Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Mid-season Awards

What goes around comes around. And right now it's the time of the year when the independant analysts and the football-crazed pundits are busy jotting down the differences and statistics on the haves, have nots, might-have-beens and the wannabes. Yup, it's the mid-season review! (and of course the awards as well!)

Basically, the majority of us might not be in festive mood when it comes to the performances of our beloved blues this season. Languishing in the bottom half of the table, recording more losses than wins and with a goal difference of -2 at this stage would not reflect a comfortable and confident season. And in no manner am I going to even start on the 'what went wrong' theory. I'm a fan not a pundit.

As everyone else, I too had limited optimism on what 2011-12 season had to offer. I was not surprised with the departures of Arteta or Beckford as I had gut feelings that some players would be leaving if there aren't sufficient investments or qualification for Europe during 2010-11 season. And I was sadly... proven right.

The only shocker was the departure of Yakubu. Okay, not that I'm shocked to see him leave, but that Everton sold him to Blackburn for £1.5M! I swear, I would have bit, chewed, gurgled and spit the hands of West Ham when they offered £6M for the Yak a few seasons ago. A difference of £10M for Everton and the Yak being 5th in the top scorers chart scoring 12 goals tempts me to offer Blackburn 'The Deal of the Season' award! And we are still talking about investments...

As much as I was discontented with the final standings, I was pretty much satisfied that all my award winners claimed their rightful statuses at the end of last season (with the exception of the Mr Who award, which I'm eliminating this season due to overwhelming contestants!) and the growing influence of the youngsters in the team. This season, there's not much to choose from as there wasn't much activity both on and off the field. So, without further delay... here we go!!!!

Dhol drums...er...I mean...Drum rolls please....

Player of the Year Award:
Guess the word Bainesy had been extra firmly etched last season as it can't be removed or erased. Together with Tim Howard and Jagielka, he has started all the league games to date and with 3 goals plus his FA Cup penalty strike and 1 assist wins him the award. Period. ... But, even by his standards, he knows that there's a lot to improve.

The Most Improved Player:
My favourite award goes to lil' Ossie. After a lacklustre season and a mediocre start, Leon Osman is finally hitting back to the 2007-08 form which won him this same award. Sadly, his midfield companions Arteta and Pienaar who formed the famed trident of 'midfield gems' are not around to complement him this season.

Best New Signing:
Okay, when was the last time we paid a transfer fee for a player? Was it Heitinga? Anywayz, I guess everyone knows who's the winner since it's not a heavily-guarded Prometheus storyline. The Award goes to Drenthe. With pace and guile, he has provided spark on the flanks which has been missing for quite some time, but then his flaw is he loses possession very easily. And, if only he could reduce the side-step showboating and improve on his tracking back, Roysten Drenthe might not be seen as a another enigma.

The Young Gun:
Not much action from the youngsters as Moyes is typically playing Father Protective again, even though I was surprised by the cameo appearance of Conor McAleny. This award could be a three-horse race if it ends on May 13. But, since it's a mid-season award, Apostolos Vellios beats the likes of Ross Barkley and Magaye Gueye for his tally of 3 goals. But still, there is an element of unpredictability as there's 4 more months before the end of the season; which raw diamond might shine?

Mr Reliable:
I had to announce this award last since there was a slight dilemma on the winner. At the start of the season, the front-runner was Fellaini for his overall performance and his contribution in central midfield but, due to his injury, it was Jagielka who I thought was worthy for the award. But fate has played an ironic part as he too would be missing a large chunk of the second-half after his ill-fated game with Bolton. Nevertheless, for his rock-solid defensive displays and being able to start 19 games this season, he wins the coveted title of Mr.Reliable.

So there you have it. I have indicated my MVPs for this season. But the question that arises again and again is what happened to some of the players who have been totally oblivious to me this season? Where's Saha, Cahill and Neville? These players are leadership quality. The ones who were supposed to run the show. But, for some mysterious reasons, I can't identify them as players of previous seasons. Maybe they are going through some rough patches and would hit form during the run-in of the campaign. Or they might be carrying injuries that are affecting their performance.

Neville is the captain of the team, but is finding it hard to get involved with first-team action. Without Arteta and now Jagielka, I'm not sure who has the capabilities of taking charge when the chips are down. Howard has leadership qualities, but an outfield player is the one who can get things sorted.

What has happened to Cahill? He was the pivotal figure in midfield and not to forget the midfield was actually build to accommodate him since the 2004-05 season. Now he seems to be the person missing.

With Yak and Beckford gone, Saha the 'Chief striker' is the only experienced striker in the squad. If Anichebe requires support, Stracqualursi requires help in adapting to the system, Vellios needs to look up to someone, then Saha is the primary model for all three and needs to put in some good performances. With the lack of a playmaker and with a dearth of goals from our strikers, it is going to be a topsy-turvy run-in for which even mother nature could not offer much help. Just ask Howard!

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