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Player of the Season
By Kristian Downer
It is that time of the year again and despite only the Carling Cup being decided with any certainty the football awards season is now in full swing.
There are many awards at the end of the season a mix of FA, media, player, manager and fan selected awards up for grabs.
The official Chelsea FC award voted for by the fans will be the award with the most gravitas for those associated with the club. Particularly as this year is unusual as not one Chelsea player has made the 6 player PFA Player of the year shortlist.
The PFA award is dominated by 5 Manchester United players with PFA golden boy Steven Gerrard added into the mix as a token gesture to placate those without a vested interest in the Salford based club.
The PFA shortlist has been a great bone of contention and major talking point in the media and many league managers have made critical comments of the system including the dominance of one club, the merit of some selections (Van de Saar and Ronaldo) and nominations being made in February with other one third of the season remaining.
More importantly the Chelsea FC award is now open for voting on the official website and I am at present torn on who will receive my vote.
With so much of the 2008/2009 story yet to be written I believe a hero may yet emerge to steal the limelight and define Chelsea’s season.
However I have attempted to go through our squad and look at the lay of the land at present and the possible contenders for the award.
I have set a qualifying mark of at least 30 first team appearances by the 19th of April in all competitions (roughly 60%) as the award is for the season and not just performances that stick in recent memory.
This immediately rules out the winners of the last two awards Joe Cole (20 apps) and Michael Essien (10 apps) as well as headline grabbing Branislav Ivanovic and fan favourite Juliano Belletti who misses out by just one appearance.
List of potential candidates.
Petr Cech
An ever present in the side his contribution over the last 4 years ha been phenomenal yet he has always been overlooked.
Petr Cech has come back from a horrific injury inflicted by Stephen Hunt against Reading which almost ruined his career to reproduce some sparkling form and retain the no.1 jersey inspite of fierce competition from former player of the year and now departed Carlo Cudicini
Overall the Czech international has had a good season saving Chelsea time and time again with reflex and fingertip saves in games that could have gone either way.
Ironically for me his best and two worst performances came within a two weeks of each other the Champions League Quarter Final versus Liverpool was a real Jeckal and Hyde performance excellent and commanding in the first leg, nervous and unsure in the second.
Sandwiched in between these performances was probably Cech’s worst performance in blue against an aerial bombardment from a spirited Bolton team who refused to give up in a game in which indecisiveness resulted in three goals which in most situations would have cost Chelsea the points.
A dip in form in the last few weeks has led to some ridiculous transfer rumours circulating however most blues fans will be hoping that the last line of Chelsea defence stays the same for a good many years to come.
Season Rating – 6.5
Rating for last two months – 5.5
Likelihood of Winning – Low
John Terry
There is a banner that is hung by fans from the Matthew Harding stand at Stamford Bridge during home games that reads ‘JT Captain, Leader, Legend’ and those three words encapsulate the feelings of the Stamford Bridge faithful towards their ‘captain fantastic’.
However this season John Terry has not been at the pinnacle of his game, lacking the form which made him the world’s best defender during the Mourinho era.
Despite this he has won many plaudits this season battling through injury and putting his body and soul on the line for the team he has helped drive the time through an unstable period in its history.
It is nearly incomprehensible for the captain of England and Chelsea to lose mythical status amongst Chelsea fans, every one of whom wants to see Chelsea and John Terry avenge the heartache of last season with a trophy laden campaign.
It is for this reason that John Terry has an outside chance at the Chelsea Player of the season award.
Season Rating – 6.5
Rating for last two months – 7.0
Likelihood of Winning – Low - Medium
Frank Lampard
Despite being shunned for the PFA award, Frank Lampard has had a fantastic season for both club and country.
He has really grown into his role as vice captain showing leadership, drive and determination at key times during the season turning games that Chelsea had struggled in on their head most notably with late winning goals against Stoke and Wigan.
This is combined with great vision and reading of the game to deliver pinpoint passes and assists as well as chipping in with 20 goals, much maligned by those outside of the club he has quietly gone about his business whilst others have often undeservedly stolen the premier league limelight.
Despite the scandal that is his failure to be in the running for the PFA award it is likely that he will be able to add a Chelsea Player of the Year award to his burgeoning trophy cabinet as consolation.
Season Rating – 8.5
Rating for last two months – 9
Likelihood of Winning – Favourite to win.
