[Football] PFA awards list

[Rappy Veteran]

Steven Gerrard is the only non-Manchester United player in the running for the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award.

The Liverpool captain is joined on the shortlist by United's Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Edwin van der Sar.

Jonny Evans and Rafael Da Silva are nominees for the young player award.

Also in contention with the United pair are Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Aaron Lennon and Stephen Ireland.

Defender Vidic is favourite to lift the trophy at London's Grosvenor House on 26 April.

Voting took place before United's recent dip in form, perhaps explaining why the list of contenders is dominated by players from Sir Alex Ferguson's team.

But Gerrard could benefit from a split vote for United players as David Ginola did during their 1999 treble-winning season - an outcome that annoyed Ferguson.

Giggs has never won the award, whereas Ronaldo could become the first player to win it three years in a row.

After a superb season for Manchester City, Ireland is favourite to succeed Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas as the country's top youngster.

Agbonlahor and Young have both impressed for Aston Villa, while Tottenham winger Lennon has also caught the eye.

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[Subject Delta]

Kinda lame that it is always dominated by united players. Personally I don't think Ronaldo deserves it this time, he has been average this season.

Personally I would like to see Gerrard get it, its about time IMO that he had some kind of official recognition

[nothuman]

It will be Gerrard, there is almost no doubt. Even I think he deserves it.

But the league isn't over yet and everything can change.

[Martyn]

Xabi Alonso deserves a place on that list.

Vidic and Giggs deserve to be on the list in my opinion, but what do other Man Utd fans think of VDS, Ferdinand and Ronaldo being nominated?

[Subject Delta]

For me, VDS is a good keeper, but I feel personally that Ferdinand has been a little bitty this season. And yeah, Alonso is one of the more underrated parts of Liverpool but I feel he shows his worth when Gerrard is out (sometimes I feel Gerrard's brilliance can overshadow what Alonso puts in at times).

[Shycho]

VDS and Rio nominated for smashing the clean sheet record in the premier league, don't think any premier league GK deserves to be nominated the way they've played this year.

Kinda lame that it is always dominated by united players. Personally I don't think Ronaldo deserves it this time, he has been average this season.

Personally I would like to see Gerrard get it, its about time IMO that he had some kind of official recognition

Ronaldos been average by his standards, teams are still forced to kick him out of the game, and he's still at the top half of every goal scoring chart this season. Surprised Gerrard was nominated over Torres.

[Subject Delta]

Not quiet, Anelka is still the prem's top scorer.

[Rappy Veteran]

RYAN GIGGS was tonight named PFA Player of the Year - while Wayne Rooney failed to even make the Premier League select XI.

Wales midfielder Giggs, 35, pipped four Manchester United rivals and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard - despite starting only 12 league games this term.

Giggs - chasing Quadruple glory for United - said: ?I won two Young Player awards but this one is the big one.

"It?s arguably the best individual award you can get because it is voted for by your fellow players."

The winger-turned-playmaker added: ?It is an exciting season. It?s going down to the wire and it is big game after big game and that?s what you want at a club like United.

?A lot of credit must go to Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been a massive influence in my career. I first met him when I was 13 and our relationship is brilliant.?

Aston Villa's England winger Ashley Young landed the Young Player of the Year award.

But United had six players in the team selection - four defenders, plus Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rooney, though, lost out up front to Nicolas Anelka and FernPremier League team of the year: the year: Edwin Van der Sar, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres

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[Subject Delta]

Another united player wins it, what a surprise there. Could be argued that he may have deserved it some other years in his career, but I haven't seen what he's done thats so special this year

[nothuman]

He should have win it before. But he deserves it for what he does this season.

[Subject Delta]

What exactly has he done this season then? I haven't seen anything that has made me sit up and go "wow". Especially not when Gerrard and Vidic for me where stronger candidates

[Rappy Veteran]

The only people who really know the answer are the players who have voted for him.

[Martyn]

Giggs has made 12 starts and scored 1 goal.

The vosts were cast in February, just after Giggs scored that cracking goal ;)

As much as I like the fella, him winning it has turned this award into a bit of a farce, this is more like a 'Lifetime Achievement Award'.

[Kralik]

John Barnes, the former Liverpool and England star, and Tony Cascarino, the ex-Republc of Ireland striker, are pundits for the New Football Pools - and independently they told Goal.com that the wrong person won the PFA Awards earlier this week...

John Barnes told us:

"The PFA Awards were handed out this week and I was surprised to see that Ryan Giggs had won the Player of the Year award. Now don?t get me wrong, Ryan is a great ambassador for the game, a great player and a nice guy too, and I think what he?s achieved deserves to be recognised. However, this is an award judged on the performance of this season and for me, Steven Gerrard should have won it.

"In reality Steven has been the best player in the Premier League this season and deserved the award. He continues to drive Liverpool forward year-on-year and while Giggs has performed well, he has only made 12 Premier League starts for United which suggests he is not even first choice at Old Trafford.

"I can?t say I agree with the decision but good luck to Ryan for winning the award. It?s just a shame after so many great seasons at Old Trafford that he?s won it in a year when he?s not played more of a key role for Manchester United."

Tony Cascarino was even more forthright on the same topic...

"The fact that Ryan Giggs has won the PFA Player of the Year award is absolute nonsense in my opinion. I?ve nothing against Ryan who has been a fantastic advocate for the game and his club but he has won purely on a sentiment vote.

"Giggs has made less Premier League starts than in any of his previous seasons barring his debut season and scored just once in the league yet wins the award. How does that make sense?

"Let?s be brutally honest, Steven Gerrard has been 10 times better than Giggs this season. Apart from one poor game against Chelsea in the Champions League he has been great this season.

"Steven has made 26 league starts and scored 13 goals in a great season for him personally. In fact, I?d put players who weren?t even in the nominations higher than Giggs this season. His team-mate Wayne Rooney has been good as has Frank Lampard who has continued to score from midfield. Therefore, this award must go down as a sentiment vote which totally devalues the award.

"Even in my playing days I always regarded these awards as a bit of nonsense, basically because players tend to vote stupidly. They go for names of players they rate rather than people that have played well over the course of the season. Just look at this year?s team of the year. Take into account the votes are made in January and that Fernando Torres is in the side. Now don?t get me wrong Torres is a top, top striker but he has missed a lot of the season and only scored seven league goals by the end of January. He has only been at his best in the last few months so you have to take these votes into context.

"Edwin van der Sar was a nominee for the overall award as well as named in the team of the year which I don?t agree with. For me, the Dutchman can?t kick a ball properly and tends to shank it all over the place. He is certainly not in the same class as the likes of Peter Schmeichel and David Seaman. If you had to pick a keeper I?d have gone for Aston Villa?s Brad Friedel or Liverpool?s Jose Reina who have both performed really well.

"Votes should be cast at the end of the season which would help improve the awards, but while players pick other players they like rather than those who deserve it, these strange decisions will continue."

John Barnes and Tony Cascarino for Goal.com

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial...decry-pfa-award