So, here we are 26 games into season 6 in Top 100, with game number 27 rapidly approaching this evening. The final third of the season and make or break time for a lot of sides.
There is plenty still to play for and 36 points to be collected. I have compiled an analysis of all sides in Division 4 so far. Starting from top to bottom - so get yourself a cup of tea, coffee....or whichever beverage takes your fancy, plus maybe a tasty snack. Put your feet up and lose yourself in the world of Division 4 for however long it takes you to read the post
HERTHA BERLIN
Mark Stewart's side currently sit top of Division 4 after the success of last seasons Division 5 title winning exploits. Stewart has brought in two first team/squad players - Raul Albiol for £6m plus John Terry and Ferreira Ari for a couple of million. 3 non used squad players and one youth player have exitted the Olympiastadion as Stewart keeps faith with the core of the squad.
Ben Yedder has been Berlin's standout player ratings wise with an average of 7.42 over 22 starts, he is followed by Thauvin - 7.25, Sen - 7.20 & Muriel - 7.12.
Ben Yedder also tops the goal list with 9 strikes again followed by Sen & Muriel with 7 each.
Yoshinori Muto is the highest assister at the club and in the division with a colossal 18 in 22 games.
Currently on a club record run of 5 consecutive wins, fans of the German club will be hoping their team emulate last seasons success with a successive title. If they cant do that they will happily settle for an automatic promotion spot. This would be deemed very successful after the chairman stated the seasons aim was a play off spot.
LEICESTER CITY
Nathan Prince in his first season in charge is looking to secure a swift return to Division 3 after last seasons relegation. The Foxes sit in 2nd place and Nathan has a squad capable of going up automatically.
An active manager in the transfer market he has brought in players such as Yehven Konoplyanka,
Juraj Kucka, Sven Ulreich, Aleksander Samedov, Pablo Piatti and Christian Fuchs.
Thorgan Hazard has been Leicesters top performing outfield player this season with a 6.85 rating over 24 games, The exciting young Belgian is also top score and top assister with ten apiece.
Fans at The King Power Stadium will be hoping he can continue his form throughout the business end of the season. Leicester are yet to see the best of new signing Konoplyanka and if he can deliver the goods in the run in then they should get enough goals and wins to secure that promotion and maybe even win the first ever trophy for The Foxes in Top 100
DYNAMO KYIV
Jimmy Gouldie recently hit a milestone 100 games in charge of the Ukrainian outfit. Runners Up in last years play off final, Gouldie will be aiming to channel the disappointment of getting so close to motivate his players to go a step further and secure automatic promotion.
Gouldie has brought in just 2 first team/squad players - Papise Cisse and Stewart Downing. Keeping faith with last seasons squad.
Kyiv will be relying on key player Cristian Tello to inspire them to glory. The flying winger tops the ratings at Kyiv with a 7.31 rating from 24 starts he is also the leading assister at Dynamo with 15 already this season. Forward - Kravets tops the scorers list with 13 strikes and a target of 20 goals is not unrealistic for the Ukrainian forward. Kyiv fans should be confident of success this season....it just depends whether it will be via automatic promotion or through the play offs
CRYSTAL PALACE
The Linder is now approaching 200 games in the hot seat at Selhurst Park. Relegated last season The Linder will be hoping for either the Division 4 title or promotion at the first attempt as Palace have been in or around the top 3 all season.
The Linder has brought in steven Defour and Aaron Lennon to strengthen the first team. He ahas also brought in a few younger players for the future, with the pick of them being Nick Pope and James Tarkowski.
Steven Davis and Vedad Ibisevic have been the two best outfield performers this season with 6.95 and 6.75 ratings respectively. Josh King is top scorer with 6 league goals and Davis tops the assist table with 8. The Linder will be hoping that these 3 players plus Lanzini will be able to keep contributing to picking up points as Eagles fans dream of soaring to Division 3
GIRONDINS BORDEAUX
Barca Kes has recently completed a year in charge of the French outfit and having missed out on the play offs by just 3 points last season he will be hoping to improve this season and secure a play off spot.
