Meram Still Improving

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Dropping back in on whoscored.com ratings... Justin Meram is the only player on Columbus Crew SC that has seen his median game WhoScored.com rating increase each year since 2014. That's pretty amazing considering that Columbus has been in the basement of MLS all season.

You wouldn't think it given the number of times he is subbed off. It works out to be 37 times off on 54 starts in the last two years. Regardless...

This is also a good time to remind ourselves that Meram has the ability deep inside to take over and win MLS games. He has five of the top twenty individual performances in a Crew uniform since the beginning 2013.

Game Rating: Player, Year
9.91 : Kei Kamara, 2015
9.90 : Justin Meram, 2016
9.66 : Kei Kamara, 2015
9.62 : Justin Meram, 2013
9.62 : Federico Higuaín, 2015
9.62 : Kei Kamara, 2016
9.53 : Ola Kamara, 2016
9.40 : Aaron Schoenfeld, 2014
9.28 : Ethan Finlay, 2015
9.25 : Federico Higuaín, 2013

9.14 : Federico Higuaín, 2015

9.14 : Justin Meram, 2015

9.10 : Ethan Finlay, 2015

9.09 : Kei Kamara, 2015

9.07 : Chad Marshall, 2013

9.03 : Federico Higuaín, 2013

9.00 : Gláuber, 2013

8.97 : Justin Meram, 2016

8.94 : Kei Kamara, 2015

8.93 : Justin Meram, 2014

Also, very worth noting that Meram is the highest rated Crew player of the season. 2016 Team MVP? I'll have to match up Squawka and my own ratings here in a couple months for it to be official. 

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THE SACRED COWS

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Who needs to go (and other notes on this chart...) are below:

1. Parkhurst is going. He's still got gas in the tank, but something isn't right here in Columbus. I see him returning to New England. I wrote about this recently and comments in today's paper about not being able to agree to a new deal all but seal things.

2. Ethan Finlay needs to go. For a couple reasons. One - He's going the wrong way as far a production. Blame it on a change in Kamara's or getting distracted by his USMNT call up or whatever, but good players lift teams. He hasn't done that. Right place, right time? Doesn't mean he's bad, just not working. Two - He's risen to the board of the Player's Union. Not getting into why I feel that way now, but shuffle him along if you are Columbus. Need players committed to playing. When I last looked at player performance like this I made the recommendation that he sit. Berhalter saw the same thing. It worked, he snapped back out of his funk, but there isn't enough there.

3. Steve Clark - Just needs some added pressure behind him to work. He's still a good keeper and he's going to be for a number of years. Guys like him need a spark. From a change in location, or a life change or whatever - not able to get that in Columbus now.

4. Wil Trapp - I would like to see Trapp test himself more. He's not going to get any better where he is now. Of course, Columbus can use him. They can use him for his whole career. But I don't think many want to see him becoming a Chad Marshall. There's more for him.

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Reminder on whoscored ratings: Anything above 7.00 is a good player (in that particular league). 7.20 and above means the player is performing in the top 10%. Below 6.75 or so means a player in the bottom half.