The PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2009/10
The votes have been cast, and the results have been announced. The Professional Footballers’ Association have named the best performers in the Premier League in 2009/10 by announcing them in their team of the year. Here’s your guide to who’s who, and just why they’ve received the honour.
Joe Hart – Birmingham City (on loan from Manchester City)
Hart’s tale of two Cities has established the goalkeeper – who only turned 23 last week – as one of the top shot-stoppers in the Premier League. His decision to swap Manchester for Birmingham was one that benefitted both player and his temporary club, and Hart was one of the main reasons behind Alex McLeish’s men never being in danger of relegation throughout the campaign. He’ll be on the plane to South Africa as England’s third-choice goalkeeper, and his task now has to be to secure first-team football next season, surely away from City. Do that, and he could be England’s first-choice in the near future.
Branislav Ivanović – Chelsea
Jose Bosingwa’s season-ending injury in October had Chelsea fans worried that they’d have a problem at right-back – but they needn’t have sweated. Steady Serb Ivanović stepped in and almost immediately allayed fears that Chelsea wouldn’t be as attacking without their powerful Portuguese defender. Ivanović has made five assists in the league alone, and has combined that with a defensive solidity that ensures that the Blues are still one of the toughest defences to breach. Signed in January 2008 for £9million, it took Ivanović a while to bed into English football. Now he looks like he was made for it.
Thomas Vermaelen – Arsenal
It takes many foreign players a season to bed into the Premier League, but obviously no-one told Vermaelen. Eight goals in all competitions make the centre-back Arsenal’s fourth-highest goalscorer of the campaign, and his no-nonsense defensive approach has found favour with Gunners supporters, many of whom were calling for a rugged defender to partner William Gallas at centre-back. The £10million Belgian is still only 24, and looks set for a long career at the heart of the Arsenal defence. After his impressive debut campaign, his club’s supporters wouldn’t want it any other way.
Richard Dunne – Aston Villa
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and after Manchester City allowed Dunne – a servant of the club for nine years – to quietly slip out the Eastlands back door in August, the Irishman has set about proving his former employers wrong. A rock at the heart of Aston Villa’s impressive season, how fitting would it be if Dunne and Villa were to pip City to Champions League qualification? Mark Hughes might still have his job as City manager if he hadn’t sold Dunne and bought the expensive, and injury-prone, Joleon Lescott, but Martin O’Neill won’t care about that. He and Villa have one of the best defenders in the league, and they certainly appreciate his contributions.
Patrice Evra – Manchester United
One of the few constants in Sir Alex Ferguson’s United team, French flyer Evra has been a metronomic presence down his side’s left flank this season. Strong in the tackle, and not afraid to get forward, Evra always provides an option for United, and is quickly attaining legendary status among the United support, who love to chant his name in between their calls for the removal of the Glazers. Evra has played the full 90 minutes in all but five of United’s league matches this season, and still only 28, he looks like being a fixture in his side’s defence for some time yet.
Antonio Valencia – Manchester United
An excellent first season at one of the big hitters for the ex-Wigan man, who has been quietly going about his business on the right of the Manchester United midfield. Nine assists in the league alone, added to seven goals in all competitions, make for impressive reading and the Ecuadorian looks set to be a regular in the United XI for seasons to come. Sure, he’s not as photogenic, as headline-grabbing or as interesting as the man who used to occupy his position, but who says that’s a bad thing. He’s no Ronaldo, he’s Valencia, and he’s doing a very good job.
Cesc Fàbregas – Arsenal
Fabregas scored 15 league goals for Arsenal in 2009/10, but perhaps more impressively he set up another 15 as well. The heartbeat of his side, the Gunners captain makes everything about this current Arsenal team tick, and it’s unclear how far their title challenge would have gone without him. A real leader of his side, the Spaniard is still linked with a move back to Barcelona, the club against whom his season ended with a fractured leg in the Champions League. In the interests of English football fans everywhere, we have to pray he doesn’t go.
Darren Fletcher – Manchester United
Some recognition for United’s Scottish workhorse, who perhaps surprisingly gets in ahead of the likes of Frank Lampard. His influence on his team can’t be ignored though, and the Scotland captain has quietly become a vital member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in recent seasons, so much so that they now look a much weaker team without him. Two goals in September’s dramatic 4-3 derby win over Manchester City was his highlight, and while the midfielder will be looking to add more goals to his game in the coming seasons, he can content himself with the knowledge that he’s now a vital part of his club’s plans. Who’d have thought that a few seasons ago?
James Milner – Aston Villa
It’s being described as a breakthrough year for Milner – the PFA Young Player of the Year – but in truth it’s been a year that has been coming for a while. The midfielder has been rapidly improving for the past few years, and has now reached a level where few can doubt his quality. Guaranteed to be on the plane for South Africa, Milner is being touted by many to start England’s first game at the World Cup, and Fabio Capello could do a lot worse. An increased maturity and belief in his own ability have made him Aston Villa’s main man, and when they call upon him, he usually delivers.
Wayne Rooney – Manchester United
If this were a real teamsheet, then he’d surely be the first name on it. A first Manchester United season without Ronaldo saw Rooney elevate his game to new levels, and his 34 goals in all competitions have led to comparisons with some of the game’s greats. So important to club and country, and still just 24, the forward will be around for a long time to come, and it is a wonder just what else he is capable of achieving. Carrying his nation’s hopes into the World Cup in the summer won’t faze him, few things do. As fearless as he is spectacular, he’ll relish the challenge.
Didier Drogba – Chelsea
Thirty-two goals in a season which was interrupted by his involvement in January’s African Cup of Nations only tells half the story, Drogba has been unplayable at times in 2009/10. He’s the third-highest assister in the Premier League, and has rampaged through defences on a weekly basis throughout the campaign. After probably his best season in England, the Ivorian heads to the World Cup on red hot form, and who would bet against him firing again in the closing stages of the season to help Chelsea to a league and FA Cup double? Surely not Blues fans, who wouldn’t swap him for anyone else.
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