Shermis, a professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, supervised the Hewlett Foundation's contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment.

Hughes thought Bellamy was "outstanding" against Arsenal and, referring to the player's pace, added that "in a counter-attacking sense he is one of the best out there".

Failing that, Hughes will have little choice but to move Craig Bellamy into a more central position, the Wales international having recently been deployed in a left-sided attacking role.