In football, the most important awards in the dressing room are the ones that your fellow professionals give to you. As the annual Professional Football Players awards were announced on Sunday night, it was prize giving day all over again:
DeGea – Ivanovich, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand – Sanchez, Matic, Coutinho, Hazard – Costa, Kane
Chelsea 6 – United, Southampton, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham 1.
So what? Is the pendulum swinging back to the bridge as we begin to see another era of Chelsea domination or is this just a flash in the pan as teams begin to prepare for Chelsea next season?
Not since Manchester United in 2000/01, 2006/07, 2008/09 and Arsenal 2003/04 has any team so dominated the PFA team of the year since the 90s.
So what? Every team that has dominated the PFA awards have either gone on to become a special team or had done something special.
In 2006/7 United had a record number of 8 players in the Team of the year, but that year they won the Premiership, league cup and went on to also win the UEFA Champions league. Arsenal’s dominance was in the year they won the Premier League unbeaten, sandwiched in between two FA cup years.
So what? The Professionals know what they’re saying, and are the experts when picking the best players and the best teams. They play each other week in, week out and are the best analysts and experts when it comes to the beautiful game, and by the way, you cannot vote for any of your team mates as well.
How I wish Sergio Aguero was also named in that team, and how I wish Cesc Fabregas made it too.
With 22 goals and 22 assists between the two of them, I somehow think they should have found their way into that team, but then the ‘experts’ know better, they play each other each three or seven days and they know why they picked some and did not pick some others.
The Premiership is not won yet, but unless there are a dozen first team injuries and suspensions, Chelsea have just a few steps to trod, before they claim another Premiership this season.
No team has won the number of games that Chelsea FC have managed thus far, and they have conceded the least number of goals by any team this season in the top flight. Only Manchester City scored more goals than them this season.
What makes it so special is the fierce competition we have seen from Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool this season. No other season has been as competitive as this one, and to think Chelsea led from the 2nd week of the season to the end (if they win the title) is a remarkable achievement. Just as Mourinho raised the bar in 2004 and 2005 season, the bars have been raised again, and it’s ‘catch me if you can’ siren blasting all over the stadia now as teams begin to prepare for next season.
Full marks to Jose Mourinho for turning around a team that was going nowhere two seasons ago, and building a team around a John Terry that was ‘supposedly’ finished according to Rafa Benitez. After numerous surgical operations that saw the back of Essien, Shurrle, Mata, DeBruyne, Torres, Lukaku etc and brought the Fabregas, Courtois, a new Terry, Matic, Costa, Willian…. this Chelsea team could go on to dominate the Premiership and even Europe with a couple of more surgeries in front, in the middle and on the flanks. With the FFP (Financial Fair Play) regulations, I am curious to see how Mourinho plans to raise money for his next foray into the transfer market, and for the sake of the Premiership I hope he does it precisely as he did last season as well, so that an English team can stand tall and compete in Europe among the best next season.
In recent years, that Manchester City team was the obvious choice for that dominance, but they never quite went on to turn their excellence into dominance the way that Alex Ferguson did at Manchester United. After a very poor season, the signs are ominous at the Etihad, another disastrous run in Europe and an empty basket in the market of English competitions could well signal the end of Pellegrini at the Etihad.
HAZARD AND HARRY TAKE THE INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
Two fantastic footballers took the individual prizes of Player of the year and Young player of the year.
It is ironic that last season, Eden Hazard was voted the young player of the year and he has progressed to go on and win the player of the year this season.
Eden has been named in the PFA Team of the season for the past two years by his fellow professionals and this season is the third consecutive he would be in the team.
Well done to Eden, and I hope he continues to concentrate on his football and win collective trophies, anyway in Jose Mourinho, you can be assured he has an excellent School head teacher
Harry Kane has been a breath of fresh air this season. He is no longer Harry now, but Harry the special player who would be singled out for scrutiny by the opposition next season. The big test comes in the next eight months: can he cope with the pressure? Would he balance his football with his social life? Would he cope with the media scrutiny, critics and club demands? Can this Tottenham team lift him to the pinnacle of his football career or would we see him switch from the whites to another area of London? Manchester? Europe? Time would tell, but it has been a fantastic year for a home grown talent. Well done Harry.
LEICESTER KEEP THE BETS OPEN
Just as the betting companies were about to start paying out on Leicester relegation, the lights come on at the King Power stadium and they win four in a row! Two of the wins away at fellow relegation battlers!
What happened? Did someone just show the players that clause in their contracts which said that their wages would be slashed by over 50% if the team got relegated?
Did some of them just realise the clause that says that they would not be jumping ship to another Premiership team if they got relegated?
Perhaps someone just showed them the bonus they would receive if the club stayed up in the Premiership?
Footballers!! Whatever it is, it has worked and it is working. They are out of the seats they sat comfortably in for the whole season as they picked up 12 points out of a possible 12!
Chelsea FC is next at the Power stadium and I know they’re up for it. The adrenaline, the ‘we have nothing to lose feeling’ and the ‘buzz’ that has been created at the King Power stadium means Wednesday’s fixture promises to be an exciting one. Can they stop Roman’s army and put the celebrations on hold?