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With the PFA Player of the Year, or POTY, nominations being announced, a lot has been told about the players who might end up picking up the award at the annual gala ceremony. 2 players from Manchester United and Chelsea are joined by players from Liverpool and Tottenham this year.
Let’s have a look at those who have been considered for this prestigious award, in alphabetical order.
Eden Hazard
One of the most hyped transfers the English Premier League has seen. Considering that this year is his debut season, Eden Hazard’s been quite impressive for Chelsea, both domestically and in Europe. 30 million pounds were thrown out for him and at the age of 22, people expect him to become much better. He has 9 goals and 9 assists to his name in the Premier League with 3 more in domestic cups.
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His turn of pace, acceleration and trickery have caught the eye of the Chelsea faithful who were in desperate need of someone who could do that. Gone are the days when Robben and Duff would weave their magic on the wings. Hazard could emulate the kind of role the wingers played in Chelsea’s success.
However, one problem the Belgian has faced this season is his consistency. He started off brightly, breaking records here and there. As the season dragged on, Hazard lost his shine and Chelsea began to plummet. Though he somewhat regained his form, this inconsistency could rule him out of the POTY and put him in as a serious contender for Young POTY.
Gareth Bale
A late goal by the Welshman against Norwich at the end of January rescued Tottenham a point to take back home. Since that day, he has netted 11 times in just 720 minutes. With 17 goals to his name in the EPL, he’s just short by five from the top of the goal-scoring charts. There was a time when his ex manager wanted to exchange him and 5 million pounds to sign Downing, but Bale has literally proved everyone who has ever doubted him wrong.
With the loss of players like Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart, Tottenham needed a hero and the Welshman stepped up in dramatic fashion for his Portuguese manager. With other new recruits by his side, Tottenham were turning their fortunes around and challenging for a Champions League spot. It took just a run of few games for the English media to fall in love with him and christen him the ‘Welsh Ronaldo’.
Problem with him however is that he had a very quiet start to the season. 9 goals in the first 19 games would have easily ruled him out of a chance of winning this year’s award. This, combined with his reputation for diving and simulation, might just push him further away from the podium on the 28th of April.
Juan Mata
The Chelsea faithful never thought they would ever see someone like Gianfranco Zola again. Then Andre Villas Boas signed the Spaniard from Valencia for 28 million pounds, and Chelsea’s romance with beautiful football was rekindled. Without him, Chelsea would have had a much more embarrassing season than they have endured so far.
His touch is by far one of the best you could see. Small, quick and skilful – all packed together in 1.74 meters. As of now, he leads the Premier League table of assists, and could add more before the season ends. Chelsea’s reliance on the Spaniard has stretched from notching important goals and assists and helping Fernando Torres regain his scoring form.
Play-makers usually weave their magic and create opportunities, but in comparison to the other nominations, Mata is lacking in the goals department. While most of the nominees are well cemented at the top spots of the goal-scoring list, Mata balances this with his number of assists. Moreover Chelsea seem to suffer when he isn’t playing extraordinarily.
Luis Suarez
Whatever you might think of him, you can’t deny what he does on the pitch. With immense versatility and capable of playing in the No.10 and No.9 role, the Uruguayan has garnered the reputation of being a poacher, one who makes sure that a 50-50 chance ends up in the back of the net.
As seen against Chelsea, he scored the goal that gave Liverpool a very important point. He can turn matches around in a split second, something Liverpool survive on. His ability to create and score has made sure that Brendan Rodgers always has a plan B. With 23 goals scored and 5 assists to his name, Suarez ends up as one of the favourites to pick up the award on the 28th.
Once again, there’s always a bad side to the nominees. Suarez’s reputation is one of the worst in the Premier League. From simulation to scandals, he’s done it all. His recent appetite also includes a certain Serbian, something the PFA might think twice about.
Michael Carrick
“It’s hard to believe it’s not Scholes, it’s Carrick, you know “ serenaded the United away section at Loftus road. Though he might not be as loved as the Ginger Prince, Carrick has turned into a favourite for football-watching neutrals. At the age of 31, he’s playing at his peak and the nomination for this award has been longtime coming.
He is arguably the best passer in the league. He has tremendous vision to increase or decrease the width of play. Apart from that, his defensive contributions to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have turned him into an instant favourite at Old Trafford. He has been one of the biggest reasons why United have been able to churn out results at the business end of the season.
Why he doesn’t stand a fair chance in winning this award? He does not score. We live in a world where the quote – “Strikers win games and defenders win Championships” is often forgotten. He does not have the ability to turn the game around under his belt. If previous winners could give a hint towards who would bag the award, Carrick could already be out of the race.
Another big favourite to grab this award. Following his move from Arsenal to United, van Persie has been a vital cog in Sir Alex’s strategy of grabbing the title back from their noisy neighbours. He can score and assist as well, and the current holder of the award will probably end up as an English champion at the end of this season.
He boasts 21 goals and 8 assists. 2 goals behind Suarez and 3 assists in front. Saying that the Dutchman has had a huge impact in this year’s title race would be an understatement. He has been pivotal in most of the big games they have played, and was very reliable throughout the season. He has had 5 match winning goals, which means that he has been directly responsible for 15 points that United have gathered.
However, he’s lost his goal-scoring touch as the season comes to a close. Since the middle of February, he has suffered an embarrassing goal drought. Moreover, he does not display the versatility the other nominees show. It could bite him hard when the prestigious night arrives.
