. That 2-1 win came courtesy of Kevin Nolan’s 18-yard strike and his performance in that win earned him enough points to climb to the top of the overall Actim Index, overtaking Michael Chopra who drops to fourth.

The week’s best performer was Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham, who scored a hat-trick for his side in the thrilling 4-3 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. That performance earns him the highest score of the week with a mammoth 73, which is the second best individual score of the season, behind Cardiff team-mate Chopra. He obviously takes his place in the Team of the Week and moves up seven places to second in the overall Index.

Watford had a fantastic time against Sheffield Wednesday, beating them 4-1 in the televised clash last Friday, and four of their players have forced their way into the Team of the Week as a result. Defenders Jon Harley and Adrian Mariappa, Arsenal loanee Henri Lansbury and Manchester United loanee Tom Cleverley all take their place in the select XI. The team is completed by Peterborough’s Joe Lewis and George Boyd, Coventry’s Ben Turner, Preston’s Billy Jones, Derby’s Robbie Savage and Cardiff duo Whittingham and Jay Bothroyd.

Managers can often be heard in post-match interviews saying the Coca-Cola Championship is a long season and there are plenty of games. And they would be right, as the players are already racking up the minutes on the pitch. Three players are sharing the most amount of time on the pitch and they are all from the same club. Nottingham Forest trio Chris Gunter, Wes Morgan and Lee Camp have all spent 1367 minutes sweating blood and tears for Billy Davies’ men this term. Meanwhile, Derby duo Stephen Bywater and Dean Moxey have been positively lazy, with just 1366 minutes of game-time. It must be something in the East Midlands water.

Famous for being lobbed from the halfway line for THAT goal by David Beckham and for almost denying England a route to Euro 2000 when he played for Scotland in the play-off, Neil Sullivan is still plugging away and this season, at the age of 39, he is the oldest player in the Coca-Cola Championship. Derby veteran Paul Dickov and QPR coach Gareth Ainsworth are the oldest outfield players to grace the pitch this term, aged 36. At the other end of the scale, Ipswich’s Connor Wickham is having a baptism of fire to his career, but he is adapting well at Portman Road and has played over 300 minutes, despite just being 16.

It was a great week for Nathan Ellington as his last-minute equaliser for Watford against Ipswich not only saw him score his first goal of the season, but also saw him climb a gargantuan 197 places up the Index. He still loiters well down the rankings in 409th, but it was an impressive week nonetheless. That is not something Crystal Palace’s Nick Carle can say as his Index score of -7 sees him slip a rather embarrassing 104 places in the overall standings.

 

Chelsea bounced back from their away day blues with a delightful performance to saunter past Blackburn 5-0 and several of their players have been rewarded accordingly in this week’s Actim Index. Frank Lampard’s haul of 36 points earns him a place in the Team of the Week alongside team-mates Michael Essien and Didier Drogba after all three got on the scoresheet at Stamford Bridge.

One thing you could never accuse Lampard of is underperforming in a Chelsea shirt. After a slow start to the campaign in a new formation under Carlo Ancelotti, the midfielder is finally beginning to hit form and his double against Rovers – including a first from open play this term – earned him a season-best points haul and moved him up to 32nd in the overall Index.

Think of Colombia and you invariably think of coffee, Shakira and the monumental Oasis song off Definitely Maybe. But this season there is a new boy from the South American country that is causing a stir and he is called Hugo Rodallega. The Wigan striker is having a fine time of it at the DW Stadium under Roberto Martinez and his two goals in the 3-1 win at Burnley made him the highest points earner of the week with an impressive 51 points. That performance sees him break into the top 10 of the overall index, shifting up 12 places into eighth.

When you think of the plethora of football talent that is plying their trade in the Barclays Premier League, there is a slightly odd look to Actim Team of the Week. Take away the household names of Lampard, Essien, Drogba and William Gallas and the select XI this week is definitely not a Who’s Who of footballing icons, rather a Who’s you? Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen, Birmingham’s Liam Ridgewell, Bolton’s Gary Cahill and Chung-Yong Lee, Wigan’s Emmerson Boyce and Rodallega and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey make up the best 11 players of the week.

