As we head towards the beginning of the new season and with the continued talk of new signings, various messageboards users post their starting XI's with many of them missing one man - Martin Charles Rowlands. Of course everybody is entitled to their opinions and their views are often based on what they've seen or read that season but how important is our skipper?

This season:
Played: 46
Won: 15 - (32.6%)
Drawn: 16 - (34.7%)
Lost: 15 - (32.6%)
Goals for: 42 (0.91 goals per game scored)
Goals Against: 44 (0.96 goals per game conceded)

Without Rowlands:
Played: 22
Won: 6 - (27.2%)
Drawn: 7 - (31.8%)
Lost: 9 - (40.9%)
Goals for: 18 (0.81 goals per game scored)
Goals Against: 25 (1.14 goals per game conceded)

With Rowlands:
Played: 24
Won: 10 - (41.7%)
Drawn: 9 - (37.5%)
Lost: 5 - (20.8%)
Goals for: 25 (1.04 goals per game scored)
Goals Against: 19 (0.79 goals per game conceded)

When Rowlands plays we have a higher win %, a lower defeat % as well as a higher goals for and a lower goals conceded.

One man doesn't make a team but for someone who was supposedly having a "bad" season he certainly has an influence on our performances with and without him. Since his injury against Derby we have won just 27.2% of the matches compared to 41.7% when Rowlands was in the side and are losing at a ratio of 1 in 3 compared to the 1 in 5 when Rowlands was appearing. Also not to be forgotten are his two strikes against Wolves and Norwich, which were the difference between two draws and two wins. When fully fit, Magilton shouldpick Rowlands make him skipper and let him lead by example as he always does.