Season ratings: midfielders

Nigel de Jong (16 starts, 0 goals)

Bought at great expense in the January window, to add some experience and steel to midfield. As was the case with our buying Shay Given, fans managed to gloss over just how lucky we were to get a player of his quality; Holland's first choice holding midfielder, previously of Ajax and HSV. If you want to see how far we've come since Gillingham, just look at the relative quality of our Dutch holding players. Twelve years ago we bought Gerard Wiekens, never-capped by the Oranje, from BV Veendam in the Dutch second tier. Six years ago we got Paul Bosvelt, a thirty-three year old on the down slope of his career, with a handful of international caps to his name. And now our takeover allows us to buy twenty four year old Dutch international regulars from Hamburg. Anyway, it was always going to be difficult for him this season: he'd spent much of autumn 2008 out injured, was dropped straight into the City team but could not play half of our games - due to UEFA rules. His energy, tough tackling and efficient passing did improve the team, but we'll have to wait until 2009/10 to see him really at his best. B

Elano (31 starts, 8 goals)

Splits opinion between City fans like no other. Had a wonderful start to his City career in the opening months of the Eriksson regime but then faded as last season ground to a halt. Suffered from the outset this season with the arrival of Robinho - which forced Mark Hughes to abandon the 4-4-1-1 which he had deployed in the opening games, adopting instead a 4-3-3 system. With no trequartista position, Elano could only play in central midfield, where he was consistently outshone by Stephen Ireland. Faltering performances led to a bust-up with Hughes, and he was not included in the squad of eighteen for the trip to West Brom in December. Returned to the side regularly in April and put in some performances which recalled his glory days of 2007; his two woodwork-hitting freekicks against Hamburg, his assist for Robinho at Goodison Park and all of those penalties (only Lampard is better in the Premier League) reminded us what he can do. But once the season ended, he demanded a new contract and now looks set for a move to Serie A. A shame, but not as much as some City fans think. B

Gelson Fernandes (9 starts, 2 goals)

I quite liked Fernandes last year - he wasn't the finished product but he ran around alot and wasn't afraid to put his foot in. But he's had a poor season, and is surely set for a summer exit. He played a bit in the season's opening months, but after a stupid red card cost us the game against Spurs he was always out of favour. In the last few months he became a useful time-wasting substitute, although it was alway a shame when his introduction was booed by the fans. C-

Dietmar Hamann (8 starts, 1 goal)

Another midfielder who could not replicate his performances under Eriksson for the Hughes regime. As his legs started to give way, he was asked to do more and more and with them - no longer allowed the luxury of having the team built around him as was the case under Sven. Once Kompany and then de Jong arrived, his chances were always going to be limited. One of the four players whose last game for City was the 3-0 FA Cup loss to Forest in January. C-

Stephen Ireland (48 starts, 13 goals)

In strictly football terms, the story of the season: after three faltering, inconsistent years, Ireland gloriously found his voice as a footballer in 2008/09. It was arguably the best season had by a City player since Ali Benarbia's miraculous 2001/02, and at times his vision and craft were reminiscent of the Maghreb magician. But that doesn't tell us half of it. In fact, the crucial point is that this was the year when Ireland married the technical gifts he's always had to a new-found strength, consistency and will to win. And in synthesising the best elements of his two boyhood heroes - Eric Cantona and Roy Keane - he can become a distinctly City hero himself.

All this, and he wasn't even in the team on opening day. He came on at Villa Park with fifteen minutes left, and sparked City into action. He was selected for the next game against West Ham, and never looked back. He won the Player of the Month awards in August, September, October and November - but that does not indicate his failing to maintain his standards into the new year, but rather his teammates finally catching up; it was Ireland's season-long consistency that made the PFA's award of Young Player of the Year to Ashley Young all the more ludicrous. It's hard to pick out the best moments: his second goal at the KC Stadium, his three assissts and one goal against Hull at home, his pass, sprint and finish in the first minute at the Nordbank Arena, a similar goal at Goodison Park, his chip to Robinho to score against WBA. But the happiest he's made us this year was when he signed a new contract last month, committing his long-term future to the club. A (and TLDORC Player of the Season)

Vincent Kompany (44 starts, 1 goal)

As good a piece of business as City have done in years: costing as much as Georgios Samaras or just £1m more than Jon Macken. Like his fellow August import Pablo Zabaleta, has excelled in both defence and midfield; as he demonstrated in his debut against West Ham when he had fifty brilliant minutes in holding midfield, before Ben Haim knocked out Richards and Kompany had forty immaculate minutes at centre-half. With his size, strength and bravery he recalls Sylvain Distin, but Kompany's much more comfortable in possession than he ever was. Had he played all year he would have been in competition for Player of the Season - he won the January award, but he barely looked fit from January onwards, thanks to a toe injury he could never really shake off. One of the reasons that Hamburg let him go so cheaply was his dreadful injury record there, and as he struggled to regain fitness I worried he may face the same problems here. And with the arrival of Gareth Barry his positions in central midfield and as captain-in-waiting are both threatened; could Hughes unite him with Onuoha at centre-back next season? A-

Shaun Wright-Phillips (37 starts, 8 goals)

In any other year this could have been the main story: the return of the prodigal son, arguably the best player ever produced by the City Academy, who assured his role as a City legend with the goals and running we all remember. When he scored twice on his re-debut at the Stadium of the Light it seemed like this would be the case. But days later ADUG bought City and City bought Robinho, and the SWP return story was pushed to the margins of our attention. I'm not sure, though, that this distraction was entirely a bad thing for Wright-Phillips. Because I don't think he went on to have a particularly good season. He had some very good games and scored a few very good goals, but he was just as inconsistent as Robinho or Elano: two good games would be followed by three poor ones, he went missing against bigger and better defenders, and he would not always produce in away games. Of course, I still love him - but I wouldn't be shocked if Hughes invests in a better right winger over the summer. B

Finally, then, two midfielders whose seasons were ruined by injury: Martin Petrov and Michael Johnson. They were both regulars in August and September before suffering long term knee and abdominal problems respectively. Petrov returned for a few games in April/May and while Johnson managed a reserve game then he never made it back to the first team. I can't really award either of them marks, suffice to say that we missed them both and will be much better off in 2009/10 with them both playing.