FAN ARTICLES

Back with the annual Mid-Season Awards

By Vinod Kumar :  09/01/2011 :  Comments (13) :

Apart from the past awards such as ?Player of the Season?, ?Best New Signing?, ?Mr Reliable? and ?Most Improved Player?, I have decided to add two more categories of awards. ?Mr Who?? signifies a player who has not been performing and is a favourite for the drop come the end of the season.

?The Young Gun? award is dedicated to the youngsters of Everton who have been plying their trade at the highest level in one of the best leagues in the world. Perceptions differ, and as fans it?s your call to voice out your opinions. So, without further delay?Drum rolls please??..

2010-11 Season

It was a pre-season that raised expectations and anxiety throughout the blue side of Merseyside. ?We have the strongest squad in years!? a phrase that was echoed throughout Goodison Park. Is this going to be the beginning of the Golden Period for Moyes?s slowly but carefully-built dynasty? Or is it going to be one of those post-Walter Smith dark days that would eventually cause the downfall of the Moyes Era?

Sadly, after 21 games to the season, many hopes have been dampened due to the insipid performances by the team. Questions have been raised. Does consistent league placing of 13, 14 and 15 show ambition by the club? Has Everton decided to participate in a different league chasing honours with Birmingham and Fulham to be the club with the highest number of draws? Has Moyes?s signings for the season turn out to be damp squibs? Has Arteta, Pienaar and Heitinga lost their form? Are the strikers in for a goal crisis?

Many issues have been ongoing, but one thing has given a silver lining. The team has performed better against clubs that are considered their close rivals. Draws against Chelsea, Man United together with victories over Tottenham, Man City and of course Liverpool has shown once again that Everton are a tough nut to crack. But then enters the question of consistency? Were defeats to Stoke, Newcastle, Brentford and the morale-sapping 1-4 thrashing to West Brom smells of complacency? Yet with the recent victories over Tottenham and Scunthorpe together with the mouth-watering prospect of doing the double over the Reds next week gives a new vigour to the whole of Everton and with that same vigour I present to you?

Player of the Season: Leighton Baines

It took him a full two seasons to show his true potential. But this season, he just blew out of proportions right from the word go! With 24 league and cup appearances this season, 7 assists and glorious goals against Man City and Scurnthorpe he?s shown that HE IS the quality left-back of Everton. Whether it?s his potent partnership with Pienaar or his dashing runs on the left flank, his wonderful crosses or his deadly set-pieces, I wouldn?t be surprised to see his goal scoring tally rising and winning THAT coveted award!

Best New Signing: NIL

Sadly, I have to give a pass to this one, as none of the new signings have lit up the league so far. Promising displays of Jermaine Beckford has put him as a front-runner but he hasn?t fully fulfilled to be named as the best New Signing. Lack of playing time for Slovakian World Cup hero Mucha and ?Moyes?s ace? Magaye Gueye has made it hard to analyze their status.

Mr Reliable: Tim Cahill

Joining past winners Carsley, Stubbs and Arteta in the list, Cahill has shown that he has more to provide apart from his goal scoring feats. With a 9-goal tally this season, he has always been the lynchpin for the 4-5-1 formation grenade. And when the strikers are not performing, it?s his goals that the team depends on. No wonder there was a rationale explanation from Moyes in the game against Birmingham when he left out Yakubu, Saha and Becks and opted to start with Cahill upfront. Cahill = Everton?s talisman.

Most Improved Player: Sylvain Distin

This award category is a personal favourite of mine as this was how I started with the award ceremony with ToffeeWeb. And there always would be a significant aura for players who are capped in this category. There?s an old saying ?from villain to hero? which is what these players are about. From the likes of Pistone to Phil Neville to Osman, it is now Distin?s turn to take this award. He has proven this season that he can overcome his limitations and transform into a formidable rock at the heart of defence!

Mr Who?: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

A close 3-way fight between the Yak, Bily and Big Vic, but Bily slightly edges out Yak and Vic due to his poor form this season. Starting the pre-season with promise, he has a mere 3 starts for the season and yet to show penetration down the flanks. With young Coleman overshadowing him and no goal scoring ratio this season, it?s his £10 million valuation that is making him the red-hot favourite for Mr. Who?

The Young Gun: Seamus Coleman

Who else? Coleman wins this award hands down. No one would have thought there could be someone running down the right flank except for ol? Donovan. But here we have one of the young guns making the right side his own and it?s pretty obvious that he has the mantle to take down opposition and has been a revelation for the toffees. If he stayed injury-free and improvise on his tracking back and dictating, then we might have a potential ?Everton?s very own Marc Overmars? in our hands.

So, there you have it?The Jury is out. The Awards are given. The presentation is done. Half the battle has passed. Now it?s another gruelling 4 months to know the outcome of Everton?s season as well as how the players have fared overall. But results are not the only thing that matters? what matters most is that we are behind the team through thick and thin. COYB!

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