The PFA
team of the year has been going since 1974 and is the PFA's way of recognizing
the stellar performers over the season, it is often a point of debate where
players are excluded despite having notably their best seasons but
unfortunately obviously players have done better than them! In this post I will
be going through the players who were included, why, and who else could have
taken their place.
In goal
there was probably no other outstanding candidate than Joe Hart, he fended off
(easily, in my opinion) competition from Swansea newcomer Michel Vorm and a
late bid from Norwich 'keeper John Ruddy. Hart has been a mainstay in Man
City's push for the title this season with 17 clean sheets in 37 games so far
which is the highest in the league and he is more than likely going to get the
golden glove award for the second season in a row. Swansea goalkeeper Michel
Vorm, who like his club, has had a taste of his first season in the Premiership
and has taken it in his stride with relative ease. He was a relative unknown
until Swansea signed him and he ably took on the challenge, despite conceding
four in his first match against Man City he made many saves which stopped the
result being a probable cricket score, with 13 clean sheets in his (and his
club's) first season in the Premiership he has been a rock between the sticks
for Swansea with his cat-like reflexes and ability to command his defence which
is always what a defence want from a goalkeeper. In my opinion Joe Hart was the
right choice as goalkeeper in team of the year.
Left-back
was a difficult one this year and I would have probably opted for Gael Clichy,
who has improved immensely in a rock-solid City back four since his move from
Arsenal last summer or Manchester United captain Patrice Evra who has had a
typically reliable figure at the back for Manchester United this season. The
place went to Everton left-back Leighton Baines who has been an excellent
player for the blue team of Merseyside since he joined from Wigan in 2007 and
has always been consistent in defence as well as attack, he is also capable of
racking up assists and goals through his wand of a left foot as he is a
dangerous threat from set-pieces, grabbing four goals and two assists this
season. Gael Clichy was always a player with huge potential at Arsenal, with
lightning pace and the engine to run all day long he is an outstanding athlete
but sometimes lacked the defensive positioning and capabilities to be a
trustworthy defender. This season he has improved the defensive side of his game
alongside the likes of Kompany and Lescott who have given him the stability and
confidence he needed to perhaps fulfill his potential. Patrice Evra came
through his ordeal with Luis Suarez with his head held high and despite Man
United's grip on the title slipping recently he has been the consistent
performer for them at the back, he always plays with full desire and energy and
is reliable defensively and offensively through making penetrating overlapping
runs and his reliability has been rewarded through being given the stand-in
captaincy while Nemanja Vidic recovers from injury.
Centre
back slots were given to Vincent Kompany (a choice which I have no qualm's
with) and Newcastle's best haircut holder Fabricio Coloccini. Vincent
Kompany has been a rock at the heart of the City defence, he was a surprise
exclusion from the player of the year nomination category and City seemed to
lose stability whenever he wasn't on the pitch. He was missing for a while
through injury and it seems to be no surprise to me that the period of time he
was missing was City's roughest patch of the season where their title challenge
faltered and wavered. Any match I've watched this season with Kompany involved
he has been the stand-out defender with excellent defensive tackles and blocks
and he barely ever loses a header. On the face of it, Fabricio Coloccini looks
like a surprise inclusion to the PFA team of the year but if you delve deeply
into it Coloccini is actually a pretty stable addition, the man with the afro
bonce has stepped up as Newcastle captain and despite not having his regular
partner Steven Taylor, he has marshaled his defence and taught his deputy Mike
Williamson excellently, so excellently in fact that Mike Williamson has become
a good performer at the back for Newcastle. The only other candidate I can see
for centre-back would have been Tottenham rock Younes Kaboul who has been one
of the most improved defenders in the league over the past few years.
The
right-back spot seemed an inevitability when Kyle Walker was named PFA young
player of the year and after grabbing his crown there can be no arguments of
his addition in his position. He has been one of the reasons for me that the
Tottenham team has looked better as a whole this season with his athleticism and
raw pace and power down the right, adding this to his defensive ability and
bombarding runs forward which often create chances you have a formula which
creates a quality modern day right-back. He has been rewarded recently with a
new contract and he celebrated this with his second goal of the season which
was an outstandingly struck free-kick in the 2 - 0 win against relegated
Blackburn which was his second goal of the season. The only other candidate I
see who could have possibly taken this from Walker was Manchester City
right-back Micah Richards who has had a good season with some dominant
appearances and being named stand-in captain when Kompany was absent through
injury or suspension.
The
winger spots went to both Gareth Bale and David Silva, these don't come as a
surprise to me as both of them were nominations for PFA player of the year.
Bale has had another outstanding season for Tottenham and despite looking off
the rails in recent weeks his early and mid-season form were brilliant and his
9 goals this season, countless assists and electric performances on left-wing
were a huge factor behind Spurs push for Europe and their brand of football
being touted as one of the best in England. David Silva's inclusion is
justified through him being the most vital component in Man City's forward
line, he has racked up 6 goals and 14 assists in 32 appearances and despite his
mid-season slump is still one of Man City's most influential players going
forward. Other candidates for the wings could have been Man United wingers
Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young who have had good seasons, especially Young
who has made the step up from Aston Villa to Manchester United admirably. Also
Chelsea's mini Spanish winger Juan Mata who has been one of the signings of the
season and also probably being Chelsea's best player this year, grabbing 6
goals and 13 assists so far this season, certainly being their most
consistently influential player going forward this season.
Centre
midfield spots went to Yaya Toure and Scott Parker, Scott Parker's inclusion
was made after his nomination for PFA player of the year and despite not having
any goals or assists, his first season in the heart of Spurs midfield has seen
his performances be rewarded with the England captaincy against Holland (a game
in which he shone) and his performances have improved since his move from West
Ham, I think this is due to him having better players around him (no disrespect
to West Ham) and that is saying something because during his final season at
West Ham his performances and attitude were rewarded with the Football Writer's
Association Award. Yaya Toure has been the other midfield dynamo for Man City
and is another surprise exclusion from the PFA player of the year award
nominees after his dominant performances in midfield for City, his presence was
missed in January/February when he was away at the African Cup of Nations with
Ivory Coast and that was another reason for Man City's dip in form during that
time. He is a sheer man-mountain in the midfield for Man City and his
box-to-box midfield style as well as his dominating 6"4 frame (he is what
we call "a fridge with legs") he has helped City's title challenge
with 6 goals, most importantly grabbing a brace in the 2 - 0 win against
Newcastle which has more than likely handed City the title, he was also
rewarded with the African Player of the Year at the end of 2011 which was an
achievement for a midfielder as the crown has only ever been won by forwards.
The other candidate for the midfield spot were Clint Dempsey, who could maybe
have taken the place of Scott Parker if he had been playing for a bigger club
after grabbing 17 goals in the league and becoming the first American to score
50 goals in the Premiership.
Do you think the choices for PFA team of the year were right?
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