Given the amount of talent on show, there is no surprise we are subject to some of the best football in the world, with superb pieces of skill, fine goals and great all-round play. But there is the other end of the pitch to consider and every team needs a defender who doesn’t mind getting their big ugly head in the way of crosses and shots in aid of their team. Leading the way with the most number of clearances are Burnley’s Clark Carlisle and Birmingham’s Roger Johnson, both with 31, while Aston Villa’s James Collins has the most blocks with 14. Rory Delap has proven he has more to his game than just the long throw, amassing a mammoth 65 tackles (not all of them successful mind) and Delap’s team-mate Abdoulaye Faye has performed the most interceptions with 31.

What a week it was for Fabio Aurelio. Handed a start in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester United, the Spaniard put in an impressive performance at Anfield, earning him 27 points which saw him rise a mammoth 195 places in the Index. However, he still sits fairly near the bottom of the overall ladder in 286th place. On the other side of the scale, it was a week to forget for Sunderland veteran Boudewijn Zenden, who managed to record an embarrassing score of -7. That poor showing sees him become the biggest slider in the Index this week dropping 142 places.

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Sheffield Wednesday defender Darren Purse has not had the best of times since his move from Cardiff to Hillsborough. The veteran centre-half has been targeted by fans for some below-par performances following the disappointing defeats at Sheffield United and Derby. But Purse has bounced back and produced a fine display in the 2-0 win over Coventry, scoring his first goal for the club. That performance earned him his highest score of the season and his 38-point haul also saw him take his place in the Actim Team of the Week.

Lineker v Adams, Wright v Mabbutt, Hoddle v Brady have all been famous battles that have taken place in the north London derby over the years. However, Wayne Routledge v Jay Simpson was never one that got an airing in the famous clash between Tottenham and Arsenal. Now former Spurs winger Routledge and Arsenal loanee Simpson have joined forces at QPR, both playing an integral role for Jim Magilton’s men this term. The pair were in form again during the 4-0 win over Preston last weekend, with both men getting on the scoresheet. Routledge is the leading QPR player in the Index in 17th position overall and notched a season-best 36 points. Simpson recorded a 34-point haul and both men were in the Team of the Week.

As crazy footballing decisions go, there have been a few down the years. Sven-Goran Eriksson taking the untried Theo Walcott to the 2006 World Cup and Sol Campbell joining Notts County are just two of the most recent ones. Another strange one that can be added to that list is the decision of Plymouth to allow their defender Marcel Seip, on loan at Blackpool, to play against them when the two sides met at Bloomfield Road last week. Inevitably Seip played a blinder and scored the opening goal against his employers to put his temporary side on the way to a 2-0 win. His performance gave him a 34-point haul, which is more than half of his overall tally.

Jerome Thomas, returning from a three-match suspension, capped a man-of-the-match display with a brace to end a three-match winless streak for West Brom in a 3-1 victory over Reading. The former Arsenal trainee claimed the top score in the latest Championship Index with 53 points and was also the second-highest mover, climbing 136 places to 144th with 102 points overall. Was also named in the team of the week.

Having helped Northern Ireland claim a goalless draw against the Czech Republic in Prague, Grant McCann made an impressive return to league action, grabbing a double as Scunthorpe beat Sheffield United 3-1 at Glanford Park. McCann notched the second-highest tally of the week with 42 points and jumped into 38th place with 149 points. He was also included in the team of the week and is the second-highest Iron player in the Index, two points behind striker Gary Hooper.

Former Liverpool trainee Adam Hammill helped Barnsley continue their revival under new manager Mark Robins with the only goal at Doncaster. Hammill netted his third goal of the season to earn the Tykes only their second away win in the league this season. He posted 40 points – the third-best score of the week – and moved 70 places to 52nd in the Index with 139 points. He is also the highest-placed Tykes player in the Index, 16 points ahead of defender Stephen Foster.

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Sheffield Wednesday defender Darren Purse has not had the best of times since his move from Cardiff to Hillsborough. The veteran centre-half has been targeted by fans for some below-par performances following the disappointing defeats at Sheffield United and Derby. But Purse has bounced back and produced a fine display in the 2-0 win over Coventry, scoring his first goal for the club. That performance earned him his highest score of the season and his 38-point haul also saw him take his place in the Actim Team of the Week.

