PFA Players’ Player of the Year Awards – Who’s Your Pick?
The short list has been announced today for the PFA Player and Young Player of the year awards. Unsurprisingly both Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo are there and the Portuguese winger is joined by four of his United team mates.
Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic and Edwin Van Der Sar are all in the running as well. In the last 16 years only once has a defender or goalkeeper claimed the award.
However this season has seen a much greater importance put on attaining the infamous clean sheet. Man United have kept 32 clean sheets all season and one would think therefore that a defender or goalkeeper is bound to claim the much coveted award this year.
Van Der Sar himself has set new records. He went unbeaten for 1,122 minutes. Is this just down to his own undeniable ability or the ever present Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in front of him?
So should the prize go to the terrible two at the centre of Utd’s rock solid defence? Few partnerships strike fear into strikers the way that these two do. Just a look at them is enough to make Drogba fall over looking hopefully toward the referee.
However they can’t really be separated, they are as good as each other and to award one and not the other would be unfair. Not only that but they do not score the goals for United, admittedly Vidic has grabbed 7 this campaign and that is no mean feat especially for a centre back however the current holder has got nearly three times that number and at the end of the day, goals win games.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won this award for the past two seasons and is the only player to win back to back awards other than the French superstar Thierry Henry. However in recent games he has been off the pace. He has looked a moody, surly figure who appears to feel he is too good for the team. During difficult games against Sunderland and Aston Villa he stormed around the pitch screaming at team mates for ineffective play and a lack of creativity and then succeeded in losing the ball himself while in pocession. Hardly leadership material.
His fellow winger Ryan Giggs is also aiming for the award, he is the most decorated player in English football and has spent his entire career at United. At the age of 35 he has not been involved in all of the club’s games this season. Although has still been influential he has only been on the score sheet once in the league this year unlike his Liverpool rival.
Steven Gerrard is arguably the most influential player at the Merseyside club, when he doesn’t play Liverpool don’t play, or so we are led to believe. Liverpool have beaten Man Utd and Chelsea twice this season, however on those games he either didn’t play or was ineffective. Despite his absence in some of the bigger matches he has lifted his team this season and for vast swathes of the season on his own.
So who deserves the award?
It might just have to be Edwin Van Der Sar. Admittedly his job is made easier with his enforcers in front of him and it is to be expected however he is still putting in performances time and time again that are truly awesome. When he hasn’t been available, Tomasz Kuszczak has filled in and leaked goals, suggesting that the giant Dutchman is a big reason for United’s lead at the top of the table.
Whoever does end up taking the award you wouldn’t bet against the shot stopper claiming some sort of silverware this season.
PFA Players’ Player of the Year contenders:
Rio Ferdinand – Manchester United
Steven Gerrard – Liverpool
Ryan Giggs – Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
Edwin van der Sar – Manchester United
Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United
PFA Young Player of the Year contenders:
Gabriel Agbonlahor – Aston Villa
Jonny Evans – Manchester United
Stephen Ireland – Manchester City
Aaron Lennon – Tottenham Hotspur
Rafael – Manchester United
Ashley Young – Aston Villa
Who are your picks for PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year this season?
Topics: Aston Villa, Cristiano Ronaldo, English Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Steven Gerrard, Tottenham
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I would have thought Torres made the shortlist and won the award.
April 14th, 2009 @ 23:18Torres hasn’t been contributing all season long, only in recent times.
April 15th, 2009 @ 04:55Am a bit surprised to see Giggs and not Lampard, and Rafael and not Walcott.
Ronaldo, Gerrard, Rio and Lampard have been the most consistent players, should be Gerrard or Vidic winning it this year though, Ronaldo needs to be twice as good as everyone else to win anything and Rio, well, people are still underrating his influence on United’s back 5.
Young / Ireland for the Young player of the year.
April 15th, 2009 @ 06:10still think Van Der Sar may claim it due to his record breaking, but it could depend on where the trophy ends up, if Liverpool do snatch it then Gerrard is a sure bet
April 15th, 2009 @ 07:05Giggs has had little cameos throughout the season,and for matches has been absolutely unplayable,but hasn’t done it consistently enough to be nominated for this award.
April 15th, 2009 @ 09:21I think it shld go to vidic
Young Player-Young without a doubt
It’s a bit ridiculous. Of the Manchester United players only Vidic (pre-that Liverpool game) could justifiably claim a place on that list.
I’d go for Vidic, Gerrard, Cahill, Hangeland, Schwarzer, and Lampard.
Stephen Ireland is nailed on for the young player award. He’s been outstanding this season.
April 15th, 2009 @ 14:51Would have said Young for PFA Young Player, but his form of late has been sub-par. Gary is bang on with the pick of Stephen Ireland. The lad has really upped his game this season and truly deserves the award.
Vidic should gets the award right now, but I’d give it to Gerrard if he could somehow lead Liverpool to the league title.
April 15th, 2009 @ 16:36Tim Cahill should be on that list. He probably deserves it for avoiding the man with the axe that I’m sure lurks around the Everton team injuring players. On a more serious note, hes been inspirational to Everton this season,like most seasons.
April 16th, 2009 @ 03:25Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the voting done in February, so all the coments about recent form are irrelavent.
Also, isn’t the shortlist based on the players in each category who received the most votes from their fellow professionals, as opposed to some subjective list by some committee?
April 16th, 2009 @ 06:05@BD Condell you’re BACK!
April 16th, 2009 @ 07:47vida is the man…7 goals for a defender..awe..!amazing performances..he is unbeatable in one on one situations and he has been constintent all season long..1,2,3 games that he didnt play well should take his reward away..!Man united had played so many games this season which justifies if vida had a few not so good for his standard games..
April 16th, 2009 @ 08:11I do agree that Vidic has had a great season, but as for unbeatable in one on one situations i think Mr Torres may have something to say about that
April 16th, 2009 @ 08:35@Ahmed: Yep. I waw away on hols for a few weeks. Got it to coincide with the international break as much as possible!
April 17th, 2009 @ 03:36I’m a MU fan but have to say that Gerrard should be the worthy winner IMHO. Got to be one of the best 2 or 3 midfielders in the world at the moment.
April 19th, 2009 @ 11:12I think this seoson is gerrard’s seoson, because he does a good performance while his condidate not. so he is the most important player in liverpool and England.
April 21st, 2009 @ 12:45well for the young player of the year i think that Ashlee Young definatly deserves to win he is a fantastic player and villa’s best man he has great crosses and delivery is perfect he has fantastic tehnique and he’s fast so he is number one in my opinion although Ireland has been great this season and Lennon was very good too,so i would put Ireland as second and Lennon third as for the older players well i think that Vidic should win this he deserved it no doubt but Gerard and especially Cristiano Ronaldo are also big candidates and those 3 has the biggest chance.
April 25th, 2009 @ 03:52Stevie Ireland for young player of the year – actually good enough to be player of the year
April 26th, 2009 @ 20:33See what did i tell you Ashlee Young won.He definatly deserved it.Young rules!
April 27th, 2009 @ 13:21James Milner
April 26th, 2010 @ 07:24