To the accolades that have been allocated to Owen Coyle this season we may add that he, apparently, has been responsible for the signing of the year. Because analysis of all the match ratings awarded by our readers after each Premier League game this season suggests that the best player so far this term has been Stuart Holden, the midfielder whom Bolton picked up from Houston Dynamo for nothing last January.

Dynamism, indeed, has been one of the features of Bolton this season as, for all the praise Coyle has received for introducing a more cerebral playing style, Bolton also work exceptionally hard without the ball, having attempted more tackles than any other team in the league. No player embodies this alluring blending of industry and invention better than Holden, who, as a bonus, over the last month has also added goals to his game. His average mark for the campaign so far, according to readers, has been 7.4. Holden's Bolton team-mate Johan Elmander also scored highly, his average grade of 7.2 making him the pick of the division's strikers along with Newcastle's Andy Carroll (7.0).

Blackpool's swashbucklers have thrilled so far this season, orchestrated elegantly by Charlie Adam, so it is perhaps slightly surprising that it is their Ghanaian goalkeeper, Richard Kingson, who has been voted their best player of the campaign so far. Then again, he has performed heroics and kept two clean sheets in the five matches he has played since taking over from Matt Gilks. His average rating of 7.2 makes him the best goalkeeper in the league so far and, therefore, one of several Ian Holloway recruits who might be considered as rivals for Holden in the signing of the season stakes.

Four other goalkeepers were considered their club's best players of the season so far: Birmingham's Ben Foster (6.5), Blackburn's Paul Robinson (6.7), Stoke's Asmir Begovic (6.7) and Liverpool's Pepé Reina (6.7).

Readers made Nemanja Vidic (6.9) the best Manchester United player of the campaign so far and the Serb is partnered in central defence by Rio Ferdinand (6.5). Readers seem to judge defenders more harshly than players in other positions as their average ratings are lower across the board. Bacary Sagna's improved crossing this term is perhaps one of the reasons why he is currently rated as the best right-back (6.6), while effectiveness going forward is certainly a factor in Leighton Baines (6.8) being voted the best left-back so far.

Holden, meanwhile, is in good company in midfield, being surrounded by the north London trio of Samir Nasri (7.0), Luka Modric (7.0) and Rafael van der Vaart (7.0) – at least that's the flair-lovers' choice of line-up: others may wish to replace one of those with Newcastle's Cheikh Tioté, who also averages 7.0.

Unsurprisingly, the team with the lowest-scoring best player are the bottom club West Ham – and equally unsurprising is the fact that that player is Scott Parker (5.8).

Readers' ratings team of the season so far (4-4-2) ...

Richard Kingson (Blackpool); Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Leighton Baines (Everton); Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham); Johan Elmander (Bolton), Andy Carroll (Newcastle).

• Additional reporting by James Brown.