Lineker v Adams, Wright v Mabbutt, Hoddle v Brady have all been famous battles that have taken place in the north London derby over the years. However, Wayne Routledge v Jay Simpson was never one that got an airing in the famous clash between Tottenham and Arsenal. Now former Spurs winger Routledge and Arsenal loanee Simpson have joined forces at QPR, both playing an integral role for Jim Magilton’s men this term. The pair were in form again during the 4-0 win over Preston last weekend, with both men getting on the scoresheet. Routledge is the leading QPR player in the Index in 17th position overall and notched a season-best 36 points. Simpson recorded a 34-point haul and both men were in the Team of the Week.

As crazy footballing decisions go, there have been a few down the years. Sven-Goran Eriksson taking the untried Theo Walcott to the 2006 World Cup and Sol Campbell joining Notts County are just two of the most recent ones. Another strange one that can be added to that list is the decision of Plymouth to allow their defender Marcel Seip, on loan at Blackpool, to play against them when the two sides met at Bloomfield Road last week. Inevitably Seip played a blinder and scored the opening goal against his employers to put his temporary side on the way to a 2-0 win. His performance gave him a 34-point haul, which is more than half of his overall tally.

Jerome Thomas, returning from a three-match suspension, capped a man-of-the-match display with a brace to end a three-match winless streak for West Brom in a 3-1 victory over Reading. The former Arsenal trainee claimed the top score in the latest Championship Index with 53 points and was also the second-highest mover, climbing 136 places to 144th with 102 points overall. Was also named in the team of the week.

Having helped Northern Ireland claim a goalless draw against the Czech Republic in Prague, Grant McCann made an impressive return to league action, grabbing a double as Scunthorpe beat Sheffield United 3-1 at Glanford Park. McCann notched the second-highest tally of the week with 42 points and jumped into 38th place with 149 points. He was also included in the team of the week and is the second-highest Iron player in the Index, two points behind striker Gary Hooper.

Former Liverpool trainee Adam Hammill helped Barnsley continue their revival under new manager Mark Robins with the only goal at Doncaster. Hammill netted his third goal of the season to earn the Tykes only their second away win in the league this season. He posted 40 points – the third-best score of the week – and moved 70 places to 52nd in the Index with 139 points. He is also the highest-placed Tykes player in the Index, 16 points ahead of defender Stephen Foster.

It was another scintillating weekend of twists and turns at the top of the Barclays Premier League as Aston Villa inflicted a second successive away defeat on Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea. Martin O’Neill has been astute with his summer signings and two of his defensive arrivals Richard Dunne and James Collins scored the goals to heap more misery on Didier Drogba and co. Collins’ winner was his first goal for Villa and it was a double celebration as he was week nine’s biggest scorer with 48 points. That saw Collins make the Actim Team of Week alongside Dunne and also move up 42 places into 16th. There was some consolation for Drogba though as the Ivorian scored against Villa to remain top of the index with 231 points.

Liverpool fans decided to stage their very own October beach party at the Stadium of Light but there was little to celebrate as Sunderland grabbed a 1-0 win courtesy of Darren Bent’s goal via a massive deflection off a beach ball. Sadly the beach ball did not make it into the team of the week but Bent moved up four places into third in the overall standings. Team-mate Craig Gordon also made it into the Actim Team of the Week following his fine display between the sticks for the Black Cats.

Down at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal capitalised to make up ground on their rivals with a comfortable 3-1 win over Birmingham. Abou Diaby has come in for much criticism during his time with the Gunners but his goal saw him take home a 36-point haul to be named in the Actim Team of the Week. Diaby moved up 37 places to 32nd in the index, while team-mate Robin van Persie broke into the top 20 after his goal saw him move into 18th place. However, captain Cesc Fabregas remains Arsenal’s highest points scorer with 219 and is still chasing Drogba in second.

Sir Alex Ferguson has found the boots of Cristiano Ronaldo difficult to fill this season, but summer signing Antonio Valencia did his bit by grabbing his first goal for Manchester United in the 2-1 victory against plucky Bolton. Valencia earned 44 points in week nine, earning himself a place in the Actim Team of the Week alongside Blackburn’s David Dunn who produced another fine display in their thrilling 3-2 derby win over rivals Burnley. Dunn’s haul of 42 points also saw him move into the top 50, in 47th place.

