Derby County midfielder George Thorne has divided opinion among supporters this season.
Derby County midfielder George Thorne is statistically the most effective player at the club this season – when considering points-per-games for those that have made a minimum of ten appearances.
The former West Bromwich Albion holding midfielder is no doubt a popular player among supporters, but cruel injuries over the past few seasons have certainly taken something away from his game.
Thorne originally joined Derby on loan during the back end of the 2013/14 campaign, and he made such an impression that the club prioritised his permanent switch the ensuing summer.
Unfortunately for Thorne and Derby, a cruel knee ligament injury sustained in a pre-season friendly meant he missed almost all the 2014/15 season – and that was only the start of it.
Niggling injuries disrupted his 2015/16 campaign and he broke his leg just prior to the playoffs at the end of that season, resulting in the player missing the majority of the largely forgettable 2016/17 campaign.
Now, Thorne looks a shadow of his former self as his agility, acceleration and overall movement has been hampered, prompting Derby fans to recently complain over his poor form on Twitter:
It doesn’t help that the 25-year-old is usually partnered by Tom Huddlestone, Joe Ledley or Bradley Johnson, resulting in what must be one of the slowest midfields Derby have fielded in the past decade.
But that said, supporters will be stunned to find out that Thorne currently boasts the best points-per-game record at the club, with Gary Rowett’s men picking up an average of 2.05 points in every game he has featured in.
| Points per game | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|
| George Thorne | 2.05 | 20 |
| Joe Ledley | 2 | 23 |
| Marcus Olsson | 1.83 | 12 |
| Matej Vydra | 1.82 | 34 |
| Chris Baird | 1.8 | 20 |
| Andre Wisdom | 1.75 | 24 |
| Tom Lawrence | 1.73 | 33 |
| Tom Huddlestone | 1.71 | 38 |
| Scott Carson | 1.7 | 40 |
| Curtis Davies | 1.7 | 40 |
| Richard Keogh | 1.63 | 38 |
| Andreas Weimann | 1.62 | 34 |
| Craig Forsyth | 1.59 | 27 |
| David Nugent | 1.58 | 33 |
| Bradley Johnson | 1.45 | 29 |
Over a 46-game season, that would result in 94 points – automatic promotion form.
Bradley Johnson’s average of 1.45 points-per-game is the lowest in the squad, suggesting Huddlestone’s ideal midfield partner would be Thorne or Ledley rather than the former Norwich City man.
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