Featuring Derby County, QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle midfielders, as well as a former Leeds United left back.
Will Hughes in action for Derby County
Derby County midfielder Will Hughes has made more tackles than any other player in the Championship so far this season. The England under-21 international, who is one of the most highly rated young midfielders in the country, has won 29 tackles in just 9 league games so far this season for the Championship strugglers.
Australian international and QPR star Massimo Luongo is the closest man to Hughes, with 26 tackles to his name, followed by compatriot and Huddersfield Town supremo Aaron Mooy, who is joint in third place with Brentford right back Maxime Colin.
The rest of the top 10 is made up of two Newcastle United players and one player each from Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic and Brentford. Of the top 10, seven are midfielders, two are defenders and one is a winger. The full top 10 including number of tackles per player is below:
Former Liverpool, Leeds United and Derby full back Stephen Warnock has been excellent for Wigan Athletic
1. Will Hughes (Derby County): 29
2. Massimo Luongo (QPR): 26
3. Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town): 22
4. Maxime Colin (Brentford): 22
5. Kieran Lee (Sheffield Wednesday): 20
6. Cole Skuse (Ipswich Town): 20
7. Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic): 19
8. Lewis Macleod (Brentford): 19
9. Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United): 18
10. Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United): 18
Aaron Mooy has been excellent this season for Huddersfield Town
Hughes’ position at the top of that list is impressive, especially when one considers that he is a player best known for his excellent skill on the ball and ability to thread passes through the opposition. The 21-year-old has always been a fine tackler, but his small frame and other more obvious attributes have often seen that element of his game overlooked.
Whilst Hughes’ tackling stats are further evidence of what a wonderful player Hughes is, they are also worrying for Derby County. For so long now a possession-based side, Nigel Pearson has tried to move away from that approach, and it has left the team in the relegation zone struggling to adapt to the way in which the former Leicester boss wants them to play.
The club announced this evening on their official website that Pearson would not take charge of the Rams for tonights clash with Cardiff City, amid speculation that the outspoken 53-year-old coach is going to be sacked. If Derby don’t turn their fortunes around quickly, it is difficult to see a player of Hughes’ calibre remaining at the club much longer.
Nigel Pearson won’t take charge of Derby County this evening
Like Hughes, Huddersfield Town ace Aaron Mooy is another player who is better known for his abilities with the ball than without it, but his spot at third in terms of tackles in the Championship is evidence of his use to the Terriers in both phases of play.
Currently on-loan from Manchester City, the Australian international has been arguably the stand out player in the second tier this season, drawing many plaudits for his grace and intelligence on the football pitch, which has been instrumental in getting Huddersfield into the automatic promotion spots with 9 games gone.
The plethora of midfielders in the top 10 and absence of any central defenders should come as no surprise, as contrary to many people’s expectations, it is midfielders who do the vast majority of tackling on a football pitch.
Newcastle United duo Matt Ritchie and Isaac Hayden
As an athletic and combative box-to-box midfielder, Newcastle summer signing Isaac Hayden’s inclusion is understandable, but the presence of fellow Magpies signing Matt Ritchie in the top 10 is rather more surprising.
It is rare for a winger to be placed so high, and Ritchie’s 18 tackles are testament to the hard work he puts in defensively as well as offensively that made him such a favourite on the south coast with Bournemouth.
Brentford are the only other team to have two players feature in the top 10, namely Maxime Colin and Lewis Macleod. Colin is a former French youth international and right back who arrived in 2015 as a replacement for the departed Moses Odubajo, whilst Macleod joined the Bees from Rangers in December 2014.
Brentford’s Maxime Colin is one of only 2 defenders in the top 10
Stephen Warnock’s place on the list is further evidence of the fine work he is doing at Wigan Athletic. The twice capped former England international has revived his career at Wigan, following spells with Leeds United and Derby County.
QPR’s Massimo Luongo, Sheffield Wednesday’s Kieran Lee and Ipswich Town’s Cole Skuse who are in second, fifth and sixth place respectively are all hard working midfield players who are likely to rank among the divisions top tacklers throughout the season, providing they maintain form and avoid injuries.
Players who some may be surprised to see miss out and who may rise up the table as the season goes on include Liam Bridcutt of Leeds United, David Vaughan of Nottingham Forest and Sam Hutchinson of Sheffield Wednesday.
Who is the best tackler in the Championship?
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