Can Scholes join Ronaldo, Ferdinand and van der Sar in UEFA’s 2008 Team of the Year?
Every year UEFA nominates the best players in club football in Europe with the final awards presented on the eve of the end-of-August UEFA Super Cup. Last year we saw AC Milan’s Kaka, Maldini and Seedorf take the plaudits with Petr Cech rounding off the four and in the process denying Milan a clean sweep.
This year we see a strong England-based presence with 3 of 4 semi-finalists being from England in the Champions League last season and both Chelsea and Manchester United with a good chance of taking all the awards on offer. Here are the nominees:
UEFA 2008 Goalkeeper of the Year
Manuel Almunia (Arsenal)
Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04)
Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)
UEFA 2008 Defender of the Year
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
Carlos Puyol (Barcelona)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
UEFA 2008 Midfielder of the Year
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
UEFA 2008 Forward of the Year
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
My Picks
At least one (two, if you consider the most valuable player category) award is nailed on - Ronaldo will be declared forward of year. That leaves us with the keeping, defence and midfield awards.
I doubt anyone other than Cech and van der Sar winning it, and while you could discuss his jittery moments to death, van der Sar is one of the main reasons United were able to get to the final. And of course, when it counted, he save the penalty to win the club the Champions League. It’s close between those two so that last bit might tip it in EVDS’ favor.
In defence it’s again Chelsea v United and this time Terry v Ferdinand. This isn’t a ‘role model’ debate, but in terms of pure impact the two are probably neck-to-neck - Terry made a crucial save in the final while Ferdinand was the rock United built on all season. Terry’s miss in the final - loss of composure at a key moment - could count against him. In all honesty there’s nothing to choose between the two so bias will win it in the end.
In midfield it’s much more open, although Fabregas, Gerrard and Essien either didn’t have the same impact or didn’t take their team as far as Lampard and Scholes, so for it’d be between those two. I’d like to give it to Scholes for the goal against Barcelona but Lampard has been amazing for Chelsea all season, Europe and league, a fact forgotten by the media, English fans and all Chelsea-haters. He’s been fantastic, and he just might pip Scholes to this one.
Your picks? Comments are welcome.
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Faabragaes or Gerrard should win the midfield award, Essien didnt really hit form until late in the season and im shocked he made the short list. Scholes and Lampard were nothing special this year, although Scholes did score the only goal agaisnt Barca.
Van der sar should win the goalkeeper award due to his heroics in the final.
Carvahlo should win the defender award but he is not even nominated.
Ronaldo scored in every round apart from the semis so he should win although Torres (and Kuyt) only failed to score in one round (the final) .Im unhappy Rooney getting the nod ahead of Kuyt. There is a clear difference in clss between the 2 but Kuyt performed brilliantly in the Champions league.
lampard - you must be joking!!! Essien and Ballack are the reason Chelsea did well this season.
Lampard is slow, can’t tackle or pass and scores the majority of his goals having deflected off three players. You look at the England game, Lamps was shit and has been for quite some time. It would actually be a benefit for Chelsea if he had gone to Milan, they would have created a lot more chances. He has no flair at all - I would say the midfield should be between Essien and Fabregas and maybe Scholes nipping in but on the basis of the season I am surprised Lanmpard even gets a mention
Where’s Adeabyor?
Ronaldo isn’t essentially a forward. He was rather drafted into that role, while at most times Rooney dropped back. So i guess the Best Forward title would go to Fernando Torres. He was just mindblowing in his first season (though i hate to admit it). Scoring 30 odd goals in your first season is incredible. He’s gotta get it.
No prizes for guessing who wins the best player award. Cristiano Ronaldo. He was sensational all throughout the season. Highest goal scorer in the league and champions league.
For the goal keeper spot, it’s tight, with either VDS or Cech taking the honours. VDS was shaky at times, but came up with the goods when it mattered the most (Remember the save he made against Anelka?) So this goes in favour of VDS.
For the best defender award, once again its tight between Rio and Terry, but Terry’s miss at Moscow might prove to be costly.
Rio was rock solid. He should get it.
That leaves me with the last post. Though my heart goes out for Scholes (the unsung hero of the United midfield), Lampard just rose to the occasion when the team struggled in the post - Mourinho season, despite all the odds, yes even when he lost his mother.
So Lampard’s my pick.
Weldone Ahmed, so you a Man U fan then? It doesn’t show at all. Fortunately, Uefa look for other qualities in players than do they play just outside Manchester.