While Dunn made a big move up the index, his leap was not a patch on team-mate Morten Gamst Pedersen who climbed an astonishing 158 places into 315th. Other big moves this week included Tottenham’s Ledley King. The injury-prone centre-back notched his first goal of the season in the win over poor Portsmouth to move up 100 places in the index to 86th and earn a place in the Team of the Week. Fulham striker Bobby Zamora also moved up 100 places and was the week’s top striker with 43 points following a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win over Hull.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel may have committed a howler in allowing Didier Drogba’s shot to bounce past him but it mattered not as the American leapfrogged Manchester United’s Ben Foster to become the Actim Index’s top goalkeeper with 122 points. Foster is not far behind on 114 points, but with the return of veteran stopper Edwin van der Sar, the England goalkeeper could see opportunities limited in the coming weeks.

As with everything in life there are winners and losers and the Actim Index is no difference. We’ve talked about your winners this week, your Bents, Fabregas’, Zamoras and even your beach balls. But let’s dedicate a little time to this week’s biggest loser…………..step forward Liverpool’s Fabio Aurelio. The Brazilian has that sinking feeling as he dropped 118 places to 481st in the Actim Index. It summed up a poor week for Liverpool’s defenders after being outdone by an inflatable toy.

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Any worries Cardiff’s fans may have had about Michael Chopra losing his form were put to bed in the last batch of Coca–Cola Championship fixtures. The former Newcastle striker, whose real name is actually Rocky, had started the season quicker than Floyd Mayweather’s hands, with eight goals in his first six games. A dry spell then ensued as Chopra went six games without scoring. But the Bluebirds faithful needn’t have worried as Chopra rose from the canvas in a manner than Sly Stalone can only dream of, and floored Derby with four goals as though they were Ivan Drago. Chopra’s knockout blow earned him 88 Index points and took him to the top of the Week 8 leaderboard.

It was another bad week for Chopra’s former boss Roy Keane, though, as his Ipswich side twice conceded last minute equalisers to keep them rooted to the foot of the league table. Their struggles are understandable too, with striker Jon Walters their only member of the top 100 players. Walters has 133 points and sits in a semi–decent 44th place, with Liam Rosenior his closest colleague in 119th. If the Tractor Boys can pick their form up after the international break, they may well be able to climb the table and become a greater force in the Index, not to mention sparing the club’s local reporters from a dose of the hairdryers off Mr Keane.

Despite Newcastle drawing their last two home games against QPR and Bristol City, the Toon Army remain top of the Coca–Cola Championship table and, it appears that it is all down to keeping up with the Taylors, rather than the Joneses. Both Steven and Ryan currently occupy a place in the top 10 of the Index on 211 and 194 points respectively, while they were joined in the Team of the Week by goalkeeper Steve Harper, who is once again proving that as well as looking like Shay Given, he can also play like him. As for the division’s other Taylors, Sheffield United’s Andy is stationed in 77th, Blackpool’s Gary Taylor–Fletcher is 162nd and Middlesbrough’s Andrew Taylor is 393rd, a ranking that won’t go down well at Taylor HQ.

Now, you may not think that sitting 209th in the Index is too big a deal to shout about. But to Barnsley striker Iain Hume it is. Just under a year ago, it was doubtful that the pint–sized Barnsley striker would ever play again after suffering a life–threatening fracture of his skull against Sheffield United. But, after months of intensive rehab the Canadian is back with a bang, and netted two goals in the last two games to announce his return to the big stage. He currently has 77 Index points and, even tried to do Roy Keane a favour by missing a penalty against Ipswich. What he didn’t bargain for, though, was strike partner Jon Macken coming along in injury time and hitting the winner to nudge himself into 217th place.

Understandably this season, a lot of the headlines have focused on some of the big name managers currently doing the rounds in the Championship, the likes of Keane, Gareth Southgate and Roberto Di Matteo. But, be it in his own mind or otherwise, Neil Warnock is still a big fish in the managerial pond and his Crystal Palace side have recently started to show just what they are made of. With the brouhaha of Freddie Sears’ ‘goal’ now having disappeared, the Eagles have focused on their game and, have a four–match unbeaten run to show for it. They also charted three players in the top 20 for the last round of games, with Darren Ambrose (4), Neil Danns (7) and Alan Lee (14) showing that there is plenty of life left in their manager.

