The National League’s announcement of their August Player of the Month has been met with some discussion after Rochdale’s Emmanuel Dieseruvwe was given the award over Carlisle United’s Regan Linney.
This contradicted the NL Deck’s poll, in which 556 out of 929 voters (59.8%) thought that Linney should be named the fifth-tier Player of the Month.
The two players are similar in many ways. They are both established National League attackers who have joined new clubs in the summer and started this season in great form.
After breaking down a few key differentiating factors, this article will determine whether Linney should have won the accolade.
The Duo Played In Different Positions
The first, and perhaps most notable, difference between the two players is the position they have played during the opening month of the season.
Dieseruvwe, as expected, has led the line for Rochdale, with the veteran Ian Henderson and loanee Levi Amantchi very much playing second-fiddle to the 30-year-old thus far.
However, Linney has been deployed on the left wing by Mark Hughes, thus allowing the Cumbrians to play Luke Armstrong up front.
It is not a position in which Linney is unfamiliar, though it certainly has its disadvantages relative to playing as the focal point.
The 28-year-old has a lot more defensive responsibilities than Dieseruvwe, and aggressive opposition wing-backs could easily drag him into deeper positions, meaning he is less able to get involved during counterattacks.
Additionally, it is simply much harder to score goals when he is not able to spend most of the game between the posts, as he misses easy opportunities for tap-ins because he has to remain slightly wider.
This means that Linney did incredibly well to contribute five goals for the Blues. However, it should also be noted that one of his goals was from the penalty spot, which could be a detracting factor for some.
Dieseruvwe’s Actions Have Earned His Team More Points
Rochdale’s rangy frontman ultimately contributed more combined goals and assists than Linney. Dieseruvwe also netted five times in August, and he provided one assist for his teammates.
Although some may disagree with the use of stats to identify award-winners, putting the ball in the net is ultimately the hardest task in football, and the Dale frontman directly contributed towards that more than the Carlisle star did.
Blues fans may argue that Dieseruvwe having one goal contribution more than Linney should be cancelled out by their positional differences. But they cannot argue against the impact that the Leeds-born man’s actions have had.
Without Linney’s brace against Boreham Wood during the second match week of the season, Carlisle would have been one point worse off, meaning he directly secured one point for the Cumbrians in August.
Dieseruvwe, on the other hand, earned Rochdale four points through his brace against the Wood and winner against Sutton United. He also contributed the assist which saw Ethan Ebanks-Landell score the opening goal against Gateshead.
This resulted in Rochdale winning five of their first six league games. The Dale sat top of the fifth tier on the final day of August, four points above the Cumbrians, with 15 points from the opening month.
The four points that the 30-year-old has earned for his team this month could prove the difference between automatic promotion and the playoffs by the end of the season.
The Quality Of Dieseruwve’s Opponents Was Higher
Another factor that should be taken into account is the quality of each candidate’s opponents. This is another area in which Dieseruvwe emerges favourably.
Both Carlisle and Rochdale played Boreham Wood, Sutton and Wealdstone in August. Consequently, there are only three opposition teams to compare.
Linney’s side faced Solihull Moors, Woking and Braintree Town in their remaining August fixtures.
The Moors endured a torrid start to the season, which saw them sit rock bottom of the table, having conceded two goals per game on average. Woking were also poor in August, picking up just four points and conceding 11 times in six games. The Iron were Carlisle’s strongest unique opponents, but they conceded 1.5 goals per game and sat in 14th place at the end of the month.
Dieseruvwe and co. played against Altrincham, Gateshead and Brackley Town in August. The Heed sat in the playoff positions at the end of the month, though they had conceded the most goals in the fifth tier. The Saints made a good start to life in the National League and conceded a measly five goals in the opening month of the campaign.
Altrincham, the Dale’s worst opponent according to league position, picked up just one point fewer and conceded a mere one goal more than Braintree, Carlisle’s best opponent.
Therefore, it is fair to say that Dieseruvwe faced tougher, more in-form opposition throughout the month.
Who Deserved To Win Player Of The Month?
Overall, whilst Linney has enjoyed a stellar start to the campaign, Dieseruvwe deserves the Player of the Month award for August.
Playing as a winger instead of a striker is not a hugely limiting factor in a team as dominant as Carlisle, and Dieseruvwe’s goal contributions came against harder opposition, whilst also being more impactful.
Judging by the way that both players have started the month of September, this looks like a battle which could continue throughout the whole season. At some point, Linney will surely have his proverbial time in the sun.