Kes has only brought in one first team/squad player in Robert Snodgrass as he keeps faith with last seasons squad. Sandro wagner has been the top outfield player with a 7.19 rating in 21 games. Cyril Thereau leads the goalscoring stakes with 7 goals in 14 games and Wagner tops the assist table with 8 in 21.
Fans at Stade Bordeaux-Atlantique will be hoping Wagner continues to pull the strings outfield. They can rest safe that their goal is in good hands as Keeper Rune Jarstein has 11 clean sheets and 7 man of the match awards this season as the target of a play off spot is within reach.
OLYMPIACOS
Dale Bowers is in his first full season in charge at the Greek giants and he has done well so far, keeping his side in or around the top 6 all season.
Since his appointment he has made just one major signing in Jeremy Toulalan. He has completely overhauled the youth team though by bringing in 18 players as he plans for Thrylos long term future.
Bowers promotion hopes will rest firmly on the shoulders of iconic striker Carlos Tevez, The Argentine hitman is having his best season to date in Top 100 having already netted 15 times, assisting 5 and being named star man on 7 occasions. Other key players include veteran Keeper Steve Mandandawho has weighed in with 6 star man performances and an impressive 6.97 rating, plus versatile defender Rafinha who continues to lead from the back.
Bowers has seen his side slip as of late, with just 1 point from their last 5 league games. This is something he will be looking to address as we enter the final straight. Automatic promotion is a realistic target if they can turn their form around and Tevez can continue banging them in.
SAO PAOLO
Managed by the charismatic and borderline nuts Nick Wheels there is always a story to come Brazil as the notorious Spoon Army are often involved in violence leading to bloodshed by their weapon of choice - teaspoons after a defeat and sometimes even after victory! Spoons who were relegated last season will be hoping to bounce back at the first attempt under Wheels stewardship.
Nicks only first team signing of the season has been Faycal Fajr. He will look to top scorer Nicola Sansone to continue banging them in as the forward leads the scoring and averating rating charts with 12 and 7.09 respectively. Ogenyi Onazi leads the assist charts with 11 to date and Wheels will need both players fit and firing for the final stretch of the season. After a fantastic recent win against Palace The Spoon Army will be buoyed and confident in their chances of success this season.
STANDARD LIEGE
James Foster will be hoping his side can improve on last seasons 12th place finish which saw them miss the play offs by 4 points. The Belgian side have flirted with the top 7 all season and Foster will be hoping his side can complete the run in with aplomb and secure a play off spot.
An active manager in the transfer market Foster has brought in no less than 6 first team/squad players with 3 going out. The pick of the incoming players are Goncalves Jonas, Cheick kouyate and Mikel San Jose.
Gervinho has statistically been Lieges best outfield performer with a 6.69 rating over 26 games, however new signing Goncalves Jonas has been irresistable in his opening 4 games by recording an 8.75 rating, scoring 5, assisting 3 and collecting 4 star man awards!
So in just 4 games Jonas top scores for the club with 5 goals, Holtby is top assister with 4.
Liege who to date have the worst attack but best defence in the division will be hoping that Jonas can continue his blistering form and fire the goals needed to make the play offs.
If they can get there with a defence as mean as theirs they would take some beating. Fans of Les Rouches live in hope that they will.
BOCA JUNIORS
Sir Walter Smith's side currently sit in 9th place, just a point off the play off spots. They will be looking for a swift return to Division 3 after the heartache of being relegated by a single point last season.
Smith has been highly active in the transfer market bringing in 39 players and letting 27 go! Messa, Malli, Coquelin and Dante are the pick of the incoming players.
Interestingly just 2 of Walters players have managed more than 20 league games this season. One of those is defender and joint top scorer Gabriel Paletta with 2 goals in 23 games and a 6.35 rating.
Fans at the Bombonera will be hoping new striker Ntep can hit form with the end of season approaching as they need to improve the firepower to make the top 7. An efficient team, currently on a good 6 game unbeaten run gives hope to the fans in their quest to return to Division 3.
ATALANTA
Gregg Robinson is just 2 point short of a landmark 200 points as manager of the Italian outfit and is hopeful of securing a first ever trophy for Atalanta as his side are right in the chasing pack for the play offs.
