KMC's Premiership Player of the Year

Something to think about:

PLAYERS WRONG TO IGNORE MAKELELE

By Martin Samuel

THE Players' Player Award. Just the name conjures up a certain image.

The unsung hero. The type everybody overlooks. Not pretty, never eye-catching, but his mates know his worth.

The first winner was Norman Hunter, next was Colin Todd. Last year it went to John Terry.

We can all find the beauty in Thierry Henry or Wayne Rooney but leave it to the professionals to truly appreciate what a man does for his team. So where the hell was Claude Makelele (right) in the PFA's short-list of six this week?

Where was the acknowledgement of the player whose quiet consistency will again deliver the title to Stamford Bridge this season?

Where was recognition of the most significant influence in the Championship race? Players' player? They could have asked the James Blunt fan club and and got the same poster boy answers.

Instincts

There were three Chelsea players, Terry, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole — not one of whom would be as good without Makelele — plus Rooney, Henry and Steven Gerrard. All fine footballers.

Yet the players' award cries out for an appreciation of the game's subtleties.

The best team in the country is driven by the instincts and quick-thinking of not so much a midfield enforcer, as a ninja. So good, so deadly, he is almost invisible.

Take Makelele from Chelsea and it would be like losing half a team.

He protects the back four, breaks up play in midfield and gets the ball to his team-mates quickly.

Awesome

There are those who think he is merely a destroyer. Look again. Better still, ask his peers. They have a players' player award at Stamford Bridge, too — and guess who won it this year?

When Chelsea played Barcelona, the battle in midfield was awesome. Deco was extraordinary.

Lampard was tested beyond his limit. Makelele was entirely in his element. The tougher it got, the better he played.

On the rare occasions Michael Essien has been used in his position, witness the difference.

There is a two-second delay while Essien computes his pass. Makelele never needs that.

Nobody is comparing Makelele's quiet effectiveness with the poetry of Henry in motion, or the explosive individuality of Rooney.

Yet in a list of six, surely there was room for a true players' player?

Or is even the professional game slave to the Pop Idol culture these days?

I always think of Makelele as a poor man's Vieria.

Originally posted by Ya Krunk'd Floo
I always think of Makelele as a poor man's Vieria.

They're not really similar- Vieira is more in the Gerrard or Keane mould.

Makelele is basically the first and often last line of defence/ attack frustration.

id rather makelele protect the back four than vieira. he is much better at it

I think they share some similar qualities. You could get away with having Vieria or Makelele. In which case, I would choose Vieria. Makelele is a good player though.

Originally posted by Ya Krunk'd Floo
I think they share some similar qualities. You could get away with having Vieria or Makelele. In which case, I would choose Vieria. Makelele is a good player though.

I think I'd rather play them together. Makelele shielding, Vieira venturing forwards. Either way, if France bring their top form, some people are going to be in for a shock.

Out of those i'd say rooney, though i think a few others should be considered... darren bent for showing everyone he can cut it at the top level... robbie keane has had a resurgance big time since being made captain of spurs, carrick wasn't half bad either... fabregas has done well too... xabi alonso for all his brilliance has been too sporadic imo... cole and gerrard shouldnt be listed at all imo...

i wouldnt say henry, imo he's been poor outside of the champions league, and seems to be believing the hype about him big time... terry was good, solid as usual... lampard has had a weaker season than previously imo, so i wouldnt put him in this year...

The hype of Henry is that he can come on and turn a losing situation into a not-losing situation, as we saw against Tottenham. Or turn a normal situation into a winning one from nothing, as we saw against Real Madrid.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
The hype of Henry is that he can come on and turn a losing situation into a not-losing situation, as we saw against Tottenham. Or turn a normal situation into a winning one from nothing, as we saw against Real Madrid.

-AC

yet he did nothing against man u... he seems to only bother when it suits him...

my brother was at the arsenal v man u game, he's supported arsenal for years, and he used to idolise henry (he'd watched him score that great goal against ireland), and even he can't stand henry anymore... henry seems to be of the impression that he's bigger than the team, and thats a pretty bad attitude to have...

I don't think he's got that attitude at all, I think he knows he's a team player. I just don't think he has lost sight of the fact that he is one of the very best, if not the best, in the world and so he shouldn't.

The man has scored 29 goals this season, assisted many more. Can hardly say he's doing nothing. He's a player, he has bad games. Like any player, he has moments where he could do better, but that doesn't change the kind of player he is.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
I don't think he's got that attitude at all, I think he knows he's a team player. I just don't think he has lost sight of the fact that he is one of the very best, if not the best, in the world and so he shouldn't.

The man has scored 29 goals this season, assisted many more. Can hardly say he's doing nothing. He's a player, he has bad games. Like any player, he has moments where he could do better, but that doesn't change the kind of player he is.

-AC

well our opinions do differ on what kind of player he is... 😛

i do think he has that attitude, and has had it for most of this season... van nistelrooy has scored plenty of goals this season too, but i don't think anyone can say he's had a good season...

I never said he's had a good season, I said at 29 goals you can hardly say he's doing nothing.

If he does nothing for a whole game and then takes a couple of seconds to manifest a game changing piece of play, he's done enough.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
I never said he's had a good season, I said at 29 goals you can hardly say he's doing nothing.

If he does nothing for a whole game and then takes a couple of seconds to manifest a game changing piece of play, he's done enough.

-AC

My bad...

I agree that if he did do that, it'd be enough, but as far as i can remember he's failed to do it more times than he did... granted he made a very important contribution against madrid, and in europe in general, its just as far as the premiership goes, from what i've seen half the time he just doesn't seem bothered by the whole thing...

Well I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find a premiership fan who has seen Henry since his early days at Arsenal and have them deny that he is, more or less, what people say he is.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Well I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find a premiership fan who has seen Henry since his early days at Arsenal and have them deny that he is, more or less, what people say he is.

-AC

Oh, i agree... he's come a long, long way since juventus... he's capable of creating some of the most sublime football of modern years, and is easily in the top three in the world, but what i have a problem with is his willingness and his attitude... i think in seasons gone by he's been only too willing to give his all, but this season i think he's stalled somewhat... he seems to be distracted, or just not as interested as he used to be...

if we're voting on ability then henry is a shoe in (sp?), but on form i don't think he's been as good as he can be on enough occasions...

So, ol' Gerrado picked up the PFA Player of the Year award, and ol' Roonaldo got the Young un' award.

Click here, if you must...

Uh, here too, if you really have to...

I thought it was gonna be Henry and Fabregas, but I guess they took into consideration Arsenal's lowly position in the Premiership...

Good season and bad season is basically fuelled by media hype, or some kind of nebulous factor that doesn't actually exist.

Saying Rooney has had a good season and Henry a bad one is a bit mental, because they are both strikers, and Henry has outstripped him in goalscoring terms. Henry has a higher pass success rate. More assists.

I'm not sure exactly what Rooney has over him, except for media dribble over his genitalia.

(What happened there was, I deliberately left the initial pronoun ambiguous. Further explanations can be found on the net).

Peculiar semantic issues aside, Rooney won the Young Player of the Year award because he's...young. Henry didn't because he's...old. I think that's how it works anyway...

I'd say a good season in the Premiership is being placed 4th or above.

Anything outside of the relegation zone is preferable.

'Mon you Villa boys! 😄

West Ham for FA cup