Revealed: The truth about newspaper player ratings - and what Nasri needed to do to get a magic 10

By John Cross

Published 23:02 08/12/10

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There's nothing like player ratings to upset people.

Players - as I've explained many times before - can get obsessed by them. And yet they still pretend they're not.

Fans also love to call them into question - as they did after I gave Samir Nasri a nine for his two-goal man of the match display against Fulham, rather than a 10.

Nasri deserved a nine but not a 10 because his wasn't an all conquering, not a foot wrong, hat trick hero display.

So here's a run down of what I reckon - and I stress it's only my player rating scale - are a break down for my player rating scale:

0 - Keeper throws in three

1 - Scott Carson against Croatia at Wembley

2 - At least he put the shirt on the right way round

3 - Disastrous display that should see him dropped for the forseeable

4 - An absolute nightmare. This is the standard worst score. You normally don't go below it. Matthew Briggs got subbed for Fulham after less than half an hour on Saturday because he was playing so badly and got a four.

5 - Below average. Made mistakes, although not necessarily did they decide the game.

6 - Average. A par performance. Did some decent things.

7 - Above average. Maybe a pass to set up a goal or even a goal into the bargain.

8 - Man of the match potential, here. A goalscoring performance, good defending and a display to be really proud of.

9 - Outstanding. Like Nasri, two goals and a really good performance. Almost certainly man of the match and the best player on the pitch.

10 - A performance you will never forget. A hat trick or scored two and made two - at the very least. You so rarely hand one of these out that you remember it.

The last 10 I awarded was for Cesc Fabregas in October 2009 when he scored one and made four in a 6-2 win over Blackburn. I called it his best ever display in an Arsenal shirt.

I've given out about a handful ever. To get one, you have to score three, set up two, donate your bonus to charity and then drive home to cook tea for your mum.

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