Yesterday we brought you the curious case of the Sunderland player ratings from the Daily Mirror, in which every player was rendered either "gutless" or "not as gutless as his teammates" for their efforts against Swansea on Saturday afternoon. Today, we take a look at the unexplainable worldwide phenomenon of football players receiving erratic ratings.
The issue of player ratings has subsequently sparked a worldwide debate. Are ratings in this part of the world too generous? Should 5 be the average and players go up and down thereafter?
One outlet who seem to at least be consistent, if a little harsh by Irish and British standards, is l'Equipe. The French daily has only handed out seven 10's, ever, and two of them went to the same man, Lionel Messi.
Here are the six different players that l'Equipe deemed worthy of top marks over the past 25 years. Not only is Messi mentioned twice, but two of the other '10s' come from the same game, a Euro 88 qualifier against Greece. If anything, they've gotten a bit more generous of late, handing out three 10s in the last 3 and a half years.
hat-tip: @tomwfootball
In comparison, the Brazilian sports media is a little more lax with it's post match marking. Following Brazil's Confederations Cup final victory over Spain earlier this year, one Brazilian newspaper ran this slightly biased set of marks.