Gregg has brought in 4 first team/squad players this season - Hogr, Castaignos, suchy and Zuff. With Joe Allen and Donati leaving for pastures new.
Exciting young talent Joaquin Correa has been Atalanta's star performer with 25 games and a 7.12 rating. He has also chipped in with 7 goals and 9 assists making him the sides top assister. Jeremaine Lens is another key player as he tops the goal charts and sits just behind Correa with 7 assists,
The last 12 games has seen La Dea pick up just 8 points from a possible 36 and Gregg will be hoping that Correa and Lens can inspire his boys to more than double that points tally over the coming 12 games to secure a play off spot.
STOKE CITY
Anthony Maddison has done a good job in steadying the ship since taking over in April 2017, he has managed 141 points in 63 games giving him an impressive average of 2.24 points per game.
Maddison has kept faith with his charges and not brought any key first team/squad players in , he has however secured the signings of young prospects Harry Wilson and Abdou Diallo.
Stefano Okaka leads the goal charts with 8 goals and Sampeiro and Goulart lead the assist table with 8 and 7 respectively. Vecino and Goulart are tied as the top performing outfield players on a 7.0 rating over 24 and 22 games respectively.
Stoke's strength and resilience lies in midfield where boast two 90 rated mid 20's players in Kondogbia and Vecino. These guys are the heartbeat of the team.
For a city famed for its pottery the fans dream of silverware and they will be hoping they can see this dream come true this season by going one step further than last season and securing a top 7 finish, which would give them that chance in the play offs
DYNAMO MOSKVA
Damian Collauti is another manager with an impressive points tally, having racked up 252 from 115 games giving him an average of 2.19 per game. Moskva finished 10th last season after winning Division 5 in season 4 and Collauti will be hoping to improve on last years finish.
Collauti has focused on youth this season with regard to transfers as 12 youngsters have come in with 12 players going out.
Lazar Markovic is Dynamo's best outfield player rating wise with 6.81 in 21 games - he also has 7 goals to his name. Sergi Enrich top scores with 8 and Nicolai Jorgensen is top assister with 5 plus 5 goals to his name.
Fans of Dinamiki remain positive their side can make the Top 7, but time will tell if they will.
STUTTGART
Ben Clifford is in his first full season in charge in Germany and his side currently sit 8 points off the play offs and 7 off relegation. This is a marked improvement so far on last season Die Rotten finished 16th - avoiding relegation by just 3 points.
No players have been brought in and just two have departedthe Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Dudu is the clubs best performing outfield player with a 6.43 average rating over 23 games. Calleri top scores with 3 goals and Pardo, Dudu and Ekici share the top assist charts with 4 apiece.
Obviously Stuttgart's main problem this season has been goals, but Calleri has ony started 4 games so the hopes of the team will rest on his shoulders for the run in as Stuttgart will hope for a top ten finish.
FK PARTIZAN
Mark Gardiners Partizan currently sit 13th in the table after an excellent season where they finished 3rd and secured promotion from Division 5.
Partizans main transfer in this season has been Kharim El-Ahmadi - the rest of the incoming transfers have been youth team players.
Lasse schone has been the best consistently playing outfield performer with a 6.50 rating over 20 games. Incidentally schone is also the clubs joint top scorer with Alessandro Matri on 5 apiece. Kevin Monnet-Paquet is top assister with 4.
Partizan are the divisions lowest scorers with just 21 league goals and that is something that Gardiner will surely be looking to address as we approach season 7.
Overall a season of consolidation would have been the aim at Stadion FK, and they are well on te way to achieving that. Fans are also looking forward to the future as Mark has built an exciting youth team, Onyine Ndidi and Mouktar Diakhaby will be expected to play more prominent roles over the next couple of seasons as their development continues.
DYNAMO ZAGREB
Jesse Jobes side sit in 14th place - the same position that they finished last season.
Just 2 players have been brought in - Steven Moreira and Ryan Mason, no players have left The Maksimir stadium.
Jonathan Pitriopa has been the sides most consistent outfield performer with a 6.88 rating over 24 games. Eysseric and Pitriopa are also the sides most effective players in terms of goals and assists with Pitriopa scoring 6 and assisting 9, Eysseric has 7 goals and 5 assists to his name.
