PFA Player & Young Player of the Year 2013

[stokeriño]

The nominations are in:

PFA Player of the Year Award

Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Juan Mata (Chelsea)

Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

PFA Young Player of the Year Award

Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)

Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Without actually making a single pick, I can make the following comments:

- Welbeck and Wilshere should be immediately discounted from the YPOTY list.

- Nominating the same player on both lists is still stupid, and now we have two of them. Whoopie.

- On a purely Chelsea basis, Hazard should not win ahead of Mata.

Personally, I'm trimmed down the POTY list to Bale, Mata and Suarez, and the YPOTY list to Benteke, Hazard and Lukaku. Note that I refuse to pick the same person for both awards, hence only picking Bale in the POTY.

The floor, as ever, is open.

[Lineker]

Carrick just for the lulz.

[stokeriño]

Carrick because of this.

[Gazz]

James Perch and James Perch

[Summers]

Michu being snubbed, hm.

Benteke should win Younguns.

[Gazz]

Is it just me or has Danny Welbeck never done anything to warrant his award nominations / international caps?

[Nerf]

In seriousness, I can't look past Suarez for POTY. Bale and RVP would be his biggest rivals, but, for me, their form has been too patchy. Suarez has been consistently excellent and not got the plaudits he's deserved. It's shocking that he hasn't even won a monthly award, despite probably being far and away the best player in the league most months. I would totally understand why if he doesn't pick up the award, but it really sucks if he misses out because he's a cunt. As cliched as it is, it shouldn't be a popularity contest. He's been the best player this year. I would also understand if people that don't watch Liverpool regularly (and why would you?) disagree with that.

Kinda torn on the YPOTY. I feel like Bale deserves an award, but he's kind of outgrown this one. It should go to either Benteke or Hazard, in my book.

And yeah, Michu not even being nominated is ass backwards.

[stokeriño]

Is it just me or has Danny Welbeck never done anything to warrant his award nominations / international caps?

Don't be silly. Of course he has:

[Pesci]

That's actually a much more reflective list than usual. You could probably argue Michu instead of Hazard, but yeah, looks good. Nice to see a player of Carrick's ilk nominated after Alonso was snubbed in 08/09 despite being flawless all season.

I think Suarez should win it hands down, of course. He's had his patches of bad form but others have arguably had longer patches of bad form - maybe not Mata but I don't think he's been as good as Suarez overall, and Suarez has been doing it in a shite team as well.

The Young Player list looks like bullshit, as always. In the modern game I doubt the wisdom of a 23 year-old like Bale who's been around for many seasons (and so obviously has the award in the bag) being nominated. It should be for players under 21 playing 20 games in the league for the first season, or something. Going by the name of the award alone I'd give it to Lukaku, though I couldn't begrudge Benteke winning something.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Pesci

[METALMAN]

They will feel pretty silly if bobby Zamora scores 25 goals in the remaining fixtures.

[Nerf]

Is it just me or has Danny Welbeck never done anything to warrant his award nominations / international caps?

He runs around sometimes!

That is literally the only thing I've ever seen him do.

[stokeriño]

I do love how BBC Sport's headline story isn't "POTY nominations announced" or anything similar, but is instead specifically "CARRICK ON PLAYER OF THE YEAR LIST". Just in case there was any doubt about the reaction of whaaaaaaaat this fact inspires in everyone.

[Pesci]

Oh actually, Nastasic not being nominated for the Young Player award is buillshit. For a 19 year old to slot so effortlessly in the league champions' defence and go largely unnoticed all season deserves some recognition.

[METALMAN]

He should be recongmised for being unnoticed?

Then he will no longer be unnoticed. :/

[Pesci]

Unnoticed as in he hasn't made the errors that people only ever really notice centre backs for :/

:/

[METALMAN]

But you can't recognise someone if they are unnoticed. It's a paradox!

[Pesci]

I guess that's why he's not been nominated

[stokeriño]

Random things I did not expect from the Opta stats:

* Eden Hazard wins 4 out of every 5 tackles he attempts.

* Juan Mata scores 1 in every 4 shots he takes.

I have no real expectations of non-Chelsea players due to not having watched them closely enough.

[Matt]

Is it just me or has Danny Welbeck never done anything to warrant his award nominations / international caps?

I said this last time the England squad came out... apparently he puts a lot of hard work in. I mean, for £60k a week, I'd run around a lot too.

Well that and...

Don't be silly. Of course he has:

[Ant]

Mata has been consistently Chelseas best player all season (last too)

And Benteke because he has (hopefully) kept up an entire club all on his own. Welbeck is incredibly overrated.