Knowledge Is King!

PFA Award Winners

I was having a hectic period last week. There’re so many things I would like to blog but hardly can find the time. Let’s start with Manchester United related one

Previously, I was blogging about Manchester United Domination in PFA Nomination. Let’s take a look at the winners now!

Ryan Giggs had won the PFA’s gong first time in his glittering career. Whilst, Ashley Young has scooped the Young Player Award. Giggs were very delighted for the recognition from his fellow footballers.

Some of the football fans from other clubs commented the following:

Khalid Sodha (Liverpool fan)
No doubt he is a legend and am very surpirsed that this his very first PFA award. A great professional and have always liked him and Scholes as they have always kept quiet and got on with football rather than getting involved in football politics. Well done Ryan.

Matt Ferriday (Cardiff City fan)
About time, well deserved, most undervalued player the premiership has seen. Had he been English the press would have lapped him up. best British player since George Best. Arise Sir Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs should be really proud of himself for receiving such positive comments from rivals fans. . I recalled that in Sir Alex Ferguson’s books (Managing My Life: The Autobiography), he mentioned that he was once broke into Giggs sex party at the latter’s house and scolded him with something like the following:

“If you want to have a good and long professional footballer life, this is the last thing you want to do. You need to take good care of your body!!”. I think this serve as a good wake up call for Giggs and now he is still playing at the highest level at the age of 35.

Now, let’s take a look at the PFA team of the year:

Edwin Van Der Sar – Manchester United

Having broken the English clean sheet record in January, Van der Sar went on to claim the European record for the most number of minutes without conceding a goal, and he has without doubt been the Premier League’s most consistent keeper this season.

Glen Johnson – Portsmouth

The Pompey right-back has had an outstanding season in a team that has been struggling to keep their heads above water and his form led to him being recalled to the England squad by Fabio Capello. His stunning strike against Hull in November is a contender for Goal of the Season.

Patrice Evra – Manchester United

The French international has been a major player for United this season, not just for his impressive defending, but for his raiding runs down the left flank. Had a tough start to his United career but has seen off the likes of Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre to become first choice left-back.

Rio Ferdinand – Manchester United

Ferdinand’s partnership with Nemanja Vidic at the heart of United’s defence held the key to the club’s long run without conceding a goal, and the champions certainly missed his calm assuredness when his impeccable season was interrupted by injury recently. Grows in stature with every year.

Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United

The Serbian international looked a bit raw when he first stepped into the United side but, in the words of PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor, he is now a ‘polished diamond’. An uncompromising centre back, he has added class to his make-up and looks the real deal alongside Rio.

Ashley Young – Aston Villa

Martin O’Neill will be delighted that one of the ‘jewels in the Villa’ crown has made the Premier League Team of the Year – and there might have been more. Young has had another terrific season and continues to develop. When he’s at full tilt, he’s virtually unplayable.

Steven Gerrard – Liverpool

A Players’ Player of the Year nominee, the talismanic skipper’s return to his pristine best after injury setbacks proved to be the catalyst for Liverpool’s surge towards titles at home and abroad in the last third of the season. ‘Best in the world’, says Zidane – who would argue with that?

Ryan Giggs – Manchester United

Still flying up and down the wing with the enthusiasm, fitness and desire of a teenager and loving every minute of his twilight years. Such has been his importance to United this year he has been rewarded with a new contract – and has become a more than justified winner of this award. Not before time.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United

After last season’s amazing 40-odd goal campaign, topping that this time around was always going to be difficult, nigh on impossible. But after an injury-hampered start to the season he re-discovered his finest form and, despite missing games, still has more than 20 goals to his credit.

Nicolas Anelka – Chelsea

He recently said he played his ‘best football at Liverpool’ but in terms of goals and overall contribution to the team this has to go down as his best season in English football. He’s on course for a 20-goal haul, and being allowed to play more often in his favoured central position has paid dividends.

Fernando Torres – Liverpool

Injuries and a possible backlash from his exertions in Spain’s successful Euro 2008 campaign, meant we had to wait a while to see the Fernando Torres who burst onto the Premier League scene in sensational style last season. He’s back to his brilliant best and scoring stunning goals once more, like the one against Blackburn earlier this month.

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