There will be more than a few football observers who believe tackling is a dying art in the modern game.
So rare is a crunching tackle in the Champions League or the English Premier League these days it is usually greeted by a defender fist-pumping and celebrating like they have scored.
But – other than a goal – nothing quite gets a football crowd worked up into a bit of excitement than a huge 50-50 challenge in the middle of the park.
There is one Aberdeen player who leads the way when it comes to tackling in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Dons captain Graeme Shinnie has won 52 tackles so far – the most in the league.
According to football stats website FBref, that is two more tackles than Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin with Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin third on 43 tackles won.
Dundee’s Mohamed Sylla is fourth on 42 tackles with Dundee United duo Vicko Sevelj and Will Ferry both on 39.
Shinnie and Devlin’s reputations as players who thrive on being in the thick of the action is underlined by the fact they are also the two most fouled players in the Premiership.
Shinnie has been fouled 48 times with Devlin drawing a foul on 46 occasions.
Aberdeen attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath, who is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury, is third on 43 fouls.
Getting his timing Wright
When it comes to making interceptions, one Ross County player leads the way by some distance.
When he is not scoring spectacular goals from 30 yards or conceding penalties for inexplicable handballs, Staggies defender Akil Wright is the king of the timely intervention.
He has made 50 interceptions this season – 12 more Sven Sprangler of St Johnstone and Dundee United’s Will Ferry who are join second place.
Another Ross County player, Connor Randall, is fourth with 37 interceptions with Dundee’s Sylla (36) making up the top five.
Dundee United’s Sevelj is top of the naughty list for making the most fouls this season with 49 so far.
That is four more than St Johnstone’s Benjamin Kimpioka and St Mirren’s Toyosi Olusanya.
Sivert Heltne Nilsen has conceded more fouls than any other Dons player on 34 which puts him in joint eighth-place in the Premiership stats and one foul ahead of teammate Shinnie.
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