So its time, we face the final curtain. Chelsea inched closer to
the Premier League title over the weekend with a win against
Liverpool, and know that a win against Wigan next Weekend will see
them crowned Champions (albeit with the lowest title winning score
in years).
So it seems a good time to look back on the season and hand out
some entirely fictional, and at times arbitrary awards to the good
bad and ugly of a Premier League season that has seen the big four
get competitive, a top tier side go into administration and an
English side in a European Final.
Best Player: Wayne Rooney
Other candidates: Didier Drogba, Carlos Tevez, Cesc Fabregas
Rooney has been a class above all season. At the start of the year
we wondered how much of a void Ronaldo would leave as he finally
flew over to Madrid, but Rooney has made sure the void has been
minimilised by stepping up his goal count and influence on the
team. When Ronaldo was playing he sometimes drifted out wide and
backwards in search of the ball, but this season he has been
sublime as United’s premier goal-getter, which has been vital as
Berbatov has refused to step up and Owen has been a shadow of his
previous self.
Team of the Year: Fulham
Other candidates: Birmingham, Chelsea, Man United
At the start of the season it would have been a struggle to
imagine that Fulham would have been the Premier League’s
representative in a European Final, and its kudos to the continues
rejuvination of Fulham that they are. They’ve had some absolutely
fantastic moments on the way and fully deserve their big day in the
sun.
Manager of the Year: Roy Hodgson
Other Candidates: Carlo Ancelotti, Alex McLeish, Alex Ferguson
Go back a couple of years. Fulham were going to be relegated.
They bought in Hodgson in an emergency move to try and save the
club. Somehow they survived. 12 Months Later they finished in a
Europa League spot. 12 months later they are in the final of the
Europa League. He’s amazing.
Biggest Dissapointment of the Season:
Liverpool
Other Candidates: No relegation battle, Arsenal’s title run,
Portsmouth
Liverpool, you confuse me. Before last season I thought you
might fall out of the top four, and what did you do? Finish 2nd,
losing out on a title that you should have won. This season I
predicted that’d inspire you on to a good title run. And you’re
just about in the Europa League.
The Newcastle United Carcrash Award:
Portsmouth
Portsmouth. I predicted that despite a tough start to the
season, they’d be saved in January by some monied madman and bring
to club just out of the relegation zone. But they were far too
mismanaged for that and slumped instead into administration.
And yet they still made it to the FA Cup final. God I love
football.
The Henrik Larsson award for brilliant cameo:
Landon Donovan
Could he cut it, we asked, when he signed for Everton in a
David-Beckham-esque mid-season move. Yes he could came the
resounding answer. So much so that Everton were desperate to keep
hold of him beyond the agreed loan. He made America a much scarier
opposition at the World Cup if nothing else.
The Shevchenko Award for Big Signing Who Never
Plays: Alberto Aquilani
I’m sure he plays football, I seem remember him at Roma. Maybe
i’m imagining things though.
The Most Bizarre Story of the Season: Sol
Campbell
He started the season signing for Notts County (then under the
wing of Sven), before leaving promptly and playing half a season at
Arsenal instead. None of these things seemed very likely at all a
year ago.
The PFA manager of the year is not in your list: Harry
Redknapp.
No one would have believed that he can guide Spurs to the
champions league, not even the fans themselves.
