Monday, April 18, 2011

PFA Teams Of The Year 2010/11


Premier League:

Van Der Sar (Man Utd), Sagna (Arsenal), Cole (Chelsea), Vidic (Man Utd), Kompany (Man City), Nani (Man Utd), Nasri (Arsenal), Wilshere (Arsenal), Bale (Tottenham), Tevez (Man City), Berbatov (Man Utd).

Championship:

Kenny (QPR), Naughton (Leicester), Harte (Reading), Williams (Swansea), Morgan (Nottm Forest), Taarabt (QPR), Sinclair (Swansea), King (Leicester), Hoolahan (Norwich), Graham (Watford), Holt (Norwich).

League One:

Davis (Southampton), Calderon (Brighton), Harding (Southampton), Greer (Brighton), Fonte (Southampton), Pilkington (Huddersfield), Bennett (Brighton), Lallana (Southampton), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton), Mackail-Smith (Peterborough), Wright-Phillips (Charlton).

League Two:

Lee (Chesterfield), Batt (Oxford), Skarz (Bury), Sharps (Shrewsbury), Branston (Torquay), Whitaker (Chesterfield), Ainsworth (Wycombe), Ryan (Accrington), Lowe (Bury), Law (Rotherham), Davies (Chesterfield).

Congratulations to all those players selected by their fellow professionals in the 'teams of the year' for the their respective leagues.
From what I understand the players are asked to submit their nominations in the early part of the calender year, some three months or so before the results are revealed - a strange arrangement but none the less that is how it works!

I would like to open up a debate on the players selected in the 'team of the year' for the Premier League.

In the Premier League I find it hard to understand how Blackpool's Charlie Adam, Scott Parker of West Ham and Tottenham's Rafael van der Vaart (right), failed to make the 'team of the year' despite all being nominated for the title of 'PFA Player of the Year' by the Professional Footballers' Association.

Has any player ever made the step up from Championship level to the Premier League look easier? Certainly Charlie Adam has made a mockery of the theory England's top flight is the toughest to crack in the world after taking to it like a duck to water. Nine Premier League goals would be a fine return for any midfielder, never mind one from a side embroiled in a relegation battle, but that is exactly what the Scot has achieved. Few if any possess a better range of passing than the former Rangers man, who also takes a deadly set-piece.

Should Avram Grant's West Ham team win their survival battle and stay afloat then no one will have had a greater impact than their talismanic midfielder Scott Parker.

Rafael van der Vaart, the 2003 European Young Player of the Year made a cracking start to his first season in the Premier League, but injury has restricted him to just 22 league appearances so far, although he has still managed to rattle in 10 goals and 6 assists to his name in that time. At £8m from Real Madrid on the final day of the August transfer window, Van der Vaart probably represents the 'value buy' of the season by Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp.

Kevin Nolan I personally think has had a wonderful season for Newcastle and deserves a mention, if not a place in the 'team of the year.'

In my opinion Everton's England international Leighton Baines (right) has had a truly outstanding season, and it seems tough on the lad that he did not make the 'team of the year' ahead of either Ashley Cole or Bacary Sagna.

Other defensive players who deserve a mention include Stoke's Robert Huth and Birmingham Roger Johnson. Both have had terrific seasons in leading their clubs to domestic cup finals.

I think Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov were deserved winners of the strikers berths. Of Tevez's 19 league goals this season, six have been winners – the highest in the top division. With a further six assists, the Argentinian has either scored or made more goals than anyone else. Bulgarian Berbatov's 22 goals so far this season make him the outright leading goalscorer.

Of the other strikers in the Premier League West Brom's Peter Odemwingie (right), the Russian born Nigerian has made a significant contribution, including 12 goals in his first season in the top flight, that has almost certainly helped The Baggies cement their place in the Premier League for another season.

Manchester United's Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has chipped in with a goal every other game for The Reds this season, and at just 22 years of age he looks like the he will only blossom further under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Aston Villa's Darren Bent and Liverpool's Andy Carroll will each be looking for 'big' seasons next term, following their big money moves this season from Sunderland and Newcastle respectively.

Finally, many congratulations to Gareth Bale (right), who was last night voted the 'Player of the Year' by the Professional Footballers' Association.
The 21-year-old, who has scored 11 goals in 36 club games this season, has proved to be without doubt the single most exciting player of the season. No one has thrilled us more this season than the pacey Welsh wing wizard.

Recent Previous Winners of the PFA Player of the Year:

2009/2010: Wayne Rooney
2008/2009: Ryan Giggs
2007/2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
2006/2007: Cristiano Ronaldo
2005/2006: Steven Gerrard
2004/2005: John Terry
2003/2004: Thierry Henry
2002/2003: Thierry Henry
2001/2002: Ruud van Nistelrooy
2000/2001: Teddy Sheringham
1999/2000: Roy Keane

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