Ashley Cole
With the possible exception of Christiano Ronaldo Chelsea’s left back is possibly the most hated player in the Premier League. Admittedly Ashley Cole has done himself no favours with his high profile personal life and the bitter end to his Arsenal career souring public opinion.
He is cannon fodder to opposition fans looking for a reason any reason to hassle and hound Chelsea players unlike the abuse given by England fans to Frank Lampard some but not all of the sour relationship with opposition fans is understandable. Parallels can be drawn to the way Chelsea fans welcome William Gallas back to the bridge the other player involved in Cole’s controversial transfer however unlike Gallas the whole country appears to have jumped on the bandwagon.
However although Chelsea fans have been slow to warm to Ashley Cole giving him a lukewarm response however game by game, tackle by tackle he is winning over the Chelsea fans working in perfect tandem with Jose Boswinga and providing Chelsea with excellent offensive and defensive options from the left back position.
He has risen above the abuse and hate and put in countless excellent performances with Chelsea fans beginning to rally behind him and drown out the hatred of ignorant opposition fans more concerned with his marriage to a pop star than his football.
This season has been Cole’s best in a Chelsea shirt and he is a real contender for the award, despite having no spectacular stand out moments but has been consistently proficient and is a deserved candidate for this award.
Season Rating – 8.0
Rating for last two months – 7.5
Likelihood of Winning – Medium to High
Didier Drogba
Currently in the form of his life the mixed up striker looked to be heading out of the Stamford Bridge exit, unhappy under both Grant and Scolari he proceeded to spend half the season flouncing around seemingly in a world of his own uncommitted and spending more time on the ground with imaginary injuries than leading the front line.
Although injured at the start of the season he was overshadowed by a prolific Nicholas Anelka who rocketed to the top of the scoring charts, however like so much at Chelsea the tide changed rapidly upon the arrival of the man that Robin van Persie once compared to Midas our part time temporary manager Guus Huudink.
Suddenly the hunger returned and so did the pace, power and touch that makes Drogba one of the most feared strikers on the planet, from no goals in 9 games Drogba now has 9 in 11 creating 2 or 3 golden opportunities per match.
Many may question his inclusion however if the impact of his goals on the season is a key part of the decision then it would be difficult to look beyond Drogba who has played a gigantic part in Chelsea’s progression in the last round of both the Champions League and FA Cup.
Didier Drogba will generate split opinions amongst fans but Gianfranco won the PFA award in less than a season so why not Didier Drogba who has helped put Chelsea’s season back on track and to the brink of greatness.
Season Rating – 6.5
Rating for last two months - 9
Likelihood of Winning – Medium to High
Nicholas Anelka
It is not often that the joint top scorer in the Premier League has not been the first choice striker for the entire season, with 15 league goals he lit up the early Scolari era when everything seemed to be going so swimmingly.
With his pace, deft touch and excellent finishing he has contributed goals and in recent weeks competent and influential displays operating out of position on the right without complaint or fuss providing two assists in the thrilling 4-4 draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
It is the absence of the stereotypical ‘le sulk’ image combined with teamwork, assists and goals that put Nicholas Anelka in the frame for this award even if he has been overshadowed in recent months.
Season Rating – 7
Rating for last two months - 7
Likelihood of Winning – Low to Medium
Jose Boswinga
When Chelsea signed Jose Boswinga with the arrival of his national coach imminent there was much speculation and conversation as to whether the search for a long term right back solution for Chelsea had ended.
Within the first few months this speculation was ended emphatically with Boswinga making a flying start to his Chelsea career combining a marauding attacking style with a strong defensive side to his game.
With fantastic performances illuminated by some outrageous goals the unibrowed right back has quickly become a fans favourite and although injured at the moment Jose Boswinga has been a big performer for Chelsea throughout the season and a worthy if not outside contender.
Season Rating – 7.5
Rating for last two months – 6.5 (largely due to injury)
Likelihood of Winning – Low to Medium
Overview
Overall there have been some great performers for Chelsea this season and some memorable performances; however a Player of the Season award requires consistency, as well as an impact on the season.
There have been many contenders for the award this season and it is likely that there will be split opinions across the Chelsea fanbase with Drogba, Lampard and Ashley Cole likely to be frontrunners but the beauty of the club award is that it is voted for by the people whose opinions really matter in professional sport, not the players but the fans.
Click Here to vote for the Official Chelsea Player of the Season
Vote below for the Chelsea Community Blog Player of the Season