The Croatian side sit 6 points clear of relegation and have a much better goal difference than the sides below them, this gives fans real hope that they will be enjoying Division 4 football once again next season.
MALAGA
Mark "The King" Hewitt treated fans to promotion last season from Division 5 where they went on a colossal 22 game unbeaten run. This season however they face a battle at the other end of the table to stay in the division as they sit one place above the drop zone on 25 points.
Koo, Hoffman, Carvalho, Echiejile and Wellington Nem have been Hewitt's major incoming signings with 13 players saying adios to La Rosaleda.
Laurent Depoitre who Rahul, I think once famously referred to as a "tree" has been the sides top performing outfield player with a 7.05 rating and top scores with 6 goals. Ochoa in goals has really stood out though with an amazing 7.58 rating and 10 clean sheets. Derdiyok and Finnbogason share the leading assist charts with 4 each.
Without a league win in 9 games (athough they have taken 5 draws from those 9)fans of Albicelestes will be hoping that Hewitt can fire up the side for the seasons run in and climb to mid table safety.
LEVANTE
Dario Saviano performed spectacularly last season to outshine bigger sides and secure promotion via the Division 5 play offs. This season has been tough as Les Granotes find themselves in 17th position as we enter the final stretch of the season.
There has been a hive of transfer activity within the corridors of Cuidad de Valencia with 19 players coming and 14 leaving. The pick of the incoming players have been Nilmar and Fred.
Jay Rodriguez has been the top performing outfield player with a 6.76 rating over 25 games and he also tops the goal charts with 9 strikes this season. Claudio Beauvue tops the assist chart with 4.
Recent league form has seen the Spanish minnows pick up 10 points from their last 6 games to give hope to their fans that they can stay up, which would have been their main objective at the start of the season.
FC BASEL
Top100's newest manager "Matt "Chopper Harris" has arrived into a sticky situation at St Jakob Park as he took over the side in the bottom 2. He has picked up a respectable 9 points from his opening 5 games for Basel who finished 9th last season.
Like Levante, Basel have been active in the transfer market. Recently Chopper has brought in Joe Allen, Christian Gentner, Salvatore Sirigu, Nicholas Pareja, Dario Srna, Armind Bruma and Anaitz Arbila to name a few.
Jose Fonte is Basels most consistent outfield player with a 6.71 rating over 21 games, veteran striker Robin Van Persie leads the goal charts with 10 strikes to date and Kuzmanovic is top assister with 4.
Fans of Rotblau will be hoping Choppers new signings can save them from relegation and recent performances point to the fact he probably will. With the side looking good now if they can stay up they can surely push on for at least a play off spot next season.
FEYENOORD
Long serving manager Zaid Griffin is facing a real battle to consolidate his sides Division 4 status. His side are bottom but one in the table and enter the final stretch on a run of 7 defeats.
Griffins main transfers in this season have Blerim Dzemali, Alberto Aquilani and Hoo Joo Park.
Leonardo Ulloa is his sides top outfield player with a 6.90 rating over 20 games. Troy Deeney leads the way for goals and assists with 8 and 5 respectively.
Fans of De Trots van Zuid are extremely concerned about their recent dismal form and are also asking serious questions as to whether Griffin will still be in charge next season as unfortunately relegation looks highly likely.
CELTA VIGO
Tony Harman's Celta currently find themselves propping up the table which is a real disappointment after last seasons 5th place finish.
Numerous players have come in or left Balaidos with the pick of the incoming players being Eric Choupo Mouting, young Harry Maguire and versatile Mohamed Diame.
Choupo Motting and Nasri lead the way as the best outfield players with 6.64 and 6.52 ratings respectively. Choupo Motting and Nasri also top the scoring charts with 4 apiece. Leighton Baines has chipped in with the most assists on 6.
Lack of goals has really cost Celta this season as they have picked up some decent results against the divisions top sides. Tony will be hoping that Motting can continue his good form since joining the club, but will also be aware of the need for other players to chip in their fair share to, if the Spanish club are to avoid relegation. Fans of Celticos are hopeful that they can stay up as they are only 4 points adrift of safety in Division 4.
Tip top review there Mark
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