Since the 2016-17 season, we have published our player ratings for every single AC Milan game. Discover how we go about deciding them: What is the scale, what affects the ratings and why may they differ?
We pride ourselves on always having a comprehensive coverage of AC Milan games, both before and after. One key component of this is the player ratings article, which always sparks great debate among the Rossoneri fans in our comments section.
Since the very start of this website, we have always put a big focus on the player ratings and we now have an impressive archive to show off. However, we also understand that ratings are highly subjective and there can never be a right or wrong answer.
To help you better understand our motivations, and in turn the ratings, we will go through everything you need to know below.
Our player ratings scale
As most of you know at this point, we rank the players on a scale of 1-10. This scale, however, has a bit more nuance to it as while it may be easier to get a 6, the leap to an 8 is significant. For example, we have only ever given out a 9+ on a few occasions.
Below, you will find the general guidelines that we always follow when deciding the player ratings. Take them with a grain of salt, though, as these are guidelines after all:
- 1-4: Terrible
- 5: Very poor
- 5.5: Poor
- 6: Good (gets a pass)
- 6.5: Good with a plus
- 7: Very good
- 7.5: Very good with a plus
- 8: Outstanding
- 8.5-10: World-class
What affects the player ratings?
You might wonder, how do we decide if someone is ‘very poor’ or even ‘outstanding’? Many factors come into play, in truth, and since we are not a statistics page a lot will depend on what we see – as humans.
We are AC Milan fans at the end of the day, and we experience the games with the same emotions as everyone else. Having said that, it’s only natural that a striker will get a good rating if he scores a goal, just as a goalkeeper will be bumped up if one or several good saves are made.
It will also depend on the game. Scoring two goals against a relegation side in Serie A does not have the same pedigree as scoring a brace in a crucial Champions League clash. We can all probably agree on that, and this is something that stats sites perhaps do not consider.
Finally, the ratings will also depend on the outcome of the game. While many of the poor defeats often are collective breakdowns, this will inevitably seep into how we judge the players as well. Again, that is ultimately the result of us being fans.
Example: Luka Jovic got a 7.5/10 after scoring two goals. You might think this justifies a higher rating, but the following comes into play. Coppa Italia clash against a heavily-rotated Cagliari and he missed a good chance before the goals. Not outstanding, but very good indeed.
Are the player ratings always fair?
No, as ratings are highly subjective, this is simply impossible. We do try to be as consistent as possible with our ratings, aided by the fact that the same writer – Isak Möller – has done them for every single game since March 2021.
There will always be a difference in opinion, though, and that is why we have the comments section. We want our readers to join the discussion, expressing their opinions, but always remember to keep a good tone!