Midfielders? Scholes?, a likeable fellow sure, but his contribution to the game beyond acting as a deep lying striker is minimal compared to that of Gerrard and Fabregas. If scoring goals was the only measure they used for midfielders then Man U would have entered Ronaldo as a midfielder - which is what he is. I suspect midfielders will be judged on how they bossed the midfield and orchestrated their team, so I’d be surprised if Scholes or Lampard won it.
One other point.
As much as it would be great to see an all England selection Uefa are quite political sometimes and I suspect Messi, Neuer or Puyol might be given the nod to keep the rest of Europe sweet and Uefa free of claims of bias.
Van Der Saar, Rio, Fabregas, Ronaldo.
No way does scholes deserve it. He didn’t really do a whole lot throughout the competition apart from score that wondergoal. For me, Fabregas should win midfield for sheer consistency and especially for his wonder match against Milan. United to fill the other positions. From a united fan.
Lol, I just noticed Almunia’s name in there. He’s done so well to carve out a career with the little talent he’s got!
fabregas is the best midfielder for 2008 for sure !!!… Scholes only highlight was a goal against barca otherwise he is a liabilty.
why is everyone slamming scholes :S if he was so crap why did united win the champions league and the prem - anyone remember how crap carrick was playing in the beginning half of the season, hargo only started having an impact in the 2nd half of the season and anderson didnt get his chance till the wigan game so that leaves one player in united midfield NOT o’shea NOT fletcher but scholes……
Fabregas??????? are u lot mad????
You lot seem to have 4gotten about last season. The whole reason Arsenal didnt win th eleague last year was down mainly down to the fact that Fabregas fell out of form in the 2nd half of the season..
Or did you all 4get that?..Gerrard playing as a high up midfielder worked great with Torres all season and was 2nd top goalscorer 4 liverpool behind torres. They scored about 65 - 70% of all liverpools goals.
So how teh hell does fabregas get here b4 gerrard. The problem is that gerrad is so consistent every year that people take that 4 granted and 4get him. Fabregas has 2 do it season in season out 4 a WHOLE season and not just half.
Gerrard and Torres were a brilliant partnership in the EPL it didnt often happen in the Europe. They both love the pace of the EPL.
Here is the faviourite list
1st.Ronldo
2nd.Torres
3rd.Lampard (I know its the pity vote isnt it)
4th.Messi
VDS for sure, 22 goals against in EPL…c’mon
Rio for same reason as above
Gerrard # 1 for most consistent, Essien for most effective. would’ve love to see Fabregas play great for the entire season.
Ronaldo….obvious. This list is flawed, because Ronaldo and Torres should both win.
Van Der Sar, Terry, Lampard, Ronaldo… I think that the awards should be only fot Man U and Chelsea players… these two teams are far away the rest teams of Europe.
If you notice, during the majority of Utd’s matches last season Ronaldo wasn’t so much a winger as a drifting forward. To say that Ronaldo is no forward because he starts off his runs on the wing is to sat that Thierry Henry was a winger at Arsenal.
For everyone claiming Gerrard, and saying Fabregas only had half a good season, how are people forgetting how poor Gerrard was in the first half. My vote would go to Lampard either way.
Also doesnt uefa give out an overall MVP award for this?
Also this is based on champions league form and not league form for anyone quoting league performances.
I would take Carrick before Scholes
So would I Sydley but he’s not even there, so…
Also, Ballack wasn’t playing till the knockout stages, he’s not seriously a contender in any case.
MDH - I thought Ronaldo had that wrapped up.
lets us leave out sentiment,all d big 4 for premiership peform credibly well,we just ve to look at thier weak point,lampard did well 4 chelsea but lost oncentration towards end and so is gerrald and fabregas, d credit shud go to scholes,and 4 d keeper have u 4goten how peter concede some cheap goals,reina and vds was great 4d 4ward he shud goto ronaldo,where was all d striker in d world b4 ronaldo keep banging d ball into d net.
I think Scholes will win midfielder of the year,his accurate passing was 91%,and only Fabregas made more passes than him,but Fabregas accurate passing was 81%.
I think Fabregas deserves is…aside from the fact I am an Arsenal fan. No one can deny he is teh heart and sole of Arsenal’s smooth style of play. He changes games (not only by goals and assists, but he makes everyone around him play better) in an instant and easily was the most valueable midfielder during the tournament.
Rio takes the defense….but you don’t win awards for coming in 2nd. Man United played far harder opponents in Barcelona than Chelsea did in Liverpool to make it into the finals.