I normally have a little go at marking the players halfway, so here goes my attempt for this season.
Largely in line with expectations so far, given that most people felt we'd slip back slightly following the departure of Chris Conn-Clarke. My own prediction was 10th (currently 9th) and I'm confident that will be the lower end of our final place, hopefully we can sneak the playoffs.
[Scores from last season in squared brackets]:
Goalkeepers:
1. Ethan ROSS - 8 [8] (has maintained his exceptionally high standards and will be so tough to replace one day)
Defenders:
2. Lewis BANKS - 7.5 [6.5] (improved steadily throughout his time with us, has been our best full back so far)
3. Eddy JONES - 6.5 [7.5] (struggled with a combination of form and fitness so far, but still has a big role to play)
4. Lewis BAINES - 7.5 [7.5] (not surprising that he's club captain now, one of the first names on the teamsheet)
5. Jake COOPER - 6.5 [7] (was fantastic in the second half of last season, had a mare at Sutton but steadier since)
15. James JONES - 6.5 [6.5] (displaced by Jake Cooper last season but has been OK when called upon this year)
23. Tylor GOLDEN - 7 (arrived to much fanfare, has done admirably in his less favoured left back role, been solid)
31. Charlie OLSON - 7 (clearly has promise and leadership traits for a young lad, will likely continue to improve too)
Central Midfielders:
6. Elliot OSBORNE - 6.5 [7.5] (probably hasn't benefitted from being rotated a bit, less influence on games this year)
8. Isaac MARRIOTT - 6.5 [7.5] (haven't seen much of him so far, once he gets fully up to speed we'll see his best)
15. Liam Humbles - 6.5 (popular with the fans given some solid outings but clearly the management didn't agree)
19. George WILSON - 7 [6.5] (along with Banks he's one of our most improved players, now influencing games well)
22. Tom CRAWFORD - 7.5 (proved to be a shrewd signing given the experience and all round game he brings)
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers:
7. Ollie CRANKSHAW - N/A (an absolute nightmare Alty career so far, reappeared and then broke down again)
10. Alex NEWBY - 8 [7.5] (underrated contribution, especially given the shoes he had to fill; brings quality)
11. Justin AMAZUZOR - 6.5 [7.5] (another that's struggled with form and fitness, can be unplayable on his day)
14. Matty KOSYLO - 7 [6.5] (looks to be in fantastic shape after the injury struggles he's had, still a lot to contribute)
17. Lucas WEAVER - N/A (not seen enough of him in an Alty shirt to mark him so far, hopefully this will change)
20. Kahrel REDDIN - 6.5 (one for the future, can struggle to impact games but it's his first season of men's football)
21. Max Haygarth - 6 (looked promising in pre season but has looked a bit out of his depth when called upon)
Strikers:
9. Regan LINNEY - 8.5 [7] (has moved his game up a few levels with his clinical finishing and all round game)
24. Joe NUTTALL - 6.5 (divides the fan base but brings something different, works well with the other forwards)
29. Jake BICKERSTAFF - 6 (the excitement of his arrival hasn't translated on to the pitch; unlikely to be retained)
There's normally some contracts to sort around this time of year - we sorted out Eddy Jones, Lewis Baines and Jake Cooper last season, and my guess is that the most obvious extensions to tie down would be Lewis Banks and George Wilson at this stage.
In terms of other likely out-of-contracts, if we can get Justin Amaluzor and Olly Crankshaw fit they'll be playing out of their skins if they want to earn themselves new deals - which can only be a good thing really.
Recruitment-wise, there aren't really any glaring gaps currently but that will obviously change if we suffer from injury and/or depratures, the most likely being Regan Linney - but hopefully we can keep him till the Summer.
With players coming back, it might (hopefully in a lot of ways!) be a quiet January, bit let's wait and see.