And, while Chopra may have had one of the weeks of his life, his Cardiff team–mates weren’t too far behind him as they plundered a staggering 10 goals in two games, with teenage midfielder Adam Matthews announcing himself to the world and the Index with a 50–yard free–kick that caught Watford keeper Scott Loach napping. Matthews bagged 38 points as a result and ended third in the top 20 players for the week, with free–scoring midfielder Peter Whittingham taking top spot. Chris Burke also joined Whittingham and Chopra in the Team of the Week, making it a great week for the south Wales club.

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Arsenal’s 6-2 demolition of Blackburn on Sunday was not only a visual treat for all football lovers with the quality of play, but it also sees the Gunners dominate the Actim Team of the Week, with four players making the XI. The mercurial Cesc Fabregas leads the way with an impressive haul of 66 points after he ran the show at Emirates Stadium, scoring one and creating four of the other goals. Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie complete Arsenal’s presence.

That impressive performance from Fabregas sees him climb 11 places into second place in the overall Actim Index. Didier Drogba retains top spot after his created both of Chelsea’s goals against Liverpool, while Fernando Torres slips to fourth with Robbie Keane remaining in third place. There are four new entries into the top 10, with Manchester City duo Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy, Vermaelen and Darren Bent all making headway up the index.

The fact that Drogba is up at the summit is no surprise given that he has consistently been there or thereabouts for the past few seasons. However, the fact his Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard is not challenging him for top spot is a major surprise. Lampard has been invaluable for the Blues in recent seasons, scoring many and creating many more with his advancing midfield role. However, under the tenure of Carlo Ancelotti, Lampard has found himself either on the left side or at the most advanced point of a diamond formation and his potency – coupled with his ability to score heavily in the Actim Index – has been affected. In Week Eight of the Index, the England man lies a disappointing 75th, having scored just one goal – a penalty against Sunderland.

One thing that Lampard has not been lacking this season is his ability to pick a pass out and the 31-year-old stands second in the entire Index of players with the most passes to their name. Javier Mascherano of Liverpool leads the way with 174 completed passes, Lampard has 166 and Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher has 164. Needless to say there are not any Bolton, Blackburn or Hull players near the top of the list.

It was another good week for Burnley as they recorded their fourth successive home victory and two of their players landed places in the Team of the Week. Full-backs Tyrone Mears and Stephen Jordan both made the select XI with scores of 27 and 25 respectively. Chelsea’s stand-in goalkeeper Hilario and Drogba are also in there, along with Hull midfielder Geovanni, Stoke defender Robert Huth and Tottenham’s Niko Kranjcar, who scored his first goal for the club against Bolton.

It has not been a great season for goalkeepers so far in the Index and despite several error-strewn performances, Manchester United’s Ben Foster is still the leading stopper. He is well down the overall Index, though, lying 34th, not too far ahead of Shay Given or Brad Friedel. Chelsea’s Petr Cech fails to make the top 50 and is one behind Burnley’s Brian Jensen in 55th, while England hopeful Robert Green is struggling on the back of West Ham’s poor start to the season and languishes in 135th place.

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Kevin Nolan cashed in on Ipswich’s poor form by scoring a hat-trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 win at Portman Road on Saturday and the Newcastle midfielder shot to the top of the Actim Championship Index in the process. The former Bolton man heaped more misery on Roy Keane and his clinical finishing ensured he moved up five places to the top as Newcastle took over from West Brom at the top of the Championship. It comes as no surprise that Nolan’s tally of 67 points was his best return of the season and the 27-year-old has a 13-point lead over Watford striker Danny Graham.

Former Carlisle striker Graham scored his sixth goal of the season as the Hornets drew 1-1 against Reading to deny Royals boss Brendan Rodgers victory against his former club. Graham picked up 19 points at the Madejski Stadium and with just three of his 17 goal attempts this season being off target, it is no wonder he has had such a successful start to his Watford career. Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson is hot on Graham’s heels in third place with 205 points, while Steven Taylor and Marcus Tudgay make up the top five.

Sheffield Wednesday winger Etienne Esajas was the second-highest points scorer of the week and moved up a whopping 164 places to 91st in the Index. The Dutchman scored a sublime free-kick for the Owls in a 3-1 win over Cardiff and he has provided two assists for Brian Laws’ side and was included in the team of the week. Ben Watson also makes the team of the week after scoring in an impressive display for QPR in their 5-2 thrashing of Barnsley, with the flame-haired midfielder scoring as many as 39 points against the Tykes.

Sean St. Ledger and Chris Gunter scored their first goals for their clubs last weekend and their impressive points hauls ensure they feature in the team of the week. Republic of Ireland central defender St. Ledger headed home his first goal for Middlesbrough in their 2-2 draw at Coventry and also scored 37 points to move up 41 places to 21st in the Index. Nottingham Forest full-back Gunter tallied 47 points after scoring the only goal at Plymouth as well as helping Billy Davies’ side keep a clean sheet.

Neil Mellor also scored 41 points for the week after netting in Preston’s 2-1 win at Leicester to move into the top 10 in the Index. The former Liverpool striker has already scored five goals this season for Alan Irvine’s side and moved up 10 places to eighth after playing an integral role in the Foxes’ first home defeat in over a year in the league. It was Mellor’s most profitable week of the season in the Index and he is joined in the top 10 by Clinton Morrison, who scored to spark a Coventry comeback against Boro.

Steve Harper is still the highest-placed goalkeeper in the Actim Championship Index after keeping another clean sheet against Ipswich. Harper has made 50 saves in his first nine appearances for Chris Hughton’s side and is 12th in the overall standings. But Harper did not feature in the team of the week as Paul Rachubka claimed that honour. The Blackpool keeper scored 21 points in the Tangerines’ 2-0 win against Peterborough and moved up 13 places to 25th in the Index.

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Robbie Keane had a superb afternoon on Saturday as he scored four goals for Tottenham in their 5-0 thumping of Burnley at White Hart Lane. That performance was enough to earn him a mammoth 80 points in the Actim Index, the highest haul of the season, beating Yossi Benayoun’s previous highest total of 74. Keane spearheads the Team of the Week pulling in an impressive 25 points more than anyone else. An outstanding week also sees the Republic of Ireland captain climb a hefty 23 places in the overall index and into the top three.

Didier Drogba remains top of the pile, despite his Chelsea side slipping to a shock defeat at Wigan. The powerful striker got on the scoresheet and he has an 11-point cushion at the top ahead of Fernando Torres, who moved up six places to second. Keane is third, with another striker, Dirk Kuyt, coming in at fourth. Liverpool’s Glen Johnson is the first non-attacking player to feature in the Index at fifth, with Wayne Rooney, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Cole, Jermain Defoe and Steven Gerrard making up the top 10.

Wigan have been rewarded for their landmark Premier League win over a “top four” side by seeing three of their players make the Team of the Week. Titus Bramble racked up a score of 35 points, Paul Scharner bagged 27 and Charles N’Zogbia 31 as the Latics won for the third time this season.

Michael Turner’s goalscoring exploits see him in the top XI players along with Vito Mannone, John O’Shea, Martin Petrov, Jermaine Jenas, Steven Gerrard and Torres.

Brazilians have always been renowned for their attacking flair and flamboyance but none of the Brazilians playing in the Premier League this season have been able to show enough of that to make a noticeable impact on the Actim Index. Liverpool midfielder Leiva Lucas, possibly the least skilful, is leading the way in 60th place, with Hull’s Giovanni 88th. It gets progressively worse for the samba lovers and Everton striker Jo is holding the rest up in an unimpressive 464th.

Despite the season still being in its infancy, players are racking up the minutes on the pitch and nobody has more game time than John Terry. The England skipper has played every minute of every match for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. At the other end of the scale, Manchester City’s Michael Johnson is the person who has spent the least time of the pitch with a paltry four minutes, which saw him fail to earn a point. Petrov has had a frustrating time of it at Manchester City following the arrival of the Mark Hughes and his endless amount of transfer funds. But he made a point in his display against West Ham, which saw him in the Team of the Week and become the biggest mover of the week. The Bulgarian climbed an impressive 177 places on the back of his 45-point haul. It was not such a good week for Michael Kightly of Wolves, however. The young midfielder managed 45 minutes against Sunderland, but did not impress and slipped an embarrassing 111 places.

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